iPad Air 1 - FaceTime app crashes after a period of time

Update 14.4 does indeed solve the problem finally! Strange that it was a bug in new iPad. Thought it was a problem on the old 12.xx iPad because it crashes there.

Zoom was not a good replacement. Happy. But as it should be.

Can confirm that updating to 12.5 doesn’t fix the issue.

The issue appears to be with is with iOS 14 - I had an older gen iPad (2?) running iOS 10 and was getting exactly the same issue with FaceTime calls dropping out. I upgraded to an old iPad Air 1 with 12.4 (and now 12.5) and the problem remains the same - calls dropping out every 7 minutes.

Apple, please fix this as there are many people using older generation iPads as essential communication tools during the pandemic!

Hello P-J-A,

iPadOS versions compatible with iPads do vary by model, and that's to ensure the best performance from the device. Since the issue is continuing it is recommend to reach out to Apple via an available support channel through the Get Support website.

Take care!

Seconded. I have the first edition IPad Air and have just started to experience the problem with the green bar. Sometimes the audio continues for a little bit but my response each time has been to shut FaceTime down completely and restart - asking my interlocutor to call me again. They have a more recent iPad than at his one, purchased in 2018, I think.

I’ve just looked and an update to iOS 12.5 is now available. Will report back on whether that solves the problem.

Given the the cost of these devices, I think there is a strong case to be made against the policy of phased obsolescence described above. Perhaps a petition to the UK parliament might be in order.

Hello P-J-A,

FaceTime is a wonderful feature, and it's very important to work as expected with all your contacts. You mentioned FaceTime is crashing, and you have to restart your iPad to provide a temporary resolution. When FaceTime crashes is it only closing and returning you to the Home screen of the iPad? If so, are you able to reopen FaceTime, and place a FaceTime call to a different contact?

Also, since having this issue have you walked through the troubleshooting steps outlined in the following article with your device, and your moms device? If not, it's recommended to complete those steps on both devices.

If you can't make a FaceTime call on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Have a great day!

Hello P-J-A,

We're glad you had the chance to complete those steps, and thank you for clarifying upon the issue further. Was your mom also able to complete the steps in the article? If not, it is recommended that she complete those steps as well. In reference to the iOS versions being different on the devices that shouldn't cause issues. It is recommend though that all devices are running the latest compatible iOS version.

If the issue continues after completing those steps on your mothers devices do reach out to Apple. You can find their available contact details through the Get Support website.

Have a great day

I’ve moved to messenger for the time being, it works fine on our ‘ old ‘ ipads. Shame we can’t use FaceTime anymore but obviously Apple does not care much about it.

We’ve moved to messenger for the time being, it works fine on our ‘ old ‘ ipads. Shame we can’t use FaceTime anymore but obviously Apple does not care much about it.

I am having this exact same issue, except mine is crashing with 2 out of 3 calls so far. Rebooting has not fixed it. Would love to hear an update if and when you're able to resolve the issue.

I'm also on ipad air 1 with ios 12.4

I'm having exactly the same issue. I'm also using a 1st gen iPad Air. When I FaceTime family and friends the video call lasts roughly 10 minutes before crashing. Like others have already mentioned rebooting my device makes no difference. I am using ios 12.4.9.

It's a very frustrating issue.