iPhone 4 facetime not working

First of all, I'm not surprised the 5S works although I'm glad it does. I'm guessing there are parts of the restore that don't override the newer phone which would seem to point to the firmware or possibly an interaction with the 4 firmware and/or a facetime related bit of software that only gets installed on the 4's. It's possible something in facetime got integrated into the hardware by the time the later phones were put out. Again, the fact that a iphone 4 wiped to new is good shows that the 4 is able to work.

Second, this issue shouldn't have anything to do with your desktop software because I'm using mine with a Windows 7 machine. I don't know if I've posted this but my last successful Facetime was 8/18 and I believe my first unsuccessful one was 8/25. Maybe posting when the issue began for everyone would help figure out the source of the problem.

Third, to markwes, "just buy a new one" is not acceptable to me especially if the issue is an Apple initiated software problem. I was planning on holding out until the 6's come out before I replaced this one. I could understand if I dropped the phone or the battery couldn't hold a charge anymore and had to buy early but there's nothing wrong with the phone itself. Not to be starting conspiracy theories but what would stop Apple or any company from deciding they need to sell more phones, sending out an un-recoverable software glitch and then just saying, "oops I guess you need to buy a new one". Like I said, this isn't an acceptable resolution to me.

For those that have this issue and want to buy a new iPhone, congratulations as this will solve your issues.

For those that can live without text messages from yonder years and can reset their phone, congratulations too.

But for those of us that want neither, this is a serious issue. Over the many posts we have learned that we are not alone in our frustration and that the issues seem to be related to the earliest iPhones. That there is most certainly something in the way our phones work with FT, that makes them prone to this problem. That while a reset seems to clear the element blocking functionality, that there is an element that is part of any backup that alters the way FT works. And that it appears that this element when introduced in the iPhone 5s does not cause critical issues.

As for Apple's silence and evasion on this issue, to me it appears obvious that there is something else that is wagging the dog's tail. Perhaps the theories regarding the patent infringment lawsuite are true because nothing would get me to shut up like this than worrying that anything I say might be used against me in court. And with so much money on the line here (which is fact), this would explain not just Apple's silence but also the lack of any attempt at fixing our common issue or for that matter, providing a work around to even reloading things like text messages. Any acknowledgement could impact pending litigation.

So for the time being, I have resided myself to living without FT for now. I will admit that if my reasoning is what is driving all this, that in time other devices may face similar peril. Afterall, only the iPhone 4 was noted in the original law suit as other phones featuring FT didn't yet exist. As filings get updated, I have to wonder what device(s) is next?

I have read many pages of the posts (not all 29 pages tho). I too have lost the abillity to use facetime on my iPhone 4... only 2 days ago. I use facetime every day, and have had no problems with it. 2 days ago I was using it, then an hour later I tried to make another call on FT and it wouldnt connect.

I have not updated my phone or even connected to a computer in OVER A YEAR. But I did yesterday hoping to correct the problem by updating to ios7. Still no facetime.

So at least from my experience, it appears that my loss of facetime had nothing to do from connecting to a computer, or updating the ios.

Richard ~ a brilliant post and synopsis of the problem. My 4S had serious FT problems a couple of months ago. Prior to that, and recently it will freeze, become static and we have been successful with just restarting the call but there have been days during that one month or so, when nothing would get it to connect at all. I am in the position you are, in not wanting to lose vital information, texts / voice mails

It truly is rather shameful, but as you wrote, understandable, on Apple's response or, truly, lack thereof I have been toying with purchasing the new 5, but worrying about the same issue, of it falling victim next. I have installed Skype as an Incase (though, that month it went so wrong, even the original Skype on my phone would not work. I'm wondering how it may have "connected" to the problem)

I have also toyed with moving to Samsung, though I hate to lose the iMessaging feature as my family uses the iPhones.

I just wish this would get settled, but we know we are the victims of this law suit and they move as through ever thickening mud.

best of luck.......

@Richard Stoerger- this issue seems to affect only the earliest versions of the iPhone 4 and happened around early July 2013. It doesn't make sense to me that the lack of response is related to patent infringements. It's interesting to speculate about the cause and politics of course.

@bcooking what an excellent analolgy ...

"I don't like the idea of having to buy a new product to recover features that we lost due to an obvious software glitch being introduced into the system. I especially don't like it if it is something Apple did. That would be like going to a car dealer for service, their people destroying the engine then saying, "oh well, you could always buy a new car from us"

I think the best bet to raise awareness of our discontent is to create a ticket with apple and then rate their solution badly when asked to respond to the customer satisfaction survey.

