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You are here: Home / How-to / FaceTime Audio calls for iPhones, iPad, Watch and Macs, How-To

FaceTime Audio calls for iPhones, iPad, Watch and Macs, How-To

By Elizabeth Jones 12 comments Last updated September 15, 2018

Wondering if you can you make audio calls using FaceTime? Absolutely!

We use it all the time. So yes, you can use FaceTime on your iPhone, iPad, iPod or Mac to make FaceTime audio calls!

Contents

  • 1 Quick Tips 
    • 1.1 Related Articles
  • 2 About FaceTime Audio Calls
    • 2.1 Problems With FaceTime Using a Different iOS version?
  • 3 Why Make A FaceTime Audio Call?
    • 3.1 Do FaceTime Audio Calls Count as Minutes on My Plan Or Show Up On My Phone Bill?
    • 3.2 How much data does FaceTime Audio use?
    • 3.3 What About Sound Quality on FaceTime Audio Calls?
  • 4 Here’s How To Use FaceTime Audio Calling On Mac
  • 5 How Do I Call Someone on Facetime Audio Using An iPhone, iPad, and iPod?
    • 5.1 Make FaceTime Calls From Your Contacts App
  • 6 FaceTime Audio with Call Waiting
    • 6.1 When another FaceTime or phone call comes in
  • 7 Use Siri on your iPhone or with macOS to use FaceTime Audio 
  • 8 Make FaceTime Calls With Your Apple Watch!
    • 8.1 Ask Siri to place a call
    • 8.2 Use the Apple Watch Phone App
    • 8.3 Incoming FaceTime Calls on Apple Watch
  • 9 Want To Record a FaceTime Audio Call?
  • 10 Facetime Audio Problems in iOS and macOS Sierra and above, How-to Fix
    • 10.1 Fix FaceTime Errors on macOS
    • 10.2 How to clear the Recent Facetime Calls on your MacOS Sierra
  • 11 Summary
    • 11.1 Related Posts:

Quick Tips 

Follow These Quick Tips To Make FaceTime Audio Calls on Your Apple Devices

  • Open the FaceTime App, select a contact (or for group calls, multiple contacts) and tap the phone icon instead of the camera icon
  • Use the Contacts App and choose the phone icon beside or underneath FaceTime
  • Ask Siri to make a FaceTime Audio call for you!

Related Articles

  • Why is FaceTime Not Working in iOS 12? How To Fix
  • How To Completely Disable or Deregister FaceTime and iMessage
  • Error Occurred During Activation for iMessage or FaceTime on Mac?
  • FaceTime Not Working; How To Troubleshoot FaceTime to Fix Your Problems
  • FaceTime: Poor connection error on the iPhone or iPad, fix
  • How to Fix FaceTime / iMessage Waiting for Activation

About FaceTime Audio Calls

FaceTime calls allow you to call anyone who has a Mac or an iOS device that supports FaceTime. To work, everyone must be connected to the Internet.

Plus, the sound quality of the call is pretty awesome too! Almost as clear as your old landlines.

FaceTime Audio is available now for all iOS devices and Macs using macOS Sierra and higher.

The downside? FaceTime only calls other folks with FaceTime. So it’s a FaceTime-to-FaceTime audio connection.

IMG_1078

Problems With FaceTime Using a Different iOS version?

  • For iOS 12, check this article out
  • See this article for problems with iOS 11 FaceTime
  • And if you’re still using iOS 9 and below, check out this article to fix your iOS 9 and below FaceTime problems

Why Make A FaceTime Audio Call?

FaceTime Audio is a great way to make a phone call on iOS without using minutes or when you only have wifi.

For folks calling internationally, using FaceTime saves you money on calling family and friends who live around the globe.

The feature allows you to make a phone call over the internet to other FaceTime users.

Do FaceTime Audio Calls Count as Minutes on My Plan Or Show Up On My Phone Bill?

FaceTime Audio calls use WiFi or cellular data, but not cellular minutes. So FT calls do NOT count against your plan.

So Are FaceTime audio calls free?

Yes and no. You do not pay for each FT call but you do need a reliable internet connection via WiFi or Cellular/Mobile Data.

So there are no additional charges to make FT calls–just the regular amounts you pay for access to the internet!

How much data does FaceTime Audio use?

Many people assume that FaceTime Audio uses large amounts of data for its calls, but that’s not typically true.

Most audio calls use less than a few MegaBytes (yes, MB) of data. Compared to video calls which use hundreds of MBs or more, making FaceTime audio calls is data-slim!

What About Sound Quality on FaceTime Audio Calls?

FaceTime Audio uses the AAC-HE codec at 16KHz to make your voice calls.

This codec produces an audio quality that’s often better than your mobile carrier’s HD Voice

Here’s How To Use FaceTime Audio Calling On Machow to make calls using FaceTime

  1. Open FaceTime
  2. Select a previous contact or type in a name, email, or phone number in the search field
    1. If you have a card for the person in Contacts, you can just enter the name
  3. Tap the phone icon to make an audio call with FaceTime
    1. For video, tap the camera icon (video automatically includes audio too)
    2. If you set up your Mac to make regular phone calls, choose FaceTime Audio Call

How Do I Call Someone on Facetime Audio Using An iPhone, iPad, and iPod?

