iPhone 4 facetime not working

Another one is here! What's happen Apple?!

I wish there was a way to pin the answer many of us have realized, regarding the court case and Apple's decision to transfer FaceTime and iMessaging from direct delivery to relays. It would save a lot of stress, wondering and possibly all the Restoring etc.

I just wish Apple would get a grip and fix it. Instead they're busy pushing new phones, and personally, as much as I would love a new version, the thought of providing my fingerprint to various sources through monitoring......I do not think I will be buying the new 5c anytime soon. We lose more and more privacy, each day, through our electronics. But, a topic for another thread.

have a good day, and here's hoping Apple steps up for their loyal customers!

FT on my spouse's iphone 4 stopped working 2 weeks ago (late August). FT on my iPhone 4 still works fine. We bought them in 2010 at the same time. I have spent 2 hours reading various posts dated late July to today about the "FT connection lost" issue. My spouse and I have a different mix of applications installed, but not that many overall. Two weeks ago, I noticed my spouse had 13 application updates waiting for installation. I invoked the usual "update all" function in the App Store application. The FT problem started immediately after that 13-app update. An App problem? An IOS install problem ? An IOS flaw? This problem is most likely a classic "plane crash" scenario, where multiple things "go wrong" at the same time. It looks like thousands of people across the world have spent tens of thousands of hours trying to determine the root cause. There may not be a single root cause. Apple is not going to spend any time trying fix a current-day problem unique to one of their antique devices. Folks, I am personally amazed that most of my technological posessions that are reliant on cellular or internet communications continue to operate after 2 years. I plan on buying two new iPhones after September 20. The new phones cost less than our "antiques". FT is important to my spouse, so I'll throw money at the problem, which is what Apple and every other company involved wants us to do now and in the future. I can't see an alternative given the speed of technological advance in communication technology.

Best wishes to all.

I can totally understand that an iPhone 4 user shouldn't expect to see new features released for the current handset range.

But to remove or disable an existing function such as FaceTime from the iPhone 4 is a disgrace. I also can't believe that Apple haven't replied to these messages or home someway to address the issue.

As someone who uses FaceTime to keep in touch with friends in other countries the sudden loss of the service doesn't encourage me to buy another iPhone but another brand of phone altogether. The iPhone is sold as a premium product, this proves this is not the case.

Either Apple should reinstate the FaceTime functionality in iPhone 4 or be open that it now no longer exists.

A very disappointed iPhone 4 user!

Hey guys, my iphone 4 starts to "connection lost" last night. I tried restoring the firmware. Here is the result:

1. After the restoring of firmware without backup, the facetime is working as before.

2. After the restoring the backup data, the facetime is always "connection lost".

Maybe it is necessary to do the following steps:

1. disable facetime.

2. create backup.

3. reset and remove all data

4. restore backup.

5. enable facetime.

I will try it later after replacing the broken home button.

I am having same problem in Spain - must be a proble with apple- so frustrating!!

think they just want us to buy new iphone 5 on friday!!!

I am having the same issue. it was working fine about 1 month ago for me.

iPhone 4 16GB model MC603B/A

iOS 6.1 (10B144)

reported capacity: 13.7 GB

available: 765 MB

Carrier: O2 14.0

location: United Kingdom

(i encourage others to post this information too)

restoring to factory defaults is not an option as SMS/app settings/preferences will be lost.

So, others in this post have mentioned that we need to contact Apple support. well that turned out to be very productive... NOT

I wasted over an 1 hour on chat to them only to be then transferred to a 'senior technician' who repeated the same thing as the previous person (to restore the phone) and that they cannot escalate the issue to the developers because they dont have access to email - what year am I in, 1985?

also suggested backing up messages by taking screen shots of them. what kind of advise is this for someone who has years worth of messages stored

transcript of applecare chat (edited slightly to shorten/protect identity/make legible):

JB:

How can I help you?

### I explain the issue in full, referring to all the input produced by the 21 pages this thread has produced thus far. ###

JB:

Okay I see. Sorry your having to deal with this issue today I know it can be frustrating. Let me see what I can find.

JB:

It looks as if its suppose to now work on the iPhone 4 but the 4s and the 5.

me:

what?

JB:

There is some major lag since our systems are not up and running. I apologize.

JB:

Im finding that the issue is with restoring the backup as well.

