FaceTime sound stops working while talking

Turning down the input volume is the only suggested tweak that has worked for me so far. It wasn't necessary for anyone to do this at the other end, but results might vary for others.

I'm hoping Apple will eventually push an actual fix (as opposed to users having to screw around with volume settings) for this rather annoying bug.

Hi, posting in hope that Apple will take notice of the amount of complaints here. My parents have an iMac and a Macbook Pro both of which stop sending audio to either my iPhone, iPad, Macbook Air or iMac after 2-5 mins or so.

My Dad loves Skype so this very annoying as I try to get him in to FaceTime and iMessage etc. and then it fails.

Fix please.

I'm on a MacBook Pro, 10.6.8, using my University's super-fast internet (via Ethernet). This happens to me regularly: Facetime starts fine, then my interlocutor says he can't hear me after a few minutes. This is clearly an Apple problem, not a problem with my connection. I'll try the input volume fix next time I Facetime.

Somehow the Apple evangelist who sold me a Macs failed to mention that Apple's response to customer problems is pretty similar to Microsoft's! (Not that I don't prefer Apple. It's just that most of the hype about customer service and fewer bugs is just that -- hype.)

very frustrating issue, I just cant have a conversation in facetime. The issue seems to get worse day by day.. already called apple care but were not aware of any problem,lol. more than 25 000 views and they are not aware..

I am having the same issue today.

Iphone to iphone or imac to iphone .

One works for a bit .... then the other ... then neither . We can see each other .... but can't hear each other.

Using facetime was one of the reasons we bought Apple computers and phones .

Dissapointed .

😟

I am experiencing this issue as well.

Using a 2009 iMac running 10.6.8 to Facetime with someone using a 2013 Macbook Air.

She isn't having any issues talking to another person using Macbook.

And to think I upgraded to Snow Leopard just so I could install Facetime!!

Seeing that this problem has been around for 2 years, almost 40,000 views, and still no definite fix is disheartening 😟

In an effort to help others experiencing the same issue:

1. The Facetime audio problem has now been running unresolved for over 2 years (despite various changes in OS and over 95,000 posts on the issue)

2. The consensus of opinion is that this is a software issue with Facetime that Apple is (conciously?) choosing to ignore for unknown reasons. Many of us have trawled the ocean to find solutons, but the disheartening conclusion is that there is still no fix as yet.

3. People have been trying to resolve this directly with Apple tech support, but Apple either denies that there is a problem; claims to be unaware of it (sic); or suggests lengthy, time-consuming and costly visits to Apple stores that achieve nothing.

There was a very good article in MacWorld by Lex Friedman, one of their senior editors ("Can't trust this: Inconsistencies shake faith in Apple" - Nov 19th 2013), highlighting that this kind of unresolved issue with the fundamentals of the OS and functionality is eating into the confidence of users in Apple as a brand, particularly as competition is catching up and doing things better.

The aim at the moment is for sufficient people to make sufficient noise on this in the press to get Apple to fix it. The current approach of working through tech support, blogs or forums is not getting anything done.

If anyone can shed light on why Apple is in denial and deliberately choosing to stick their head in the sand over this problem it might help us all?

I am having the same issue iPad to iPad and iPad to iPhone.

Hi TiGPS,

Apple still has severe issues with facetime sound.

After recieving 3 brand new machines (MBP13 Retina) in Dec 2013 and Jan 2014, Apple does not believe they can deliver a proper working brand new machine. They also won't look into the problem and hope i can accept this faulty machine.

Is that what Apple is turned into? A company that doesn't believe they can fix their own machines? Or do they not care anymore about their customers and their product?

The person I'm facetiming with cannot hear me when we talk at the same time. My (3 brand new, but all 3 faulty) machines will mute me, so the other party cannot hear me. It is back to the walky talky ages again, 'over'.

Since I'm a great believer of Apple, I cannot believe they won't fix this problem and just keep on selling and delivering brand new MBP 13 Retina machines that don't work.

Does nobody at the Apple company care anymore, is there no company pride?

see also:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3388112?answerId=24607502022#24607502022

kind regards,

Same problem with iPad2 and iPhone5.

I think it is software based issue. there is something like gate effect to reduce noise.. but it is amont a bit much. this is my idea (as an audio engineer) anyway apple should fix it immediately.

Just wanted to give everyone an update, I upgraded my 2009 iMac's OS to the new Mavericks a few months ago and since then the problem has completely vanished for me 🙂

Having said that, there are people out there still using machines that cannot run the new OS so this option might not be available for everyone.

Hi ichatlover, i appreciate you keep repeating this to the posters but it doesnt make any difference. I have a mac book air (latest software OS X Mavericks 10.9.3), iphone 5s (software 7.1) and an ipad mini (software 7.1) and it does it with all of them. When i try ad speak to my brother in California, my mum and dad in europe and friends in europe no matter which device i use they say that my sound cuts in and out but the video continues. I can here them at all times.

I have recently moved to a new building and got Comcast Xfinity triple play but my brother has the same service and it doesnt do it for him so I cant see how it is Comcast.

Has anyone had an actual fix from apple or are all the suggestions things people think have worked?

Hello babs

I'm not sure but I believe this discussion have morpthed into a broader problem than the original which was:

the sound of a facetime user running the facetime APPLICATION on a device specifically an iMac or other computer (which needs a facetime application vs a mobil device like an iphone or ipad using a facetime app) quitting after a short period of time (usually ten minutes or so). If you read the earlier posts you will see there

doesn't seem to be a problem when a mobil device is facing another mobil. Also it seems to be a sound quit with macs running earlier operating systems like snow leopard.

Now the posts seem to include a number of sound issues. I have to think that sound going in or out wouldn't be a provider issue. Streaming usually affects the whole packet.

My problem went away. I didn't do anything except post a message on this board. About a month later the problem stopped.

I'm now using Mavericks (which slowed everthing down) but the Facetime problem went away even before that.

Good luck everyone.