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sbkevin

Q: how do I specify whether I want Facetime to use e-mail or phone number when I call from contact?

How do I specify whether I want Facetime to use e-mail or phone number when I call from contact?

I have some contacts who are in international locations, and want to know it will use e-mail.

iPhone 5, iOS 7

Posted on Oct 15, 2013 1:51 PM

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Q: how do I specify whether I want Facetime to use e-mail or phone number when I call from contact?

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  • by WiseJD,

    WiseJD WiseJD Oct 15, 2013 2:00 PM in response to sbkevin
    Level 4 (1,659 points)
    Oct 15, 2013 2:00 PM in response to sbkevin

    Settings>Facetime>  You Can Be Reached At:  Check the appropriate number and or email address by clicking on them or adding them ...uncheck any listed that you don't want to use.

  • by sbkevin,

    sbkevin sbkevin Oct 15, 2013 2:20 PM in response to WiseJD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 15, 2013 2:20 PM in response to WiseJD

    Thanks, but I might not have worded my question clearly.

    What I am looking for is when I make an OUTGOING facetime call.

    If the person I am facetiming is in my contact with a phone number and e-mail address, which one does facetime default to?

    And can I specify per contact ie: I want to facetime through this person's e-mail address, someone else it might be through their phone #.

     

    Thanks

  • by WiseJD,

    WiseJD WiseJD Oct 15, 2013 3:55 PM in response to sbkevin
    Level 4 (1,659 points)
    Oct 15, 2013 3:55 PM in response to sbkevin

    No you won't decide how to contact them ...they will.  You will just go to FaceTime name your Contact that you want to FaceTime with and the Call will go out.

  • by sbkevin,

    sbkevin sbkevin Oct 19, 2013 11:44 PM in response to WiseJD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 19, 2013 11:44 PM in response to WiseJD

    OK WiseJD,

     

    so you are saying the recipient of the facetime call decides how to accept the call based on their settings.

    But to find this out, a connection has to be made first via phone number or e-mail.

    Which one does it try first?

    Example:

    I know if I have a contact with only a phone number, no e-mail address, and facetime them, it will go through phone connection.

    Same would apply for someone I only have e-mail address in contacts, no phone number.

    That would go through e-mail.

    But what about a contact that I have both e-mail and phone number for in my contacts?

    Lets assume this person has not made a selection in their settings about how they want to receive facetime calls.

    The device making the call would have to make this "decision".

    So the software, by definition, has to have a priority order on how to make this connection.

    Does anybody know what it is?

    I can't find it.

    Also, is there any way to make that determination from sending end.

    Again, assuming recipient has not made that determination in thair settings.

     

    Thanks!

  • by krazeerino,

    krazeerino krazeerino Oct 20, 2013 11:09 AM in response to sbkevin
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 11:09 AM in response to sbkevin

    Prior to iOS7, when tapping the "FaceTime" button on the contact page, it lets me choose what to nbr or email address of the contact to use.  This is very important, because some of my contacts don't have an iPhone, but they have an iPad.  When I call them, I use their email.

     

    When I upgraded to iOS7, it doesn't let me choose what number/email to call anymore.  So, when I tried to call my friend in their iPad, he is not receiving it; looks like it was defaulting to the number.

     

    Another example:  I have an iPad and an iPhone.  When my wife wants to call me on the iPhone, she chooses phone number.  if she wants to call me on my iPad, she chooses email.  That is how I set it up.

     

    Somehow, when she upgraded to iOS7, it doesn't let her choose what number/email to call anymore.  so now, when my wife calls me, it always goes to my iPhone.  she cannot call me on my iPad anymore (because she is not allowed to choose anymore).

     

    I think this is an iOS7 bug.  Apple, please fix this!!!!

     

    Thanks.

  • by sbkevin,

    sbkevin sbkevin Oct 20, 2013 3:51 PM in response to krazeerino
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 3:51 PM in response to krazeerino

    Ya, I see what you mean.

     

    I tried on my wife's phone, (sha hasn't "upgraded" to ios7) and your right, you are given a choice.

     

    Hopefully Apple will read this & fix on a future update.

     

    Thanks

  • by WiseJD,

    WiseJD WiseJD Oct 20, 2013 4:12 PM in response to sbkevin
    Level 4 (1,659 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 4:12 PM in response to sbkevin

    I guess I could test it in that I have an iPhone 5, a MacBook Air, a iMac and an iPad (3rd Gen).  Lets say I have FaceTime Active on each of these devices.  Could a call placed to me not Ring at each of these devices, even though only one has a Cell Phone Number? 

