FaceTime Not Working On iPhone After iOS 17 Update? (Fix?)

FaceTime not working iOS 17 issue

FaceTime Not Working iOS 17 Issue?

This issue has been reported by Carla (iOS 17.0):

“Unable to initiate Facetime calls after this update!”

We’ve found many other similar complaints on Reddit (1,2 and 3)

“Is anybody else’s FaceTime not working at all on cellular?”

FaceTime Greyed Out In Settings?

Mateo informs that FaceTime and iMessage tabs are greyed out in Settings:

“Facetime and imessage settings are both greyed out in settings since the ios 17 update!”

We could replicate this issue on our own devices!

Fix: Thankfully this seems to be fixed easily with a reboot. Apply the force restart trick and the FaceTime settings will become available!

How To Fix FaceTime Not Working In iOS 17

If you restart your device and FaceTime calls are still not working try the following workarounds:

1. Use WiFi

After reading multiple reports we can conclude that FaceTime iOS 17 issues are only triggered when the iPhone uses cellular connectivity. Calls and iMessages work normally when a WiFi connection is available.

So, the first suggestion is to try to find a WiFi network!

2. Disable 5G

Many reports are mentioning that the iOS 17 FaceTime bug occurs when device is using 5G connectivity! That’s why I recommend you to try to downgrade to 4G / LTE and see if you’re able to temporary fix it, until Apple issues and update.

How to: You can do this in Settings -> Mobile Data (Cellular) -> Cellular Data Options -> Voice & Data -> 4G / LTE.

3. Request Call

We also notice that most of the reports mention that the problem lies with starting FaceTime calls!

Workaround: Text your conversation partner and ask him or her to initiate the FaceTime call. It should work and you can use this as a temporary solution until Apple fixes the problem in an upcoming software update!

Fact: FaceTime seems to be buggy in this first public release of iOS 17!

It’s unclear if this is affecting users from specific cellular networks, which would mean that it’s caused by a discrepancy in settings or if it’s a global issue caused by a bug in iOS 17 or changes that haven’t been implemented by carriers!

Please share your feedback in the comments. Mention any helpful details as iPhone model, cellular network used and any details that could help us pinpoint the issue. We will submit feedback to Apple about it, but it has to be an informed one!

Don’t hesitate to share any other workarounds or fixes not mentioned here!

Related: For more iOS 17 issues and available workarounds check our detailed review!