If FaceTime is not working on your iPhone, here are the steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
FaceTime lets you make video and audio calls on your iPhone. At times, FaceTime on iPhone may not work or suddenly stop working due to wrong settings, temporary problems, or network issues. Once that happens, making video and audio FaceTime calls from your iPhone becomes impossible.
To fix this issue, here are 17 reliable solutions. Once you follow these, FaceTime not working, activating, or connecting on iPhone should be a thing of the past. Have a look.
How To Fix FaceTime Not Working On iPhone
1. Close And Reopen FaceTime
The first step to take when FaceTime is not working on your iPhone is to close and reopen it. FaceTime will get a fresh start, which will hopefully fix a minor crash or software bug.
If your iPhone has a Home button, double-press it to open the app switcher. If your iPhone doesn’t have a Home button, swipe up from the very bottom to the center of the screen until the app switcher opens.
Once the app switcher is open, use one finger to swipe the FaceTime app up and off the top of the screen. You’ll know the FaceTime is closed when it no longer appears in the app switcher. Now that you’ve closed FaceTime, tap on its icon on the Home screen to see if it is working again.
2. Sign out of FaceTime and sign in again
If the above solution did not fix the problem, this one should help.
Open the Settings app and go to FaceTime. Toggle off the switch next to FaceTime. After one minute, toggle the switch again to turn it on. See if this quick fix works for you or not.
If not, scroll down and tap on your Apple ID. Next, tap Sign Out.
Now restart your iPhone. Once that’s done, go to Settings > FaceTime and tap Use your Apple ID for FaceTime. FaceTime should start working perfectly.
3. Are You in a Country Where FaceTime is Restricted?
FaceTime is available in almost all countries around the world, with the exception of the United Arab Emirates. To use FaceTime in Saudi Arabia, an ‌iPhone must be running iOS 11.3 or later, and to use FaceTime in Pakistan, devices must run iOS 12.4 or later.
iPhones purchased in certain Middle Eastern countries will also block FaceTime if a SIM card from a non Middle Eastern country is inserted. FaceTime Audio is not available in China. All iPhones sold in China are limited to the standard FaceTime with video feature.
Note that if you purchase an ‌iPhone in China or the United Arab Emirates and then attempt to use it in another country, the FaceTime features listed above will be disabled. Purchasing an ‌iPhone‌ from China or the Middle East is not recommended unless you live in those places.
Finally, if your office or organization networks use firewalls, the are steps you must take to use FaceTime and iMessage behind that firewall.
4. Set the Correct Date And Time
For FaceTime to work on your iPhone, its data and time settings must be accurate. The easiest way to ensure your phone has the correct date and time is to set them to update automatically.
Start the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General > Date & Time. Make sure your iPhone is set to the correct Time Zone, and that the date and time are correct. Turn the switch next to Set Automatically if it isn’t already.
5. Restart Your iPhone
Restarting your iPhone has the potential to fix minor software problems that’s preventing FaceTime from working properly. All of its programs shut down naturally, giving them a fresh start when you turn your iPhone on again. The way to restart your iPhone varies based on which model you own.
- Restart an iPhone X or newer: Press and hold the side button and either volume button until slide to power off shows up on the screen. Swipe the power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone. Wait 15–30 seconds, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo shows up on the screen.
- Restart an iPhone 8 or older: Press and hold the power button until slide to power off shows up on the display. Swipe the power from left to right to turn off your iPhone. Wait 15–30 seconds, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo shows up on the display.
6. Check Your iPhone’s Wi-Fi Connection
A weak internet connection is a common reason why video calling apps like FaceTime stop working on iPhone. There are a few different things you can try to troubleshoot your iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection.
Turn Wi-Fi Off And Back On
The quickest and easiest fix to try is to turn Wi-Fi off and back on on your iPhone. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi. Tap the switch once to turn Wi-Fi off, then tap the switch again to turn it back on.
Restart Your Router
Restarting (or rebooting) your router will fix most issues of slow FaceTime calls, stuttering FaceTime video, and the like.
- Unplug the router. If your modem is separate from your router, unplug that as well. Wait 1 minute.
- Plug the modem back in (if it is separate). Wait another 1 minute.
- Plug the router back in. Wait 2 minutes.
Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone and try making a call to see if the problem is solved.
Forget Your Wi-Fi Network
Every time you connect to a new Wi-Fi network, your iPhone makes a record of how to connect to this network in the future. It’s for this reason you only need to enter a Wi-Fi password into your iPhone once. If the process changed, it may be preventing your iPhone from connecting to Wi-Fi. Forgetting the network and setting it up again like new will give your iPhone a fresh start.
Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi. Tap the Information button (blue i) to the right of your Wi-Fi network. Tap Forget This Network.
Go back to the Wi-Fi page in Settings and tap on your network again. Enter your Wi-Fi password to reconnect to the network. Try making a FaceTime call again to see if this fixed the problem.
More Advanced Wi-Fi Troubleshooting Steps
If you think your Wi-Fi network is the cause of FaceTime problem on your iPhone, check out our other article which goes more in-depth on how to fix iPhone Wi-Fi issues.