     

    I just tried it from my wifes iPad I placed a FaceTime Call to Me and All My Devices received the FT Call and opened FaceTime for me to answer. 

     

    I don't think any of us need to worry about the outgoing caller needing to select the cell number or email address it doesn't matter.

  • by krazeerino,

    krazeerino krazeerino Oct 20, 2013 5:01 PM in response to WiseJD
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 5:01 PM in response to WiseJD

    WiseJD, yes, you can set-up your devices in such a way wherein only your iPad rings, and not your iPhone, and vice-versa.

     

    And that is exactly the problem with iOS7.  I don't want all of my devices to ring when I'm being called.  I want my iPad to ring, when my email is called, and I want my iPhone to ring, when my number is called.  That is how I set it up prior to iOS7, and it has been working great.

     

    Now, iOS7 doesn't allow the caller to choose, so now, only my iPhone rings (somehow it defaults to the number???).  Thus, it really is a problem and it does matter a lot.

     

    Apple, pls fix this!

  • by WiseJD,Helpful

    WiseJD WiseJD Oct 20, 2013 5:54 PM in response to krazeerino
    Level 4 (1,659 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 5:54 PM in response to krazeerino

    I guess for the original poster of this question (sbkevin) they will know that their party will be reached, hopefully that has solved or answered their question.  The idea of FaceTime is to be able to reach your targeted party and enjoy a video and audio quality connection at as little of a cost as possible (Free in a WiFi environment).  I think a system that doesn't require the person placing the call to try to sort out where and with what device the receiving party may want to receive the call is the correct design.  Perhaps there are others that want the flexibility you describe, if so I suppose Apple will have to determine the demand and decide if they will address it.  Who knows perhaps there is already a way to do what you want.  Good luck ...In the mean time at least someone wanting to give you a FaceTime call or you to them will have excellent odds of reaching each other. 

  • by sbkevin,

    sbkevin sbkevin Oct 20, 2013 5:57 PM in response to WiseJD
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 5:57 PM in response to WiseJD

    Thanks,

     

    Ya, I think all your devices being in the same wifi environment probably helps.

    I am specifically concerned about contacts in other countries.

    Some with foreign numbers (big phone bill for me)

    some with US cell phones (big phone bill for them)

    I want to be sure it only goes through e-mail.

    Only thing I can come up for right now is to create another contact with slightly different name that only has an e-mail address, but no phone number, until apple comes up with a fix.

     

    Thanks all

  • by krazeerino,Helpful

    krazeerino krazeerino Oct 20, 2013 8:23 PM in response to sbkevin
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 8:23 PM in response to sbkevin

    Yes, I think I will have to create separate contacts as well for those that don't have an iPhone but have an iPad/Mac... I tried calling then via FaceTime, and they are not receiving the call, because maybe it calls the number???

     

    I think having to create multiple contact entries for this is a not a good design... i really hope apple fixes this.

  • by sbkevin,

    sbkevin sbkevin Oct 20, 2013 8:40 PM in response to krazeerino
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 20, 2013 8:40 PM in response to krazeerino

    Thanks WiseJD & krazeerino!

     

    I agree that creating different contacts is not ideal, and is a flaw in the software.

    Having said that, I probably would not have come up with that solution had I not bounced it off someone.

     

    Thanks again!

  • by Madi1974,

    Madi1974 Madi1974 Jan 10, 2014 5:37 PM in response to sbkevin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 10, 2014 5:37 PM in response to sbkevin

    I just upgraded to iOS 7 and am having this problem. I don't understand why Apple took the option of letting you choose which FaceTime identifier to use when calling someone. This was available in prior iOS releases so Apple clearly understands the need for it. Not sure why they would take that way in the new release.

     

    Causing grief using FaceTime for no reason. Hope they fix it soon.

  • by Joey!! 【ツ】,

    Joey!! 【ツ】 Joey!! 【ツ】 Jan 21, 2014 7:45 PM in response to Madi1974
    Level 2 (255 points)
    Jan 21, 2014 7:45 PM in response to Madi1974

    Hey guys, for me it does force me to choose which ID I want to use.

    Open FaceTime app, select contact, tap Add to Favorites, and this is what I get:

     

    5551_37784_372557_3fe28553_IMG_0001.jpg

     

    I'm running iOS 7.0.4. Have you guys tried adding more IDs - maybe it only prompts after there are a certain amount? Hypothesis: It may intelligently be displaying that popup; users can link their IDs together - I can be reached for FaceTime by both my email and my phone number, but not by my work nor home number. Maybe those of you who have contacts who have both of those IDs linked together don't get that popup, and it doesn't matter because they can be reached at either of those.

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