Solution to 'FaceTime' Problem Observed in iOS 6, iOS 7 and OS X
Are you one of those facing problems with FaceTime calls? Many users of iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and OS X have observed that they are not able to make calls with FaceTime from the beginning of April this year.
For those unfamiliar with FaceTime, it is an Apple application that allows users to make video calls and audio calls with other FaceTime users over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection. It is one of the most used applications by Apple users ever.
Apple device users who are still sticking to the older versions of iOS 6, iOS 7 or OS X are the ones most affected by this problem. With so many complaints getting logged over a period of time, Apple recently acknowledged the problem and responded back by releasing a support article on its website which describes the cause and the fix for the underlying problem.
The 'Only' Resolution
According to Apple, the problem pertaining to FaceTime is due to an 'expired certificate' that is blocking the devices with older versions of its operating systems to access the application. The easy and only solution to fix this problem is to update to the latest version of the operating system i.e. iOS 7.1.1.
Notably, this problem affects devices running on iOS 7 versions older than iOS 7.0.4, and iOS 6 versions older than iOS 6.1.6, according to reports. In addition, Macs that do not have the latest security updates are also affected.
It is worth noting that, iOS 6.1.6 can be installed only on the fourth generation of iPod touch and not on any older models. Devices that are running on iOS 6.x but are capable of iOS 7 upgrade like iPhone 4 or higher, iPad 2 or higher and iPod touch (5th generation), will have to update to the latest iOS version in order to use FaceTime.
Therefore, the iOS 6.1.6 and iOS 7.0.4 are the minimum iOS 'upgradable' versions to use FaceTime. However, OS X Mavericks v10.9 users will have to install OS X Mavericks v10.9.2 or a higher version. Also the OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 and OS X Lion v10.7 users will just have to get the latest security updates to use FaceTime. The Mac users running on OS X v10.6 will have to install at least FaceTime v1.0.5 or higher in order to use FaceTime.
Unfortunately, users who are happy with their devices running on iOS 6 must upgrade to the newer version of iOS to continue enjoying Apple's video and voice calls with the help of FaceTime.