How to fix FaceTime not working on iPhone after iOS 18 update

In this article, I explain how you can troubleshoot FaceTime problems after iOS 18 update. When you connect to a FaceTime call, others may claim that they are unable to hear you. Or there may be quality issues with someone’s audio. Some of the reported FaceTime problems after iOS 18 update that you may also experience include:

• FaceTime not working on iPhone.
• FaceTime keep hanging up.
• You can hear others, but others can’t hear you during FaceTime calls.
• Others can hear you but you cannot hear them during FaceTime calls.
• You, your friend or both of you, are experiencing poor audio quality like bad echo or distorted sounds during FaceTime calls.

There can be several different causes of FaceTime problems on iOS 18. It could be due to poor internet connection, incorrect settings, or software glitch.

The following tips can help you fix the problem.

How to fix FaceTime not working on iPhone after iOS 18 update

Test the Camera and Microphone on Your iPhone

If people can’t see or hear you on FaceTime, your iPhone’s camera or microphones might be having some issues. The easiest way to test this is to launch 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 your video is not clear, you’ll need to troubleshoot your iPhone’s camera issues. Then locate your iPhone’s microphones and ensure that they are not blocked or dirty. You can clear any debris from the openings of your iPhone.

Make sure FaceTime is enabled on your iPhone

If you can’t make or receive FaceTime calls after iOS 18 update, the FaceTime toggle might be disabled in the Settings app. To enable the FaceTime toggle on your iPhone, follow the steps below:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap apps.
3. Tap FaceTime.
4. Make sure FaceTime is turned on.

Turn On Your Camera and Microphone in FaceTime

If people can’t see or hear you on FaceTime, there’s a chance that you’ve accidentally disabled your camera or microphone for that particular call.

During a FaceTime call, reveal more controls by tapping the screen on an iPhone.

Similarly, if you can’t see or hear the other person on FaceTime but they can see you, you should ask them to check if they have video and mic enabled on their end.

Close and reopen the FaceTime app

Now that you’ve ensured FaceTime is enabled, if FaceTime still isn’t working on your iPhone, it’s possible the FaceTime app is suffering from some sort of a software glitch. You can often get back on track by closing the FaceTime app and then reopening it. As a reminder, here is how to close the FaceTime app on your iPhone.

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold in the middle to reveal the app switcher.
2. Find the FaceTime app in the list of apps.
3. Flick up on the FaceTime app to close it.

Now open the FaceTime app and see if FaceTime is working as expected.

Check for the latest iOS 18 update

There could be a bug in your current iOS 18 version that’s preventing FaceTime from working properly. Since FaceTime is a native iOS app, you will need to update your iPhone to resolve this sort of problem.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. TapGeneral.
3. Tap Software Update.
4. Hit Update Now on any pending iOS update you see.

Ensure you have internet connection

One of the main reasons FaceTime is not working on your iPhone could be due to your internet connection. Your iPhone needs a good internet connection to make and receive FaceTime calls. Further, a bad connection can cause poor sound during FaceTime calls. Make sure that you have a strong Wi-Fi or cellular-data signal.

First ensure that you have cellular data or Wi-Fi turned on. Just swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone to bring up the Control Center, and tap the cellular data or Wi-Fi icon to turn them on.

If your internet connection is weak or you have no internet connection at all, try toggling Airplane Mode. To do this, swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone screen to bring up the Control Center again and tap the Airplane Mode icon to turn it on. Then, wait a few seconds and tap it again to turn it off.

If you are using FaceTime over Wi-Fi, turn Wi-Fi off, then turn it on. Also reboot your router by unplugging it from the power outlet, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it in again.

If you are using FaceTime over Cellular, ensure that Use Cellular Data is enabled for FaceTime by going to Settings > Cellular.

You should also try disabling your VPN if you’re using one to rule that out as a cause of your FaceTime problems.

Note: Apple says FaceTime will use more data in Low Power Mode on iOS 18 when network conditions are good, for improved video call quality.

Check FaceTime system status

From time to time Apple may perform maintenance or run upgrades that could temporarily interfere with services such as FaceTime. You can quickly find out the status of FaceTime by checking apple systems status page. This page will show FaceTime problems if there are any. If the status light next to FaceTime is green, then this indicates FaceTime servers are up and running and there are no problems. If the status light next to FaceTime is not green, then this indicates there are known issues so you’ll need to just wait it out.

Check the Blocked Contacts List

If you’re not getting FaceTime calls from a particular contact, they might be on your iPhone’s blocked contacts list. You’ll need to remove them from the blocked list to start getting their FaceTime calls again. Here’s how to do this.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Tap FaceTime.
4. Choose Blocked Contacts.
5. In the top-right corner, tap the Edit option.
6. Tap the minus icon before the contact you want to remove from the blocked contact list.
7. Choose the ‌”Unblock” option that appears.

Make sure your date and time settings are correct

If your date and time settings are incorrect, FaceTime will experience all kinds of weird issues from not making calls to not being able to activate at all. To update date and time settings on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Head to General.
3. Tap Date & Time. If they are incorrect, change them. You may also want to turn on the toggle next to Set Automatically.

Toggle FaceTime On and Off

Switching it off and on again fixes so many phone issues, and FaceTime is no different. Please follow these steps:

Turn off FaceTime

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap apps.
3. Tap FaceTime.
4. Turn off FaceTime.

Restart your iPhone

• If your iPhone uses Face ID, hold down the volume up button and Side button simultaneously until you see the power off slider. Swipe this slider to the right and wait for your iPhone to turn off. You might need to wait about 30 seconds for the phone to shut down completely. Once your iPhone is off, press and hold the Side button until you see the white Apple logo appear on the screen.
• If your iPhone has a Home button, hold down the power button until you see the power slider. Swipe the Power Off” slider to the right. Wait for your iPhone to shut down completely, then press and hold the power button again to start it up. You’ll know it’s working if you see the white Apple logo.

Turn on FaceTime

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap apps.
3. Tap FaceTime.
4. Turn on FaceTime.

FaceTime activation isn’t instant, so have a little patience while the service activates.

Try and make a FaceTime call once FaceTime reactivates. If the calls goes through, you can stop right here. If it doesn’t, continue on to the next solution.

Sign Out of FaceTime, Then Sign In Again

If FaceTime still isn’t working on your iPhone, sign out entirely and then sign back in. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Tap FaceTime.
4. Tap Apple Account.
5. Tap Sign Out.
6. Tap Use your Apple ID for FaceTime and sign in using your Apple Account details.

Sign Out and Re-Authenticate FaceTime

Sometimes FaceTime hiccups can be caused by an error connecting to Apple’s servers. In this case, the best way to resolve the problem is to sign out from your Apple account and sign back in. Doing this will correct any temporary glitches that may be causing problems. Here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apple Account.
3. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
4. Sign in.

Now test to see if FaceTime is working on your iPhone.