Can't Activate FaceTime :(

Have you looked at this previous discussion:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2573733&tstart=0

Steve Paris wrote:
Here's an odd one:

I'm trying to connect to FaceTime for the first time, but am failing miserably.

All I get is this message each and every time:

*FaceTime Activation*
+Could not sign in. Please check your network connection and try again.+

Thing is, my network's fine: I can jump to Safari on my iPod touch and I can browse the web, etc., but when I switch back to FaceTime, I get the same puzzling error message.

I check, double-checked and triple checked my username and password (it's my regular iTunes ID which is in fact my personal email address)

iChat or Skype work fine on my Mac on my network too. Why would FaceTime think there's a network error? My wi-fi network is powered by an AirPort Extreme base station.

I'm stumped.

Does anyone have any ideas?

You were wise to test your connection with other connected apps! Here are some other ideas:

(1) You do not say where you are, but some USA users have reported that they went to a different location or back to the store where they bought and activated there. Examples in this topic:

  http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12245541&#12245541

Users Gesim, snoopy711, and billfd28, all reported success there.

(2) User Jack Fisher ( Well done, and thank you, Jack! ) reports that changing the iPod's DNS Setting to Google's 8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4 has fixed the FaceTime activation problem:

  http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12246853#12246853

Jack also posted this link about Google DNS:

  http://code.google.com/speed/public-dns/

Several others have also reported that the Google DNS fixed their problem. Perhaps the Google DNS numbers will work for you, too.

(3) Consider Apple's Troubleshooting info: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4319

(4) Restarting your iPod may fix your problem: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1430





Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.4); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1

Steve Paris wrote:
Thanks for all the options EZJim...

You're welcome, Steve.

Thanks for letting us know what worked for you!


Message was edited by: EZ Jim


Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.4); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1

I had a similar problem with my kids' iPods and finally stumbled on the key step. I had to create a new Apple ID, using a real email address. But the key step was that, as the iPods were new, they did not have the correct date and time. Once I set this correctly, the dreaded "unable to activate" message went away and Facetime worked! This advice is found on the Apple support pages but you have to dig! Good luck.

Thanks for the walk through, this totally fixed it for me!

Thank you for the great outline! I worked on one today and found another cause of the issue on the iPod 4 - time and date being wrong! Once I set it properly, the account could be activated.

It still wouldn't work for me. From the start it rejected my activation due to "userid and password error"".
Tried to change the dns address, checking that the date and time setting is accurate etc. But still doesn't work!

It is so frustrating, it should be so simple! Definetely this activation should be very simple and straight forward. But so far, it fails!

What to do?

Xandergk

xandergk wrote:
... rejected my activation due to "userid and password error""... What to do? Xandergk

If you cannot make your current iD work, create and use a different iD specifically for FaceTime. Keep careful record of your password and check carefully to be sure you input it correctly.
 
If you like, you can keep using your working Apple iD for other purposes. FaceTime's Apple iD does not have to be the same as other ones you use.

More info about iD's is shown in this Apple article: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4319

and this recent topic:

  http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12484826&#12484826


Message was edited by: EZ Jim


Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.4); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1

I don't know if you've fixed this issue but I've overcome it with adding: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 to my DNS in Airport connection. Good luck, mate!

Thanks EZ Jim! But my apple id is an email id and it is a working email Id! It is even a me.com email Id from apple and it works as an email or as an apple id. So I don't understand Facetime keep telling me the email Id and the password is wrong.

Is there a direct support from Apple by email for it's iPod Touch and MobileMe customer?

xandergk wrote:
Thanks EZ Jim! But my apple id is an email id and it is a working email Id! It is even a me.com email Id from apple and it works as an email or as an apple id. So I don't understand Facetime keep telling me the email Id and the password is wrong.

Perhaps you are using an extremely long (more than 12 character) email account name? Are you using special symbols (other than alpha-numeric) in your address that may not be allowed for FaceTime use?  I do not know that either of these can cause trouble, but it would be easy to create a new free email account to test whether a different id would resolve your problem.

My only remaining suggestion about this is to triple-check your input to be certain it is accurate.

Is there a direct support from Apple by email

I don't know of support exclusively by email.

Contact Options: http://www.apple.com/contact/

I could not determine your location, so I cannot give specific suggestions. If desired, you can contact the appropriate support center using the info on this page to ask if they offer email contact:

  http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html

Apple does offer support for the topics of interest in the web pages shown below.

for it's iPod Touch

  http://www.apple.com/support/ipodtouch/

and MobileMe customer?

  http://www.apple.com/support/mobileme/




Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.4)
MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11)
iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1

I did try with a different apple id (I have more than 1 apple id and more than one MobileMe email id as these Apple ids).
All gives the same response that the Id and password is wrong. I certainly was very very careful in entering these information so as not to make mistakes.

I also thinks that if FaceTime need a short apple id, apple would already be highlighting this very important warning! Which clearly they didn't.

Knowing apple all these year, their user interface is always clear, easy and not ambiguous. This FaceTime case should be a bug.

I will try to check with the other resources you suggested, hopefully I can find answer. Thanks for the advice!

I am able to receive calls, however, I can't place the call to the same people. I also downloaded the mac version and face the same issue. I went to Apple Genius bar, yet I have no problem calling from my ipod touch . Once I got home and try it again I face the same issue. It's always so and so is not available for FaceTime. What gives?

Choonwah Dang wrote:
I am able to receive calls, however, I can't place the call to the same people. I also downloaded the mac version and face the same issue. I went to Apple Genius bar, yet I have no problem calling from my ipod touch . Once I got home and try it again I face the same issue. It's always so and so is not available for FaceTime. What gives?

Everything gives.

If FaceTime always fails at your home wi-fi but can work at other wi-fi locations, your home wireless LAN needs troubleshooting.

Start here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4319

If configuring your wireless router to use UPnP does not resolve your problem, and if you do not want to try a different wireless router, you may need to manually configure your router using the suggestions in

  http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4245

Some users report that that changing the wi-fi DNS Setting to Google's 8.8.8.8,8.8.4.4 improves wi-fi performance for FaceTime. If your problem perists, you can try using the Google DNS numbers in your iPod's wi-fi network DNS settings.

If you need more Wi-Fi help, read this article:



  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2031





Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz Mac OS X (10.6.4); MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display; G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11); iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9); External iSight; iPod touch 4.1