Facetime on iMac

[maciluv]

Hi all! I am desperate to get my Face Time working. Two very elderly parents in Florida, and me in NJ. Their Skype has been down for weeks, and they only know how to do Face Time. I haven't tried it until now, and something isn't right. I have a 2009 iMac running 10.11.6. I tried to set it up...something about contact cards and addresses? I tried their fone # as well as and iCloud address. The video icon on the contact card is grayed out. My Face Time window has no icons, controls or toolbar. When I enterered their info, nothing shows up when I click on it. Clearly, I don't have a clue. Help please?

 

[pm-r]

I guess you have checked with Apple's support articles such as this???:
Make calls in FaceTime on Mac
Make calls in FaceTime on Mac - Apple Support

Other than that or similar articles i can't help much as i always seemed to run into trouble gaffing Apple's FaceTime to actually work or connect properly.

Sorry... Hopefully some other member will come along with a more constructive post, and Good Luck.







- Patrick
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[maciluv]

Yes Patrick I have read that and several others...that's how I found out about the contact cards. Thanks!

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...Clearly, I don't have a clue. Help please?

The FaceTime User Guide is here:
FaceTime User Guide - Apple Support

How to Make FaceTime Video Calls on Mac

 

[IWT]

@maciluv,

It should be simple and I suspect a small detail may have been missed

For you to make the call:

Your Mac must have OS X 10.9 or later - OK , you're fine there as you run 10.11.6
Your iPhone has iOS 8 or later installed
It's best if both parties use WiFi - not essential but better & much cheaper!!
Your iPhone and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network and connected to the internet - this usually means that you have to turn on WiFi on your Mac even if you have an Ethernet connection to the iMac - and the network must be the same as your iPhone.

Your parents:

Must be signed in to FaceTime and have any of the following:
A Mac with OS X 10.9.2 or later, and a built-in or connected microphone
An iOS device with iOS 7 or later

I can't help feeling there is a minor requirement missing. This Link already provided is the easiest to follow, I think: How to Make FaceTime Video Calls on Mac

Ian

 

[pm-r]

Their Skype has been down for weeks, and they only know how to do Face Time. I haven't tried it until now, and something isn't right.

FWIW: Skype seems to be working properly for the last little while:
Skype down? Current status and problems | Downdetector

If it isn't working, there is an option to check at: What isn't working?

BTW: do your parents have the Face Time.app On and running when you attempt to contact them??

That is one of its needed conditions.

Also, if needed and still not working:
How do you FaceTime?
Facetime App






- Patrick
======

 

[maciluv]

I don't have an iPhone... I'm just trying to use FaceTime on my iMac. Do I need an iPhone for this to work?

 

[chscag]

You do not need an iPhone or iPad in order to use FaceTime. However, you should be using WiFi and not ethernet. Also, make sure your parents know how to set FaceTime up at their end and that they are likewise using WiFi.

Have you asked them to initiate the call from their end? We are assuming you are trying to initiate the call?

You can also use FaceTime with iPhones even if you're on cellular but since you don't have an iPhone, none of that applies to you.

It may be easier for you to use Skype. What do you mean their Skype has been down for weeks?

 

[ferrarr]

On your mac, you need to be signed in to your iCloud/Apple ID, in FaceTime > Preferences. Then you should be able to connect to your parents iCloud/Apple ID using FaceTime.


Sent from my iPad using Mac-Forums

 

[chscag]

I believe you also have to choose to allow FaceTime calls to be initiated from your Mac using WiFi calling. The OP may not be familiar with how to set up WiFi calling and may only have an ethernet connection although that would be unusual.

 

[pm-r]

I believe you also have to choose to allow FaceTime calls to be initiated from your Mac using WiFi calling.

Or just do some checking and see why their Skype.app is not working and save all the hassles that seem to happen with FaceTime.app.

PS: i don't recall having to use wi-fi with my ethernet connected iMac for the few times i did manage to get FaceTime working.

The set up instructions at the above provided URL aren't that clear either. At least not for my brain, but maybe it's time to feed it with some red wine, and my nose smells by wife's good chili con carne getting prepared on the kitchen stove so i guess i know what we're getting for supper.