7. Make Sure Your Cellular Data is On
If you’re trying to use FaceTime on your iPhone over cellular data, make sure that’s switched on in your settings. Go into your Settings app and tap Cellular . Make sure that Cellular Data is enabled at the top of the page. Then scroll down to the Cellular Data section, and make sure FaceTime is enabled for cellular use in the list of apps.
8. Check Apple’s System Status When FaceTime Isn’t Working on iPhone
On rare occasions, it can happen that everything is working on your side. But the fault lies on Apple’s end, due to which FaceTime does not let you make calls.
To check this, visit Apple’s System Status page. If you see a green dot next to FaceTime, it means everything is ok. If you see an orange or red dot next to FaceTime, Apple ID, or iCloud Account & Sign In, please wait until Apple fixes the issue.
9. Update Your iPhone’s Software
One of the most common reasons why FaceTime is not working on iPhone is that the iOS is out-of-date.
To make sure your iPhone’s software is up-to-date, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, install it. iOS updates always contain bug fixes, so with few exceptions, it’s always a good idea to update your software. If your software is already up-to-date, move on to the next step.
10. Test The Camera and Microphone on Your iPhone
If people can’t see or hear you on FaceTime, there might be a problem with the camera or microphones on your iPhone. The simplest way to test this is to open the Camera app and record a short video of yourself talking into the front-facing camera. Play the video back to find out if there are any problems with the audio or video you recorded. If there are, tap or click here to learn what to do when iPhone Camera is not working.
11. Turn On Your Camera and Microphone in FaceTime
If people can’t see or hear you in FaceTime, it might be because you’ve disabled your camera or microphone for that FaceTime call.
During a FaceTime call, reveal more controls by tapping the screen on an iPhone. Tap the Camera and Microphone icons to turn your camera or microphone on and off during the call.
12. Disable FaceTime Content Restrictions
If the FaceTime app is completely missing from your iPhone, you might have turned on Screen Time restrictions. People usually use these settings to keep young children from accessing certain features on a device.
Start the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Go into Allowed Apps and make sure FaceTime and Camera are both turned on. If prompted, enter your Screen Time passcode, which may be different from your standard passcode.
13. Disable VPN
If you use a VPN, it could be preventing your iPhone from connecting to FaceTime.
While VPNs are great for protecting your personal identity online, they can cause internet connectivity issues when configured incorrectly. It’s also possible that your VPN is making it appear you’re trying to connect to FaceTime from a different country or region. Start the Settings app on your iPhone and tap the switch next to VPN to turn it off.
14. Reset Network Settings
If a poor Wi-Fi connection is the reason why Facetime is not working on your iPhone, it’s time to try resetting your phone’s network settings. This will reset all your device’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, and VPN settings to their factory defaults.
When you connect to a Wi-Fi network after resetting network settings, it’ll be like you’re connecting to that network for the very first time. This completely fresh start will often fix the software problem that prevented your iPhone from connecting to Wi-Fi in the first place. It will also reset any settings you may have changed that could be interfering with your FaceTime calls without you knowing.
Note: Before resetting network settings, make sure to write down all your Wi-Fi passwords, as you’ll have to reenter them after the reset is complete.
To reset network settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Enter your iPhone’s passcode, then tap Reset Network Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the screen.
15. Reset All Settings On Your iPhone
There isn’t a magic bullet that fixes all software problems on iOS devices, but the next best thing if FaceTime is not working on iPhone is Reset All Settings. Reset All Settings restores your iPhone’s settings to factory defaults, but it doesn’t delete any of your apps or personal information.
To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer Or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings, enter your passcode, and tap Reset All Settings.
16. Delete And Reinstall The Facetime App
Although iOS apps are strictly vetted, they can still run into problems from time to time. When you’re experiencing problems with an app, deleting and reinstalling the app will usually fix the problem.
It’s possible that FaceTime is not working on your iPhone because a software file within the FaceTime app has become corrupted. To address this problem, delete the FaceTime app then reinstall it like new!
First, delete FaceTime by lightly pressing and holding the app icon until all of your apps begin to shake. Next, tap Remove App > Delete App. A pop-up message should appear asking you to confirm this action. To confirm, tap Delete.
Now that FaceTime has been deleted from your iPhone, go to App Store and search for the FaceTime app. Once you’ve found it, tap on the small cloud icon to its right to reinstall it.
17. Repair Options for your iPhone
Although it’s very unlikely, it’s possible the Wi-Fi antenna inside your iPhone is broken, which is preventing it from connecting to your Wi-Fi network. This same antenna connects your iPhone to Bluetooth devices, so if you’ve experienced lots of issues connecting to both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi recently, the antenna could be broken.
If your iPhone is experiencing a hardware problem, I’d recommend scheduling an appointment and taking it to your local Apple Store. There, you can get a diagnosis and repair quote from a licensed Apple technician!
Successfully Fixed FaceTime Not Working on Your iPhone
You’ve successfully fixed the problem and you can now use FaceTime to make video and audio calls on your iPhone . We hope you’ll share this article on other social media platforms so your friends and family can know what to do when FaceTime is not working on their iPhones!