I've had the FT problem since late July, 2013. I am convinced it is caused by an app or app update that is corruptng FT. If someone has the time to restore their phone to "new" state and add back an app at a time and test FT after each install maybe the rogue app can be identified. I suspect its one of the following apps:

Amazon

Flixster

Google

Google Maps

IMDB

My AT&T

TWC

YouTube

iBooks

My ft was working until I updated to iOS 7(big mistake) which by the way is awfull.

Though my Skype still working after the update.

Really disappointed with this cheap **** from apple , moving back to Blackberry !!

While after 29 pages there is yet to be an actual fix to this problem let's be respectful enough to appreciate there have been bandaid roads presented to go down.

Let's also be respectful enough to appreciate while some of us may choose to take one of those bandaid roads we are by no means suggesting these are ideal, or are fixs or are doable for everyone.

We all know the problem here lies with Apple and the solution rests with Apple.

In the meantime, please let's respect each other on here and continue to welcome further posts of 'how, when and the syptoms' of the Facetime issue people are experiencing.

re @DJNMenoFalls the only same Apps I'm running from your list are - Google, Google Maps, You Tube.

Thanks,

Got the same issue here, It's a pain.

Tried Reset, FT worked, restore = no connection.

Weiging up how important old texts are v ability to FaceTime.

Interesting this discussion has been branched but I can't see the branch

Message was edited by: Basher

Same issue here. I have 2 iphone 4's and 2 Ipads. Ipads can FT to one another. Neither Ipad can FT to the either of the Iphones and the Iphones can't connect to each other. One iphone is on iOS7.0.2 and the other is on 6.1.3. Same with the ipads. I run 2 wifi networks and tried mixing and matching the iphones and iPads with each network and get the same result.

Conclusion is that something is up with the iphone 4's.

Hope apple can address!

Skype, as other mention, work fine on all devices.

Seems not much press coverage on this issue, why is that? Even me-too rumor "news" stories speculating on iOS 7.0.3 are all about iMessage problems, not iphone 4 facetime connecting hang.

Is there any evidence whatsoever for likely fix in 7.0.3 (after 3 months)?

If apple admitted it, I'm sure they'd say affects "fraction of 1% of customers" or less than those affected by iOS7 iMessage issues. But iphone 4 was at long last "my first cell phone" ever, due to facetime and dual cameras, when iMessage didn't exist.

Phone app still logs facetime attempts (as missed or cancelled though they hung in connecting). Yet log is incomplete, several attempts in late September (early days of 7.0.2) are absent.

Assume not possible to scrub itunes backup of both Phone/FT app DB files, to achieve partial restore? Would only affect logged call list anyway? Likewise can't replace backup's Phone/FT app DB files by those from another backup (from same device when it was working after erase/setup-as-new)? Or if you did, you'd again only change logged calls anyway?

I posted a reply about this problem on my iPhone 4 yesterday, but post has been deleted (censored?).

I voiced my dissatisfaction with how Apple completely abandonds support for devices more than one generation old, I guess that was too much for Apple. I am trying again now with a slightly toned down message to see if this goes through.

My iPhone 4 Facetime stopped working in July, and I have wasted several hours trying to get it to work, to no avail. I thought it was my company's firewall, until I realized I always use my iPad to Facetime at home, and my iPhone at work. But Facetime is dead on my iPhone at home as well. Upgrading to iOS 7 made no difference. I restored as new, then restored backup. The difference is that in iOS 6, I would get Connecton Lost right as the other party answered. In iOS 7 it just hangs Connecting.

Shame on Apple for not stepping up to resolve this problem.

Everyone should contact the media (The Verge, Engadget, Gizmodo etc...), refer them to this thread as well, and maybe they'll write about it.

I tried a few weeks ago but no one seems to care. Perhaps if a lot more contact them we can get some attention!

Some helpful links:

The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/tip-us

Engadget: http://www.engadget.com (Click the red "tip us" button at the top right)

Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5732042/about-gizmodo-for-beta (tipbox@gizmodo.com)

I am wondering if the jail break phones have the same issue not having FT. Is there anyone that has a jail break phone out there watching this thread having issues with FT on the earlier iPhone 4?

My iPhone 4 was jailbroken when on iOS 6.1.2, but not on 7.0.2, of course. FaceTime broke while on 6.1.2, but I made no changes on it in the period it broke. To the best of my knowledge one day it worked, the next it did not.

I forgot to mention, but for reference, I have an iPhone 4 from a very early batch, now officially unlocked by Apple, and I am on a prepaid T-Mobile SIM, syncing with Win7. I have tried a SIM from Norway, and it makes no difference. FaceTime remains broken. Works fine on my iPad 3, and my mom's recent iPhone 4S.

I really wish it was possible to reset all FaceTime settings separately, or somehow figure out which part of the backup corresponds to the suspected corruption and remove it before another reset/restore.