Can’t figure out why group FaceTime is not working on your device?
When group FaceTime works, it’s amazing. You can call your friends and family at the same time and bond.
But when it isn’t working, there’s so many potential causes and it’s quite difficult to diagnose.
To help out, we’ve pulled together the best ways to fix group FaceTime. From basic solutions to advanced techniques, we’ll cover all of them in this guide.
Let’s jump right in!
1. Check FaceTime Status.
If FaceTime isn’t working, it’s likely due to server-related errors. To confirm this, you can check Apple’s status page to see if there are reported problems with the servers.
Sadly, server-related issues can’t be resolved on your end. If the servers are down, the best thing to do is wait it out.
Proceed to the next solution if there’s nothing wrong with the servers.
2. Restart Your Device.
Try restarting your device if group FaceTime is not working. This should eliminate temporary errors from your system that occurred during use.
Make sure to ask other members of the call to restart their devices as well to ensure everything is in order.
If you are using an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later, here’s what you need to do:
- Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears.
- Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds.
- Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device.
For older iPhone models, follow the steps below:
- Locate the Power button on your device.
- Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
- Drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds before turning on your device.
On Mac, follow the guide below to restart it:
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Now, select Restart from the options menu.
- Wait for the prompt and click Restart to confirm your action.
If you’re using an iPad, here’s what you need to do:
- Press and hold Volume Down + Top button until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to the right until your screen turns black.
- Wait for 30 seconds.
- Press and hold the Top button until you see the Apple logo.
Once done, go back to FaceTime to check if the problem is solved.
3. Check If Your Device Is Supported.
If you are using an iPhone or iPad, you should ensure that group FaceTime is supported by your device.
According to Apple, group FaceTime video calls work on iOS 12.1.4 or later, or iPadOS.
It should also work with iPhone 6s or later, iPad Pro or later, iPad Air 2 or later, iPad mini 4 or later, iPad 5th Gen or later, and iPod Touch 7th gen.
For earlier Apple devices, they can join group FaceTime as audio participants.
4. Check Service Availability.
Not all countries are supported by FaceTime. If it’s not working on your end, there’s a chance that the service is not available in your region.
You can refer to Apple’s FaceTime availability page to see if your location is supported.
If not, you can try using a VPN service to tunnel in countries that have FaceTime available. We suggest using PureVPN for this one.
5. Check for Account Conflict.
If your family members are using your device, it’s possible that your account is signed in there.
When using FaceTime, only one Apple device can use it at a time. Using the app simultaneously on more than one device and a single Apple ID is not possible.
Make sure that your family members are using their Apple ID and not the one you are using to avoid issues.
6. Check Your Internet Connection.
FaceTime doesn’t require much bandwidth to enjoy video calls. However, it can run into issues if your network is unstable.,
To confirm this, perform a test on your network using Fast.com to measure its upload and download bandwidth.
If the result indicates a problem with your connection, power cycle your modem or router to re-establish the link with your ISP’s servers.
- Locate the power cable of your modem or router.
- Unplug the cable and wait for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Reconnect the power cable and wait for your router to initialize.
Once done, re-run the test on your network to check if the problem is solved. If not, contact your provider and ask them to fix the issue.
7. Limit People in Group Chat.
FaceTime allows you to start a group chat with up to 32 people at a time. However, having that many members makes it difficult to know who is causing problems.
We suggest starting a one on one chat with your contact and add people one at a time.
If the call fails, it means that the last person you added causes the problem. But if FaceTime won’t connect to anyone at all, there might be a problem with the service or your device.
8. Update Your Device.
There might be a problem with your device’s software, which causes group FaceTime to malfunction.
To rule this out, make sure that all group members have the latest software for their device installed.
For iPhones, iPads, and iPods, follow the steps below:
- Go to your home screen and tap on Settings.
- Now, go to General > Software Update.
- If a new version is available, tap on Download and Install.
- Follow the instructions to continue.
Note
- Your device can restart several times while installing the update.
- Make sure that your device has at least 50% battery before installing updates. It’s best to keep your device plugged into the wall charger to avoid interruptions.
- Allow at least 15 minutes for the update to install, especially if it’s a major update (iOS 14 to iOS 15).
If you’re using a Mac, follow the guide below to update it:
- In the upper left corner of your screen, click on the Apple icon to open the Apple Menu.
- Now, click on System Settings.
- Inside settings, navigate to General > Software Update.
- If a new version was detected, follow the prompts to install the update.
Note
- Your Mac can restart several times while installing the update.
- The update progress bar might also appear to be stuck. When this happens, don’t do anything. Software updates can take several minutes to complete.
Once done, try using group FaceTime again to check if the problem is solved.
9. Check Date and Time Settings.
Like any other application, FaceTime may not work if you don’t have the correct date and time settings on your device.
As an additional security of Apple’s servers, it won’t allow the application to sync with the servers if your device doesn’t have the correct date and time.
For iPads, iPhones, and iPods, see the guide below to change your date and time:
- First, open Settings on your device.
- Now, access the General tab.
- After that, tap on Date & Time.
- Enable the Set Automatically option.
On Macs, follow the steps below to change your date and time:
- Open the Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen.
- Click on System Settings.
- Go to General > Date & Time.
- Enable the ‘Set time and date automatically’ and click Set.
- Follow the prompts to continue.
Once all chat members updated their date and time settings, start another call to check if the problem is solved.
10. Check Restrictions (iPhone).
For iPhone users, check if you have restrictions enabled on Screen Time. If FaceTime is restricted, then you won’t be able to use the service on your device.
Follow the steps below to disable FaceTime restrictions:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- After that, tap on Screen Time.
- Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Open the Allowed Apps tab.
- Make sure that Camera and FaceTime are allowed.
Restart your device and check if you can now use group FaceTime.
11. Contact Apple.
If none of the solutions above worked, we suggest that you seek help from the experts.
Head to Apple’s support page and look up the issue you’re experiencing. The site should suggest a few solutions to the problem along with related articles about FaceTime.
On the other hand, you can also contact their team through phone or chat if you need to resolve the issue immediately.
That ends our guide on how to fix group FaceTime if it’s not working. If you have questions or other concerns, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to respond.
