Facetime: what it is, how to install, configure and use

Users of Apple products, especially those who have recently purchased an iPhone or other gadget, often do not immediately find convenient programs and functions. For example, not everyone knows what Facetime is - but this technology greatly simplifies calls! However, she does have glitches, and even those that could potentially lead to the disclosure of details of her private life. Today we’ll figure out what kind of program FaceTime is, how to use it, whether it has versions for Windows, and what analogues owners of smartphones with Android can find.

Peculiarities

In addition to the combined software and hardware approach, FaceTime has the following features:

audio/video calls;
integration with contact list;
the technology itself is completely free (except that you may be charged for traffic, for example, if you use a mobile connection and the tariff is not unlimited);
work via any Internet connection.

And one more feature - you don't have to think about how to install the FaceTime application. It is already integrated into the OS.

Make FaceTime calls between iOS and Android with ease

That's all! So, here's how you can use FaceTime on your Windows or Android device. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing services such as Zoom and Google Meet have become very popular. Since FaceTime has long been the preferred choice among Apple users due to its ability to provide secure and seamless calling features, the company is finally looking to use its video calling app to capture the lion's share of the market. So far this move seems well thought out.

By the way, what can you say about the new FaceTime application? It would be great to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Post Views: 9

How to enable the program

Before you can make calls, you need to enable Facetime in the Settings section. To do this, go to the subsection of the same name and drag the inclusion slider to the right edge.

You will also need to indicate your account in the Apple infrastructure, that is, log in with your ID. An alternative option is to launch the FaceTime application and log in with your Apple ID.

Please note that the program uses the phone number automatically. There is no need to enter it manually.

Also, after turning on, the application will perform activation. Wait until it finishes to fully enjoy calls.

How to Use Memoji in FaceTime

iPhone X now has the ability to create Memoji. FaceTime is one of the few apps where these Memoji can be used. After starting the call, click on the star icon and select one of the masks (yes, these 3D stickers apply as masks).

Now your interlocutor will see you with a mask in the form of a sticker, and all your facial expressions will be transmitted via Memoji. To turn off the mask or change it, do the same thing, and in selecting a mask, either click the cross or select another sticker.

FaceTime settings

There is no need to get into the program settings - you just need to set up an account once to log into Facetime, as described above. But if you want, you can open the application section in the settings and check whether your number and Apple ID are correct, check or uncheck availability for them, activate the use of Live Photos, or adjust the list of blocked calls.

If you have enabled Live Photos, you can save an interesting frame right during the conversation. The picture is taken by pressing the shutter button. Photos from Facetime are saved in the same place where graphic materials are usually sent - to the Photo program.

Important: to use this function, the call participants must have the current version of iOS - at least 12.1.4.

If it turns out that the wrong number is shown on Facetime, here’s how to change it: try resetting your smartphone. This is done through the settings menu, in the General – Reset section. After this, you will need to re-enable FaceTime and go through activation.

Activation problems

When activating Face Time, problems may occur, accompanied by an error message. It could be:

Stuck "Waiting for Activation" message.
"Failed to complete."
"Check your network connection."

The reason for this behavior of the system can be various factors, including those beyond the control of the user - for example, problems with Apple servers. To resolve the activation error:

Make sure your device is connected to the internet via mobile data or Wi-Fi.
Check your personal account balance. Activating a phone number in Face Time will require messaging, which is not captured in the corresponding app. Depending on your operator, you may be charged for sending SMS. If there is no money on the balance, the “Waiting for activation” notification will appear until the account is replenished.

Some tariffs may prohibit sending SMS to other countries. Face Time is not activated in Russia, so this limitation is also the reason for the error. Sometimes only replacing the SIM card helps - keep this in mind. Some users have to change SIM cards several times until they find one that can handle activating Apple's service.

Just in case, reset your network settings. There may be an error connecting to the Apple server. Resetting network settings will help eliminate it quickly and without negative consequences:

Open settings.
Go to the "Basic" section.
Select "Reset".
Click Reset Network Settings.

When you select this reset mode, only the network settings will be restored to the factory state. If there were any errors when connecting to the Internet or sending SMS, they will be corrected.

How to call

After you have added the ID and activation has completed, you can start making calls.

You can call in several ways:

right in the program, click on the plus sign and then write the number or e-mail of the person you want to call. After that, click on one of the two available communication options - either the handset icon (audio channel only) or the camera icon (respectively, a call with full video);
in the contacts section, find the desired interlocutor, and then also use the icons to make a call or video call;
Finally, you can switch to FaceTime from a classic phone call. To do this, in the Phone application, you need to click on the Facetime icon.