  1. Open FaceTime
  2. Tap the Plus Sign in the upper-right corner
  3. Enter the person’s phone number or email address
    1. With iOS 12, you can add additional people to the call using Group FaceTime
    2. If a contact is greyed out, they do not have FaceTime on their device or are using a non-Apple device
  4. Tap the Audio Button
    1. If the buttons are greyed out, you cannot make a FaceTime call to one or more recipient–try making an FT call to a single person insteadiOS 12 facetime audio call

Make FaceTime Calls From Your Contacts App

  1. To start, head into your contacts app
    1. Find a contact who also has an iPhone or other Apple device because, like iMessage, FT only works with Apple products
  2. After finding a contact with an Apple ID and clicking on them, you’ll be shown their contact card, including info like phone numbers, email addresses, and birthdays IMG_1082
  3. One of the rows should say ‘FaceTime’, along with a video icon and phone icon
  4. To make your FaceTime Audio call, simply push on the phone icon
    1. Or press the call icon just below their name and choose FaceTime from the list! Contacts App Call Options iOS iPhone

FaceTime Audio with Call Waiting

If you use iOS 8 or later, you can also use Call Waiting during a FaceTime audio call. FaceTime call waiting using iOS

When another FaceTime or phone call comes in

  • End the current call and accept the incoming call
  • Accept the incoming call and put the current call on hold
  • Decline the incoming call

Use Siri on your iPhone or with macOS to use FaceTime Audio 

The FaceTime audio feature is “integrated deeply” into both the Messages and FaceTime apps, making voice communication between Apple users on any device easier than ever.

With Messages, FaceTime, and FaceTime audio on iOS and macOS, Apple has a complete communication system in place.

The best way to get your FaceTime audio going on the mac is to leverage Siri. Siri commands such as “Hey, Siri make a FaceTime Audio Call to AppleToolBox” get an audio call going without you having to lift a finger. Siri FaceTime Audio Call on iPhone

You don’t need to look someone in the eye to talk to them, either. If you own an iPhone as well as a Mac -– and your phone’s on the same Wi-Fi network as your laptop – you can use Siri to make an actual call by saying, “Call Dad, home.”

Make FaceTime Calls With Your Apple Watch!

While there is no FaceTime app for your Apple Watch, you can indeed make and answer FaceTime Audio calls! Pair your watch with AirPods for an awesome experience.

You can even answer as Audio on your watch and then change over to a video call once you pick up your phone.

Ask Siri to place a call

  • Say “Hey Siri,” press and hold the digital crown, or tap open the Siri widget if using a Siri Watch Face
  • Then just ask Siri to place a FaceTime Call–with your watch, it’s automatically an audio call facetime audio call on apple watch

Use the Apple Watch Phone App

  • Open the phone app
  • Tap Contacts or choose Recents/ Favorites
  • Tap on a contact to call
  • Select the phone icon and choose FaceTime Audio

Incoming FaceTime Calls on Apple Watch

When you have an incoming FaceTime video call, the watch only shows a phone (audio call) icon and the end call button–because the watch does not have a built-in camera.

Tap the green phone icon to answer the call on your watch as FaceTime audio. answer FaceTime call on apple watch

It’s a great option when you just can’t get to your iPhone or Mac but still want to answer a call.

Want To Record a FaceTime Audio Call?

FaceTime does not have a built-in screen or sound recording. And the screen recording function added with iOS 11 does not record audio!

For Macs, it’s pretty easy to record your screen and audio using QuickTime > File > New Screen Recording and tap the arrow next to the record button to select your options for audio inputs (usually internal microphone.) Free Screen Recorder for Mac

For iOS devices, it ain’t so easy! You can connect your iDevice to your Mac and use QuickTime, as mentioned above. But it’s probably easier to use a third-party screen recording app–check the App Store and look for apps with awesome reviews!

Facetime Audio Problems in iOS and macOS Sierra and above, How-to Fix

Some users have reported that their facetime audio calls do not work after upgrading to the latest iOS or macOS Sierra. They receive the “Call Failed” or “FaceTime Failed” message. FaceTime Call Failed

For iOS devices, see our FaceTime troubleshooting page.

Fix FaceTime Errors on macOS

For Macs, the simplest way to tackle this problem is to restart your Mac in Safe mode. Wait for 30 seconds and then restart your Mac. My Mac won't start: How to fix white screen

To restart your Mac in Safe mode, while starting up the Mac when you hear the startup chime, press and hold the Shift Key. Release the Shift Key when you see the Apple Logo on the screen.

Restart your computer and try Facetime again.

How to clear the Recent Facetime Calls on your MacOS Sierra

You can clear the lists of FaceTime video and audio calls you made or received.

  1. In the FaceTime window, click Video or Audio.
  2. Control-click anywhere in the call list, then click Remove all Recents.
 Recent calls are cleared from both the Video and Audio panes.

