Facetime calls dropping out after around 7-8 minutes - calling/called devices on DIFFERENT ios build levels

Question

Level 1

42 points

Facetime calls dropping out after around 7-8 minutes - calling/called devices on DIFFERENT ios build levels

This thread replaces that to be found at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252011087 because the older thread has been accidentally marked as SOLVED and I can find no way to change this status. It also contained a couple of errors.

I regularly Facetime someone who lives 8 miles away. Within last 1-2 months, our Facetime calls regularly drop out after 7-8 minutes. About 11 days ago, our devices were upgraded - my 'calling' device, an iPad 2019 (7th Gen), to ios14.2..the 'receiving device, an iPad Air, to ios12.4.9. The problem however remains.

Both ends are connected to fibre routers (FTTC) - the receiving end within last 4 weeks. Prior to 4 weeks ago, the receiving end was connected to a non-fibre router. However the problem remains with fast fibre routers either end.

Other members of my family have facetimed the same receiving end (iPad Air on ios12.4.9) and those calls also drop out. Further, those callers are all running ios14.1 or ios14.2 on iPads or iPhones. However there is one exception - a family member using an iPhone 6 Plus running ios12.4.8. His regular Facetime calls to the same iPad Air on ios 12.4.9, remain intact i.e. do not drop out

I have now found I can reproduce this problem on my own home network, AND on another family members network. That is to say if I make a Facetime call from the iPad Air to the iPad 2019 (7th Gen), or vice versa, or if I call from my iPhone 6 running ios 12.4.9 to the iPad 2019, or vice versa, WHEN ALL ARE CONNECTED WIRELESSLY TO SAME HOME NETWORK, the calls drop out time and time again after 7-8 minutes. It is an easily REPRODUCIBLE problem for me.

Bizzarely, and this is also REPRODUCIBLE, I have also noticed I can Facetime the iPad Air from my iPhone 6, or vice versa - both of which are on ios12.4.9 - AND THE CALLS STAY UP !

This looks like Facetime does NOT work - that is to stay, will not keep the connection held - IF sending & receiving ends are on different ios build levels regardless of whether one uses an iPad or iPhone device.

This has been reported to Apple Support (caseid=101229942758) and has now been escalated to Apples Expert Support team for a solution.

I will add more to this thread as the case develops.

iPad

Posted on Nov 17, 2020 4:44 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Feb 4, 2021 12:35 AM in response to Rodrommel

Hi Rodrommel,

You beat me to it !

EUREKA - the problem appears to have been solved !

Within the last few days, ios updates 12.5.1 and 14.4 have been released. Having upgraded all of my devices - old and new - I checked to see if this reported Facetime drop-out issue remains. Good news is, IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN FIXED.

So far, I have run the following test which would have resulted in Facetime call drop-out after 7-8 minutes prior to the upgrades:

1) iPad 2019 7th Gen (running ios 14.4) facetime calling an iPad Air (running ios 12.5.1). 2 HOUR call maintained connection with no drop out !

Looking good so far.

Strange no mention is made of Facetime fixes in latest ios release online informatives.

For those of you following this problem/thread, can you try after making sure you are running the latest releases identified above, making a few facetime test calls yourselves to test call duration before dropout. If you can maintain a call for at least 15 minutes, then I'd say the problem looks as though it's been fixed !

Reply

Answer 2

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Dec 11, 2020 9:09 AM in response to ertriad

Interesting extract from https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251995421 tracking the same problem as reported here, follows:

Dec 11, 2020 4:07 PM in response to jonathandurrant

I have just had a follow-up call with Apple. They have recognised this as a bug (that's a good first step). It has been escalated to the States and they are hopeful that a resolution will be available in IOS 14.3 when it becomes available. This is therefore confirmation it is a bug introduced with IOS 14.1 and above and not with IOS 12.4.8/9. Let's all hope that IOS 14.3 solves the problem. If I hear anything else from Apple I will post it here.

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 3, 2021 8:36 PM in response to ertriad

I’ve had this problem when calling from my iPad on 14.2 to my father on iPad 9.x

after updating my iPad to 14.4 the FaceTime call lasted 1 hour without dropping. I had to go to sleep so hung up. I think it fixed it

Reply

Answer 4

alicenc

Level 1

4 points

Dec 2, 2020 7:12 PM in response to ertriad

I've had similar problems over the past month as well. I have an iPhone 6 on iOS 12.4.9. After about 4-4.5 minutes of Facetiming on WiFi (on WiFi at both ends of the call) the FaceTime call "minimizes" so that the green bar at the top of the screen saying "Touch to return to call" comes up. If you click on the green bar to return to the call, nothing happens. The video drops out on the other end of the call as well so that they just see a shadow image from me. After another 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, the phone disconnects the call.

I tried turning off my WiFi (the other person as on WiFi) when making a FaceTime call as someone suggested in another reply. That seemed to work. I stayed on the call for about 10 minutes which I haven't been able to do since this bug started.

It seems iOS 12.4.9 is the problem.

