Oct 19, 2019 Search for the FaceTime app in Spotlight or using Siri. If you or someone else removed the FaceTime app, you might need to restore it. Update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. If you still can’t find the FaceTime app, back up your device using your. Jan 15, 2019 If the FaceTime status is green but the app still isn’t working for you, it could be that the issue is only affecting your area. In this instance, Apple might not know about the problem so it’s worth getting a second server status reading from a website like Down Detector or Outage.Report.
Most Macs, with the exception of the Mac mini and Mac Pro, have a FaceTime camera built-in. Most of the time it, to coin a phrase, just works. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t and it can be difficult to know what to do. So, in this article we’ll show you how to fix it.
What to do if the FaceTime camera is not working on your Mac
If your FaceTime camera fails to work, you’ll usually see an error message on screen telling you that it has been disconnected or that it’s unavailable. If it’s unavailable, it may be that another application is using it. To find out, do the following.
- Press Command+Tab to see the app switcher, which shows all the open apps.
- If you see Skype or another app that uses the camera, press tab until you get to it, let go, then quit the app.
In recent versions of macOS, you can control which apps have access to your camera. Go to Apple menu>System Preferences>Security & Privacy and choose Camera. You will see a list of apps that have access, to remove access from an app, uncheck the box next to the app.
If there is no app using the camera, or if quitting the app doesn’t work, restart your Mac.
Check your Mac for undocumented Login items
If quitting apps and restarting your Mac doesn’t work, the next step is to recent your Mac’s system management controller (SMC). It’s not complicated, but it does vary according to the type of Mac you have and takes a little while to complete. Before doing that, I recommend optimizing your Mac and clearing out any junk files from apps that may be causing problems with your FaceTime camera. The easiest and quickest way to do that is to use CleanMyMac X. It tracks login items and launch agents, as well as hung applications and processes that are using lots of resources, any one of which could be causing a problem for your FaceTime camera.
- Go to the CleanMyMac X site and download a free version of this app.
- When you see the instruction, install it, and when it's done, open it from your Applications folder.
- Choose Optimization in the sidebar on the left.
- Press View All Items.
Start at the bottom with Heavy Consumers, and click on each of the four categories. If you see a hung application or heavy consumer, press Quit to close it. Review the list of login items and launch agents. If there are any you don’t need, check the box next to it and press Remove.
CleanMyMac X is notarized by Apple so it’s safe to use on your Mac.
Reset the SMC
System Management Controller is in charge of keyboard, energy, lighting, and other basic functions of your Mac. When you suspect that the hardware may be involved, you may try to reset the SMC. It’s basically a special Mac restart.
For your portable Mac
- Shutdown the MacBook and make sure the power adapter is connected.
- Hold Shift + Control + Option (Alt) and press the power button.
- Keep holding those three keys as the MacBook starts up.
- After 30 seconds, release the keys and let the Mac finish booting
How to reset the SMC on a desktop Mac
- Shutdown the Mac.
- Remove the power cable.
- Hold down the power button for 30 seconds.
- Re-attach the power cable and boot the Mac.
Once your Mac has re-booted, the camera should work as normal.
If your Mac camera is not working, there are several steps you can take to identify the problem and fix it. Use the advice above and it should be working in no time. In particular, using CleanMyMac X’s Optimization module should help fix problems caused by other applications.
The Live Photo functionality in FaceTime works phenomenally well at capturing special moments during video calls with others. For the most part, it's incredibly convenient to use— just hit that Shutter icon to quickly take a Live Photo. But eventually, you will run into instances with FaceTime Live Photos not working or saving images on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
There are various reasons why FaceTime will not let you capture or save Live Photos. Privacy-related restrictions, outdated system software, and FaceTime glitches are often the usual suspects. So, let's take a look at the best ways to resolve them.
Enable FaceTime Live Photos
FaceTime Live Photos are undoubtedly fun to take. However, not everyone likes to have embarrassing moments captured in the Live Photo form. So there's a built-in setting to help prevent that. And to make things fair, FaceTime also stops people who block Live Photos from shooting any Live Photos as well.