JB:

Are you using the restore from the computer iTunes or iCloud by chance?

me:

i use restore from itunes, but happens for icloud as well (as reported by other users within the forum thread)

JB:

Chatting with a senior advisor now for us

me:

ok

Your chat support session has ended due to a temporary system issue. Please wait to be reconnected to the next available Advisor.

Michael:

Hello, my name is Michael. Welcome to AppleCare chat support. Please give me a moment to look over your information.

Michael:

I'm sorry about the problem you're facing. I understand how important it is to have the FaceTime functioning properly. I'm here to help so let's take a look at what could be causing that.

Michael:

so it looks like when you're initiating a FaceTime call, the other party receives a "FaceTime Ending" and you receive "Connection Lost". You've tried some troubleshooting steps and when you restored, it started working fine again but when you tried to restore from backup, it resurfaces?

me:

correct

Michael:

Got it, so what could be happening:

Michael:

There is something in that last backup, such as an app or something in the software that is interfering with the FaceTime software.

Michael:

Here is what I can suggest doing:

Michael:

I would restore as a new device again. Now, to get your data back, instead of doing a restore from backup, I would sync that data individually in the tabs of the iTunes program.

Michael:

You should see these tabs in iTunes such as MUSIC/INFO/APPS etc , sync that info back separately instead of restore from backup because evidently there is an app that is causing this issue from that backup.

me:

this is not an acceptable solution. my imessage/sms/application caches/preferences are within the backup and these will not be restored. many users have already tried troubleshooting with specific apps installed. this is something apple have broken and needs to be escalated and a fix provided to identify the rogue setting(s) that is preventing facetime working

Michael:

I see, so let me research into further to see what other options we have. It will just take me a few moments here if that is ok?

me:

ok

Michael:

Ok xxxxx, my senior advisor named David would like to take over the chat to further assist. Would this be ok?

me:

sure

You are now being connected to another Advisor. Please standby

David:

Hi, welcome to AppleCare chat support. My name is David. Please give me a moment to look over your information.

David:

I understand you are unable to make a FaceTime call, but when you restore your device and set up the iPhone as new the issue goes away, correct?

me:

correct

David:

Ok, your experiencing software failure and you will need to restore the device to resolve the issue.

me:

as i already told michael, this is not an acceptable solution

David:

I understand your frustration but that is the only solution to resolve a software issue.

me:

i have imessage/sms history going back several years which is not going to be carried forward if i do as you suggest. this is just not acceptable david. there are many other users affected by this issue which apple has caused

me:

there is clearly 1 setting (or possibly a combination of settings) stored somewhere in the backup which is causing this issue. this issue requires debugging. you can see my device call failure logs from the diagnositic information i sent via your diagnostics app ref (xxxxx)

David:

You can take screenshots to save the text, but that why we give customers the option to restore so when they do have software issues they can download a new version.

me:

taking screen shots of several thousand messages is not possible

David:

I understand but your running a software with a bug so the only way we can resolve this issue is downloading a new version.

me:

i want them within my native messages app, in chronological order, as they are meant to be

David:

I understand your frustration I wish there was more I can do, but to resolve a software issue we will have to restore the device.

David:

The only way to save those messages will be to take screen shots.

me:

i want this escalating further for debugging. this is not acceptable

David:

I am the highest level of technical service you can speak with, and the only way to debug your iPhone is to restore the device.

me:

this is unbelievable. i don't trust that you are the highest technical service level there is. there are developers who understand the software/backups better than you, who would be able to help, but you refuse to escalate to them. apple changed something and they need to change it back or provide a fix which does not involve restoration of the phone to its factory settings. your responding saying "the only way to debug a phone is to restore it" shows a lack of basic understanding of debugging

David:

I understand your frustration sir, your problem lies within the software and I can walk you through the process of a restore to fix that problem if you would like. That is our only option today xxxxx.

me:

i would like to request that this issue be sent to the facetime product manager so that they can give a more technical insighted response

David:

I can give our corporate address.

David:

Apple 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014 408.996.1010

me:

i'm sure you could email the individual responsible, instead of giving me a corporate address. i am contacting apple by the official support method you provide

David:

I apologize I cannot contact the creator of FaceTime.

me:

why is that?

David:

I don't have that capability. You can contact our corporate offices if you like.

me:

for a senior technician i find it hard to beleive you don't have the capability to send an email

David:

I understand, but unfortunately we do not.

me:

i know you're lying. i know you have access to email david.

