Facetime Failed Macbook
Apple Inc has failed in its bid to dismiss a lawsuit claiming it disabled the popular FaceTime video conferencing feature on older iPhones to force users to upgrade. Further, with FaceTime, you make video and audio calls ONLY with another iPhone (4th generation or later), iPad (2nd generation or later), iPod Touch (4th generation), or Mac using either a WiFi or Cellular Data connection.
Are you frustrated with FaceTime not working on your Mac? Well, this problem may occur for a variety of reasons on macOS Catalina or previous versions. For instance, if your Apple ID has been accidentally signed out, the video calling app may not function.
Other possible reasons include a faulty internet connection or malfunctioning camera and microphone. Further, activation errors, change in the Apple ID password, a macOS update, or even incorrect date and time may also cause FaceTime to stop working.
If this sounds like a lot, worry not. Here we have listed nine solutions to fix all the errors and problems you have with FaceTime on your Mac. Take a look.
#1. Check Internet Connection on your Mac
The first thing is to ensure that your Mac has a proper Wi-Fi or ethernet connection. For this open Safari or any other browser and try to load a webpage. If the internet connection is okay, let us move on to the next fix.
#2. Force Quit FaceTime on your Mac and then Launch it Again
- Click on the Apple logo from top left → click Force Quit.
- Now, Select FaceTime and then click on Force Quit.
Note: Here, you may also Force Quit any other app that you believe is using Mac’s camera and microphone.
#3. Check FaceTime is Activated or Not
- When you are in the FaceTime app on Mac, click on FaceTime from top left of the menu bar. Click on Preferences, and here see whether you are signed in with your Apple ID or not.
- If you believe it is a wrong account, you may click on Sign Out and then sign in using your Apple ID. Also, for ‘You can be reached for FaceTime at:’ make sure you have at least one phone number or email checked.
- At the bottom for ‘Start new calls from:’ ensure your phone number or email is visible.
#4. Restart Your Mac
Restarting helps fix minor issues on Mac. To restart your Mac, click on the Apple logo () from top left → click Restart. After this, try to use FaceTime again.
#5. Sign Out of FaceTime and Sign Back In
Even after restart if your FaceTime worries are not solved, let us try to sign out of FaceTime and sign back in. For this, open FaceTime, click on FaceTime from top left of the menu bar, and click on Turn FaceTime Off. After one minute, follow the same steps and turn on FaceTime.
Alternatively, after turning FaceTime Off, you may restart the Mac and, after that, sign in to FaceTime using your Apple ID and password.
If you have recently changed your Apple ID password, or enabled 2-factor authentication, or changed lock password of one of your Apple devices, you may have to sign in again (using above steps) before you can use FaceTime.
#6. Check If Camera and Microphone Work in Another Application or Not
Let’s check if FaceTime essential hardware like camera and microphone are working on your Mac or not.
- To check camera, click on Finder → Applications → Photo Booth.
- To check microphone, press and hold Command (⌘) + Space Bar until Siri is launched. Now ask Siri something and see if microphone picks up your voice or not.
If camera and microphone are not working, you may connect an external webcam or earphones with mic.
Also, if you have multiple cameras and microphones attached with your Mac, make sure that you have the correct camera and microphone selected. For this click on Video from FaceTime menu bar and select the desired input device.
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#7. Set Correct Date and Time on Your Mac
Not only FaceTime, but multiple services may be affected if your Mac has the wrong date and time set. To correct these settings:
- Click on the Apple logo from top left → System Preferences → Date & Time.
- Make sure Set date and time automatically is checked.
- To make changes, you may have to click on the lock icon from the bottom left.
- Now, enter your Mac’s password and Click on Unlock.
Additionally, click on Time Zone tab and make sure Set time zone automatically using current location is turned on.
#8. Check Apple’s FaceTime Server Status
We have made sure that everything on our side is working. Now, let us see if everything is okay from Apple’s end or not. Visit this page and make sure that you see a green dot before FaceTime. If not, that means FaceTime is temporarily down, and there is nothing you can do except waiting.
#9. Update macOS
Finally, before you contact Apple support, go ahead and install the latest version of macOS on your device. Software updates fix bugs and existing glitches. To update your Mac, click on the Apple logo () from top left → System Preferences → Software Update.