So whenever you try to shoot a Live Photo, you might notice a 'FaceTime Photos must be enabled on both devices to use this feature' message flash across the screen. If that happens, both you and the person whose Live Photo you want to take should check the FaceTime Settings and enable FaceTime Live Photos (if disabled) on your respective devices.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, and then locate and tap FaceTime. On the subsequent screen, scroll down and turn on the switch next to FaceTime Live Photos.
When using FaceTime on a Mac, click FaceTime on the menu bar (with FaceTime open), and then click Preferences. Under the Settings tab, check the box next to 'Allow Live Photos to be captured during Video calls.'
If it was just you with FaceTime Live Photos disabled, then you should be able to resolve the issue quickly. But asking other people to enable FaceTime Live Photos can be a stretch since they usually have the functionality turned off for a reason. Sadly, there's no other way around this restriction.
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Read MoreUpdate iOS or iPadOS System Software
Apple briefly removed FaceTime Live Photos in iOS 12.1.1, which was likely in response to a security-related vulnerability in group calls. They eventually brought the functionality back after patching the issue.
But this means that both you and the person that you are talking to should have at least iOS 12.1.4/iPadOS 13.0 or higher installed to use FaceTime Live Photos. The same goes for the Mac. Both people should have macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra /10.14.4 Mojave or later installed on their Macs.
And in instances where you need to take Live Photos of another person in a group video call, both of you must have iOS 13.0, iPadOS 13.0, or macOS Catalina 10.15 or higher installed.
To check your operating system version on the iPhone and iPad, head into the Settings app, tap General, and then tap About. If you need to update your device, go back to the previous screen, and then tap Software Update.
On the Mac, open the Apple menu, and then click About This Mac to check the current macOS version. If you need to update your Mac, go to Apple menu > System Preferences, and then tap Software Update.
Note: On Macs running macOS High Sierra and earlier, go to the Mac App Store, and then tap Updates to fetch the latest compatible updates for your Mac.Check Live Photos Album
FaceTime Live Photos aren't accessible via FaceTime itself. Instead, the operating system saves them to your camera roll of the Photos app. If you can't locate them among the other photos on your iPhone, switch to the Albums tab, and then tap Live Photos.
On the Mac, tap the Live Photos tab on the side-bar of the Photos app to filter your Live Photos, which should include those from FaceTime.
Note: Give it a few seconds for your Live Photos to show up in the Photos app after ending a FaceTime call.Restart Device
In cases where you take Live Photos, and they don't appear within the Photos app, then restart your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. That might resolve any temporary glitches with FaceTime Live Photos not functioning properly.
Note: To turn off an iPhone or iPad with Face ID, press the Volume Up button, and then the Volume Down button. Immediately follow by pressing and holding the Side button.After restarting your device, initiate a FaceTime call and try retaking a Live Photo.
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#video calls
Click here to see our video calls articles pageTurn On iCloud Photos
If you have issues with FaceTime not saving your photos to the Photos app even after a device restart, try turning iCloud Photos off and then back on. Forum chatter indicates that as a likely fix to get FaceTime Live Photos to work properly again.
Head into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Photos, and then turn off iCloud Photos. Wait for a couple of minutes, and then re-enable iCloud Photos.
If you use FaceTime on a Mac, open the Photos app, and then click Preferences on the menu bar.
Under the iCloud tab, uncheck the box next to iCloud Photos. After a moment, recheck the box.
Turn FaceTime On/Off
Disabling and re-enabling FaceTime on your device can also help fix persistent issues with FaceTime Live Photos. Head into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Facetime, and then turn off the switch next to FaceTime. Wait for a moment, and then re-activate FaceTime.
On the Mac, click FaceTime on the menu bar (with FaceTime open), and then click Preferences. Under the Settings tab, uncheck the box next to Enable This Account. Wait for a moment, and recheck the box.
You may also want to ask the person whose Live Photos you want to take to disable and enable FaceTime on his or her device.
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Issues with Live Photos in FaceTime can be somewhat annoying to resolve since some of the fixes apply to everyone on the call. Just make sure to take the time to go through them patiently, and hopefully, you should be able to start taking FaceTime Live Photos soon.
Next up:Managed to finally take Live Photos in FaceTime? Click the link below to learn how to edit them.
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