David:

Not at all sir I am not lying. I cannot send a complaint to the creators of FaceTime.

me:

so apple does not provide it's employees with email addresses? send this chat to your supervisor/manager who employs you

David:

Our chats are reviewed, I will not need to send it to anyone.

David:

There is a solution to your issue and thats by doing a restore.

me:

that is a workaround, not a solution.

David:

I wish there was something else we could do.

me:

thank you very much for wasting my time.

David:

I am sorry you feel that way sir.

me:

i contacted you thinking i was getting technical support, but instead i get a non-technical answer

David:

Yes I am providing technical support, and we can resolve your issue.

me:

it seems apple don't wish to troubleshoot their own software fault

David:

Yes the troubleshooting step to resolve this issue is to do a restore.

me:

and lose my thousands of messages (among other things)

David:

No you will not lose them, you can take screen shots.

me:

it's not really the best way to backup messages, is it? since it would take over 24 hours to do this for the amount of messages i have and take up lots more space

David:

I understand, but having thousands of messages takes up a lot of space itself this can free up a lot of space for you.

me:

3-4 messages would take up approx 10kb, a screen shot of which would take up approx 200 kb each. i dont see how i would save space by doing this

David:

I am sorry xxxxx, I wish there was something more we could do.

me:

there is something more you COULD do, but you dont think outside the box of policies

David:

I wish there was sir.

David:

I hope you have a wonderful day.

me:

yup

The chat session has ended. Thanks for using Apple's Chat support.

so that's it folks. if we want this fixed. it looks as if we're going to have to find a solution ourselves. unless someone else out there feels they can get better sence out of these idiots

Stop complaining. You have a SOFTWARE BUG. The only way to get rid of a software bug is to restore your device. What level of comprehension of software do YOU have that allows you to debate this with a Senior Advisor at Apple?

YOU do not get to DEMAND to speak to an 'engineer' or 'developer'. You got to the HIGHEST level of CONSUMER LEVEL technical support at Apple. Deal with it.

Nothing in that chat was inappropriate on the part of the Apple Advisor. You were a PITA, and you accused them of LYING?

You were provided with a solution. If YOU choose not to use that solution, tough.

How about YOU contact the developers of Facetime?

You are very, very wrong. The only possible way of fixing a bug is by... debugging it! And it is up to Apple to address this issue since it was not created by the users. Anything less than that is just sweeping the crap under the rug.

I don't understand how Apple changing the fundamental connectivity of FaceTime and that change short-circuiting the FaceTime connectivity of many users worldwide is a"software bug". Seems to me that it is an Apple problem that they are pawning the fix off on loyal customers.

For all of those who are wondering why your newer devices still work for FT, but not your iPhone4s, it is because the newer products were not involved in the lawsuit and the infringement does not need to be "worked around" at this time.

I didn't say 'fix' the bug. I said 'get rid of it'.

jeffswaterworks wrote:

For all of those who are wondering why your newer devices still work for FT, but not your iPhone4s, it is because the newer products were not involved in the lawsuit and the infringement does not need to be "worked around" at this time.

Except for the fact that millions of iPhone 4Ss & 5s don't have a Facetime issue.

"I didn't say 'fix' the bug. I said'get rid of it'.

First off, I'd argue that is nothing but semantics. Secondly, I'd argue that restoring your device to get FT working again (something that I've not been assured is a 100% fix, I mean 'get rid of it') is really cutting off your nose to spite your face. Most people have a lot of information on their phones that will get wiped out by this 'get rid of it' solution. Why is it their 'duty' to give up this information so that Apple can continue to ignore a problem that they created?

On your other point, it does read awkwardly. Where I have iPhone4s, that is meant to be the plural of the iPhone 4, not a reference to the iPhone4S. The iPhone4s (plural) are adjudged to be infringing and the "work around" by Apple that seems to be causing all these good folks (and from the sound of it multitudes of others) problems is in place. The iPhone 4S and the iPhone5 are waiting their turn in the same Federal Court.

Now that we're past the iOS 7 embargo - is FaceTime working for anyone with a restored backup? Based on earlier reports, I'm not holding my breath.

Have installed ios7. iPhone4 now gets its own Facetime App. Unfortunately it still doesn't work. Disconnects calls straight way. 😟 Didn't do install clean but over old OS. Would be interesting to hear from anyone who does a clean install and then restores.