Signing off…
I hope one of the solutions worked, and you are back to enjoying video calls with your friends and family. Please share your suggestion, opinion, or idea in the comments down below. While you are here, I would request that you take a quick look at best FaceTime alternatives. Some of these are available for Mac too!
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Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/iosblogger/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/iosblogger/How to Share Purchased Apps Between iPhones and iPads
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/iosblogger/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/iosblogger/
Enable Facetime On Macbook
What is FaceTime?
FaceTime is a proprietary videotelephony product which allows users make video chats and audio calls. With this feature, you only need to connect your iPhone to Wi-fi or cellular data then you can enjoy free video or audio calls. To be honest, it is a convenient tool to get in touch with our friends and families. So it is predictable that more and more people like to use it.
However, according to the feedback from its users, this application often fails to connect which makes the customers disappointed. Thus, many people eager to get the methods to fix this connection issue so that they can have a better video or audio chat. This is why this article comes- it will tell you the reasons as well as the solutions of the FaceTime connection issue.
Why FaceTime Connection Failure Happens?
Actually, the reasons of FaceTime connection failure are various. The followings are the main causes of this issue which may help you to settle the problem more easily.
* It is not available in the country or region you live cause FaceTime is not available on devices purchased in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates.
Download Facetime For Macbook Pro
* Expired certificates.
* The device is connecting to a poor internet connection.
* You may have a wrong data and time setting on your iPhone.
* The device might not match the Apple ID that you sign in initially.
* The FaceTime feature is disabled on your device.
* You have not activated the FaceTime yet.
How to Fix FaceTime Fails to Connect Issue?
To fix FaceTime fails to connect issue, you only need to check the settings on your iPhone and the system version you are using. Below are the details for your reference. You can go with them to check the settings on your phone one by one.
Solution 1. Check the Device Compatibility
As we have mentioned before, FaceTime is not available in every country so you need make sure that you are located in an area that the app is accessible. Besides, this service is only provided on iPhone 4 or later, the fourth generation of iPod touch or later, iPad 2 or later and Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later. If you are using the older version, it would not be possible to connect the FaceTime.
Solution 2. Enable FaceTime
Only when you turn the feature on can you use it smoothly. So, you are advised to check the status of FaceTime on your device. You can navigate to Settings and click on FaceTime to check it. If it is turned off, you can tap on the button next to it to enable it.
Solution 3. Turn off Airplane Mode
Once you turn on the Airplane mode, you will not be able to connect to any internet, including wireless network and cellular data, let alone use the FaceTime to have a chat. Therefore, you can go to Settings> Airplane mode to disable it. If you do not turn on this mode before, you can tap on it to enable it at first and then turn it back on to refresh your Wi-fi or cellular data network.
Solution 4. Inspect the Internet Network
Be sure that you have established a good connection between your device and internet. In this case, you can swipe up the screen to enter the control center to check the signal of Wi-fi or cellular data. Or you can turn them off and then turn them back on to refresh the internet. If it still cannot work, you can try to reset network settings.
To reset network settings, you can visit Settings> General> Reset> Reset Network Settings to remove all the saved Wi-fi name and password. After that, you can type in the name and passcode of a stable Wi-fi to reconnect the internet.
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Solution 5. Re-activate FaceTime
Another possibility of FaceTime connection failure might be the wrong FaceTime account. That means the Apple ID you using might be different from the initial one. So, you can try to reactivate your FaceTime to solve the problem. For reactivating the FaceTime, you need to sign out the account first and then log in again by typing in the Apple ID and password on the interface.
Solution 6. Update iOS and OS X Version
Upgrading your iOS and OS X version would help you solve the problem. This means could settle many kinds of iDevices issues, including FaceTime fails to connect, iPhone getting hot, iPhone won't connect to Wi-fi and so on. Therefore, you can try to download and install the latest version of iOS and OS X to fix the issue.
Solution 7. Reset All Settings
Another omnipotent method to fix iDevices problems is to reset all settings on iPhone/iPad/iPod. By using this method, you would not lose any data or documents on your device but the settings and system would be erased. However, before using it to reconnect FaceTime, you are still suggested to make a bakeup for your iPhone or other devices.
To begin the resetting, you can visit Settings> General> Reset> Reset All Settings.
Solution 8. Turn to Apple
If you have tried all the methods above but still fail to connect the FaceTime, you need to ask Apple Support Service for help.
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