Reply

Answer 5

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Jan 14, 2021 8:19 AM in response to ertriad

Just taken a call from Apple Support with an update. The facetime problem is with Apple's 'Engineering Team' and they have noted in the casefile for this specific case that I as the customer should quote "wait for a future ios update that contains a fix(es) that solve the problem". I guess that's the best anyone can hope for !

Reply

Answer 6

Feb 10, 2021 6:17 PM in response to ertriad

Let me get the other side to update their device. And then try it again.

Reply

Answer 7

Nov 28, 2020 1:09 AM in response to ertriad

It was great to come across your post - as we are having the same frustrating issue - which happens every single day for us. Hopefully, will all your investigations/diagnostics, Apple will come up with a resolution soon.

Our current workaround, is to turn off Wi-Fi on one of our devices (iPhone) and use 3G/4G instead of Wi-Fi. This sorts the problem out for us - but clearly far from ideal as it uses a lot of our mobile bandwidth allowance. If it worked properly, it would not be necessary.

I don't know if any of your 2 devices giving the issue has mobile/cellular option? If so, does turning off Wi-Fi on one of the devices workaround the issue for you too?

Reply

Answer 8

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Nov 28, 2020 2:09 AM in response to JamWales17

I actually found another workaround - more than one actually.

Use a different video conferencing App. I've found Google Duo and Skype work fine. There are others I could try (like Teams, Zoom, Facebook Portal) but my preference is Google Duo as it was very simple to set up and is very simple for my elderly mother (at the receiving end) to operate ie. answer incoming video calls.

I used Google Duo just yesterday using same devices as mentioned in my 17 Nov 20 post. We ran out of things to talk about after about 7 hours !!!!!

Reply

Answer 9

BSF_74

Level 1

10 points

Feb 4, 2021 3:38 AM in response to ertriad

I had exactly the same issue and since my relative updated to 12.5.1 and I updated to 14.4 we haven’t had the issue touch wood

having said that, we’ve only FaceTime each other once since updating

Reply

Answer 10

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Dec 23, 2020 10:28 AM in response to erik_gee

I'm using Google Duo between an iPad 2019 (7th Gen) running ios14.3 and an old iPad Air running ios12.5. Works fine and stays up for hours. Suggest you raise the matter with Apple Support and quote my Apple Support as an existing case WITH SIMILARITIES. There are other identical discussions on this forum (e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251995421 ) but I don't know their related CaseID's - have a feeling that the Moderators of this forum don't like people sharing CaseID's regarding it as private info - might be wrong, but I do know Moderators have deleted some of my 'information sharing' !

[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

Reply

Answer 11

Nov 28, 2020 2:48 AM in response to ertriad

Thanks for coming back so quickly and the alternatives of Google Duo, Zoom - definitely an option, will give them a go : )

Reply

Answer 12

ertriad Author

Level 1

42 points

Dec 3, 2020 12:32 AM in response to alicenc

What is the ios build level on the device at the 'other end of the call' ? Also, have you tried a different video conferencing App ? I've found Google Duo and Skype work fine. There are others I could try (like Teams, Zoom, Facebook Portal) but my preference is Google Duo as it was very simple to set up and is very simple for my elderly mother (at the receiving end) to operate ie. answer incoming video calls.

Reply

Answer 13

nml_44

Level 1

4 points

Dec 21, 2020 8:21 PM in response to ertriad

That's weird because my mom is having this problem with her iPad Air (IOS 12.4.9) but only when she calls another iPad. No problems when she calls an iPhone from her iPad.

I have an iPad mini 4 currently on IOS 14.2 and we disconnect after 8-10 minutes. But when we FaceTime from her same iPad to my iPhone 8 (also IOS 4.2), we have no problems. She also has no problems when she FaceTime calls other family members who are on iPhones but calls are dropped when she calls people with iPads. Not sure of the IOS versions of others though.

Based on this though, it seems like it's more of an iPad to iPad issue for her rather than an IOS issue. Weird thing though is that it only started happening in about Sept of this year when it seems IOS 14.1 came out. Prior to that, she had no problems with anyone. Maybe it will be fixed in IOS 14.3 as mentioned above (that would be nice) but right now it's not acting consistently across IOS 14.2 devices.

Reply

Answer 14

Tansstfc

Level 1

8 points

Jan 21, 2021 6:14 AM in response to ertriad

Having the same problem here.

One Ipad running IOS 14.3, trying to facetime the father in law who has a first gen ipad mini running 9.3.6.

Facetime connects and then drops out after a few minutes and cuts off.

most annoying as we can only see him via facetime due to covid.

only started doing it after the latest update on both mine and my partners devices.

annoying.

Reply

Answer 15

zmb7317

Level 1

4 points

Feb 4, 2021 1:12 PM in response to ertriad

I have updated my iPad Air 1 to ios 12.5.1 and am still having the same issue. Had a FaceTime today work for about 5 minutes and then dropped. Tried at again and dropped after 5 minutes again. Switched to my iPhone 12 and it worked fine. Very frustrating!!!

Reply

Facetime calls dropping out after around 7-8 minutes - calling/called devices on DIFFERENT ios build levels

Similar questions