Fix: FaceTime not Working on iPhone/iPad

Imagine having issues with FaceTime in these trying times when we heavily rely on this and similar services to communicate with the closest ones.  That’s exactly what’s bothering some users who can’t make calls that last longer than 6-7 minutes. After that, FaceTime keeps crashing and it’s an understatement to say that this is annoying.

Luckily, there are a few ways to address this and we made sure to list them below. If you are having a hard time with FaceTime on your iPhone or iPad,

Table of contents:

1. Force close FaceTime and restart your device
2. Disable and re-enable FaceTime in Settings
3. Reinstall FaceTime
4. Update iOS
5. Reset All Settings

Why does my FaceTime keep dropping?

1. Force close FaceTime and restart your device

Let’s start by force-closing FaceTime from Recents and restarting your iPhone/iPad. Although this exact problem is more related to iOS versions on two communicating devices, it won’t cost you to give it a try.

If FaceTime drops again after a couple of minutes, make sure to continue to the next step.

2. Disable and re-enable FaceTime in Settings

The next thing to try is to simply disable FaceTime and re-enable it again. That can be done from Settings > FaceTime. After disabling FaceTime, you can restart your device and only then re-enable it.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open Settings.
2. Open FaceTime.
3. Disable FaceTime and restart your device.
4. Navigate to Settings > FaceTime again and re-enable it.

3. Reinstall FaceTime

Even though FaceTime is a built-in app you can still reinstall it. Even without the app itself, you would still be able to make FaceTime calls from Phone or Contacts. However, by reinstalling FaceTime, the temporary problem might be fixed. Of course, again, making sure that you don’t have connection issues and that your device (devices) are up to date is your safest bet to address the problem.

Here’s how to reinstall FaceTime on iPhone or iPad:

1. Tap & hold on the FaceTime Home Screen shortcut.
2. Tap Remove App.
3. Confirm when prompted.
4. Open the App Store and look for FaceTime.
5. Install the app and run it.
6. Grant permissions when asked.

4. Update iOS

So, this is a solution that most users suggested. For some strange reason, when users with older devices that can’t install iOS/iPadOS 14 try to call devices that do support the latest iteration, the app crashes after 6 or 7 minutes. On the other hand, the problem doesn’t appear to bother users “face timing” with both older devices or newer ones. We know, it’s complicated and Apple hasn’t done much to fix it.

Recent reports state that newer devices that support iOS 14/iPadOS 14 don’t have issues after installing iOS 14.4 and later. So, make sure to update your eligible devices to the latest iteration of iOS in order to fix the problem.

Updates are installed automatically but you can do it manually by following these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Updates.
4. Download and install firmware updates on your device.

5. Reset All Settings

Finally, if none of the previous steps worked for you and FaceTime keeps crashing on your iPhone or iPad, make sure to reset All Settings. This will restore all system settings to their default values but keep app data and local files.

Here’s how to reset All Settings on iOS:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down and tap Reset.
4. Tap Reset All Settings and enter your PIN/password when prompted.
5. Confirm so your device can reset all system settings.

That should do it. In case you have any questions, suggestions, or alternative solutions we overlooked, be kind and share them with us in the comments section below. We look forward to hearing from you.

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