- Patrick
======

 

[ferrarr]

I believe you also have to choose to allow FaceTime calls to be initiated from your Mac using WiFi calling. The OP may not be familiar with how to set up WiFi calling and may only have an ethernet connection although that would be unusual.

Nope. FaceTime is an Apple service, no cellular required at all. Cellular is only used if needed.

 

[chscag]

Nope. FaceTime is an Apple service, no cellular required at all. Cellular is only used if needed.

However, it's good to know that FaceTime will work both ways. There are times when we are out and about and WiFi is not available. Although I prefer to do FaceTime calls from my iMac at home on my own network.

 

[AirBear]

Do the parents use Facebook? The messenger app inside Facebook is easy to make video calls with.

 

[chscag]

Since the OP has not gotten back with us, we don't know. The easiest way is to use Skype if it's available since you don't need a Mac or iPhone to use it.

 

[NSMacGuru]

FWIW, I recently set up an iPad for a friend's dad, so he can connect with his grandkids. No **** way would that thing make a call, and the UI for Facetime is minimal to the extreme (i.e., to the degree of uselessness). It's an app that should "just work" but **** well doesn't. (IMHO, they ruined everything when they transitioned from iChat to Messages or iMessage or whatever the heck it devolved into).

He's signed into iCloud. Open FaceTime. Enter the recipients FaceTime address (in this case, my own for testing purposes) and... what? There's no obvious activity, no spinning "activity" indicator. There's an "Audio" button in blue that does nothing when clicked, and a Video button greyed out.

You sit there and stare at yourself as the camera eyes you, and wonder... what am I supposed to do next?

FaceTime works as it's supposed to on my iPhone with other people, so perhaps it's just his iPad being wonky.

My working theory, based on an earlier experience just like this, is that FaceTime's authentication servers are slow on the uptake. We had created an iCloud account for him just an hour or so prior. While he could log-in to iCloud and access its services, FT just would not connect. Although - as I said - in the absence of any activity indicator or error message, we have no way of knowing if FaceTime is even trying to do something.

Bad. Design.

 

[NSMacGuru]

Since the OP has not gotten back with us, we don't know. The easiest way is to use Skype if it's available since you don't need a Mac or iPhone to use it.

I stopped using Skype a few years ago, after Microsoft purchased the company and "improved" the interface - to the point of making it inoperable. I tried... for months, maybe a year I was able to trick it into running the previous non-Microsoft version of Skype, but at some point it began auto-updating to the latest version (even with auto-update disabled!), and then it simply would't work with their servers. Everything M$ touches eventually turns to turd soup. I did see that they recently updated it again to provide new features, like blurred background, in response to the mass of folks who have embraced Zoom (despite the security issues that popped up). Wonder if it's any different?

Apple really could have given FaceTime some attention in this period of social isolation... FT could use new feature like a blurred background / ability to use a custom image of video background, etc. I don't even remember if it has any screen sharing features anymore (like iChat did... yea, I'm still miffed at Apple for that period where they castrated iChat, separating it into iMessage (or whatever it was) and Screen Sharing as a separate app; which coincided with the years where they destroyed iWork (especially Pages) in favour of making things work with iOS.).

 

[chscag]

Apple really could have given FaceTime some attention in this period of social isolation... FT could use new feature like a blurred background / ability to use a custom image of video background, etc. I don't even remember if it has any screen sharing features anymore (like iChat did... yea, I'm still miffed at Apple for that period where they castrated iChat, separating it into iMessage (or whatever it was) and Screen Sharing as a separate app; which coincided with the years where they destroyed iWork (especially Pages) in favour of making things work with iOS.).

That's known as progress.

FaceTime works great for me, never a problem with it. Same with iMessage.

And as for Pages, Apple has continued to improve it, mostly adding fluff but some of the things that were removed from iWork 08 and 09.

 

[MacInWin]

Just tried it myself, had never used it on my iPad. Worked perfectly, no problems at all. So it sounds like something is not set up correctly in your setup. Don't know what to tell you, but it does work well with an iPad to an iPhone.