What is FaceTime on iPhone

FaceTime icon.

FaceTime is a convenient service for making calls between Apple devices. The application is already pre-installed on iPhone, Mac, iPad and iPod, so you can start using the program almost immediately. FaceTime calls are made over a network (Wi-Fi or mobile Internet), and are a video or audio call. Recently, FaceTime supports up to 32 people in one conversation.

FaceTime has a number of important advantages that set it apart from other instant messengers (when compared with calls). Firstly, it is already installed on your iPhone, therefore, if you have activated it, anyone you know can call you without any unnecessary questions “Do you have such and such messenger” or requests to download it. Secondly, simplicity. The interface is as simple as possible and generally consists of just a few buttons: select an interlocutor, call. Thirdly, the ability to communicate with a poor connection. Even if your Internet speed is slow, iMessage's excellent optimization will still allow you to communicate smoothly.

Separately, it is worth noting the high quality of communication. Of course, Internet speed is an important factor here. However, in most cases we either use LTE or WiFi, so this should not be a problem. Thanks to the AAC-ELD codec, Apple was able to achieve high quality audio and video and minimal latency. So if you want to communicate comfortably, use FaceTime instead of a phone call if possible. Moreover, it is not necessary to turn on the camera at all.

Group calls

Creating a group call on Facetime is currently not as easy as a regular call. And all because at the beginning of 2022, a critical Facetime bug was discovered - even before the interlocutor accepted the call, his smartphone began broadcasting. This only happened during group calls, so Apple immediately disabled this feature. It was returned only after the release of update 12.1.4 for iOS. Technically, you can then open the options again during a call and use the “Add person” item to connect your interlocutors.

In practice, some users have encountered the fact that the button remains inactive.

Find out also:
The best programs for cleaning your computer from various debris,
The best programs for recording video from a computer monitor,
TOP programs for Windows 10 to optimize your computer.

Enabling data transfer

If, after enabling and successfully activating, Face Time does not work over Wi-Fi, make sure that mobile data is being transmitted:

Open settings.
Find the "Cellular" section.
Select Cellular Data and turn on transfer for FaceTime.

If you do not enable data transfer for FaceTime, then the mobile Internet may work in other applications, but you will not be able to make or receive calls through the service. This leads to the incorrect conclusion that the service does not support 3G and LTE. After a short internet search for a solution, the conclusion is confirmed by forum posts from 2011.

If you don't pay attention to the date, you can end up jailbreaking to add 3G support to FaceTime. As you already understood, this is pointless, because mobile networks have been supported for a long time - you just need to turn them on.

FaceTime availability

The reasons why Face Time does not work may be:

you are located in a territory where the service does not work (for example, the UAE or Pakistan);
your smartphone was purchased in an unsupported region (the same as above, plus Saudi Arabia);
no connection to the Internet (restore connection);
incorrect time on the device (in the main settings, set automatic synchronization);
The FaceTime and Camera programs are prohibited in the content restrictions section of the “Screen Time” subsection in the settings.

Also, sometimes rebooting the device or updating the software helps restore the functionality of the program.

Checking Apple settings and servers

If your internet connection and balance are fine, check your date and time settings.

Open settings.
Select the "Basic" section.
Go to the “Date and Time” submenu.
Check that the time zone, date and time are correct. Set automatic data detection to eliminate the possibility of errors.

If this was not the cause of the error, then try turning on Face Time again by rebooting the device:

Open settings.
Go to the "Face Time" section.
Move the slider to the inactive position.
Reboot your device.
Open settings again and turn on Face Time.

Face Time and iMessage may take up to 24 hours to activate. If after a day the message “Waiting for activation” still appears, check the functionality of the Apple server. For this:

Go to the Apple website.
Go to the "Support" page.
Scroll down the page. In the "Resources" section, select "System Status".
Make sure there is a green check mark next to Face Time, indicating that the service is available.

If the mark is yellow or red, then you need to wait for Apple to fix the problem. Most likely, once the problem is resolved, Face Time activation will be completed successfully. If this does not happen, follow the steps above to resolve the issue yourself.

Published by Moftech

You may also be interested

Problems connecting to mobile internet on iPhone

Pros and cons of FaceTime

The undoubted advantage of FaceTime is that iPhone users do not need to install additional applications. Everything is already installed and ready to go.
High quality communication and video images.
Integration with iPhone contact database.

The disadvantage of FaceTime is that it cannot be used when communicating with users of Android and other operating systems. This is only an “Apple” application for communication between owners of Apple gadgets.