Summary

iOS (10-current) and macOS (Sierra-current) include a number of major changes to contacts and phone, including the ability for third-party apps to integrate with iOS as regular phone service. This could result, for example, in a WhatsApp call acting like a regular phone call.

We hope that these tips were helpful to you. Please let us know in the comments below if you have any issues. We have also produced a detailed FaceTime troubleshooting guide in the case you have other problems using some of the features.

liz - apple
Elizabeth Jones( Content Producer )

For most of her professional life, Amanda Elizabeth (Liz for short) trained all sorts of folks on how to use media as a tool to tell their own unique stories. She knows a thing or two about teaching others and creating how-to guides!

Her clients include Edutopia, Scribe Video Center, Third Path Institute, Bracket, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Big Picture Alliance.

Elizabeth received her Master of Fine Arts degree in media making from Temple University, where she also taught undergrads as an adjunct faculty member in their department of Film and Media Arts.

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Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 12 Comments

  1. Mike Lowrie says

    November 6, 2019 at 7:40 PM

    I am trying to use FaceTime audio. It calls, but no one can hear me on the other side. Mac 10.13.6

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      November 9, 2019 at 8:29 AM

      Hi Mike,

      It sounds like there is an issue with your Mac’s microphone. First, close all open applications to make sure no other app is hijacking your mic over FaceTime.

      Go to the Apple Menu > System Preferences > Sound and select the Input tab

      Speak towards your Mac and adjust the level of your input via the volume slider

      If that didn’t help, check out the tips in this article MacBook Microphone Stopped Working, How-to Fix

      Reply
  2. Hayley says

    April 11, 2019 at 12:39 AM

    I cant hear when I’m recovering calls on my new phone iPhone XR could I have touched a button?

    Reply
    • SK says

      April 16, 2019 at 11:43 AM

      Hi Hayley,

      First, check that your iPhone isn’t connecting to a Bluetooth device.

      Go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn off Bluetooth

      Then, tap your volume up button and make sure your device’s volume is up all the way. Remove any case you may have on the XR, just for testing the volume.

      Finally inspect your speaker ports to see if they are filled or blocked with lint or other debris.

      Reply
  3. David Jones says

    October 18, 2018 at 5:55 PM

    And we are still unable to move, resize or hide the FaceTime active call window, in Mojave.

    Apple, in their infinite wisdom, removed this functionality some time ago (can’t remember whether it was in Sierra or the High version of that).

    If you use FaceTime to handle phone calls then, having this window behave as an immovable object, is a serious pain in the proverbial!

    There is heaps of chatter and cries of pain, all over the place about this and yet, as per Mojave, Apple is seeing fit to, yet again, ignore us mere plebs.

    Reply
  4. Eyal says

    March 5, 2018 at 5:55 PM

    i have a problem with my facetime. when i get to one of my contacts, and i want to make a facetime call, i can see only the icon of the camera and not the icon of audio call. also if someone calls me in facetime, i can not get the call. i tried almost everything but it steel does not works. is someone can help me with it?
    i have iphone 10 with updated version of ios 11.2.6
    Thank you

    Reply
  5. Shamsudheen Erakkodan says

    February 9, 2018 at 9:02 PM

    after update of macOs high Sierra, FaceTime cannot sign in .
    Please let me know, how to solve

    Reply
    • SK says

      February 10, 2018 at 9:58 AM

      Thanks. We havent tested the high Sierra issues yet except a few related to startup issues. We will take a look and keep you posted. What haev you done so far in trying to fix this issue? Have you looked at the Application preference files etc? also look at the log console and see if there is any third party extension that is causing any issues.

      Reply
  6. Paul Denby says

    November 19, 2017 at 2:51 AM

    I have a new MacBook Pro using iOS10.13.1

    I want to add an email address to start a video call but there is no ‘add email’ button. How can I do this?

    Reply
    • SK says

      November 19, 2017 at 8:26 AM

      Hi Paul,

      Once you activate FaceTime, you should see a + button in the top left side of the FT screen, just under the Video and Audio tabs. Enter the email address or phone number you wish to FaceTime with there. Remember that FaceTime only works with Apple devices and computers, not Android or Windows. If you want to video call anyone using non-Apple products, you need an alternative app.

      Also, it always helps to add your friends’ and family’s info into the Contacts App–FaceTime pulls its data from there. So this is usually the best way to manage your FT friends and family.

      Hope these tips help. Welcome to the Mac Tribe!!!

      SK

      Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    November 12, 2017 at 7:36 AM

    Have upgraded to OS 10.13.1 and now cannot connect with friend running 10.9. Is this a common problem?

    Reply
    • SK says

      November 12, 2017 at 7:55 AM

      Hi Jennifer,

      Sorry you’re having some troubles with FT. We have not heard of this specific problem with updating macOS and issues with FaceTime communication to older Mac OS X.

      To troubleshoot, have your friend check if there are any updates available to her software–for her version number. Sometimes Apple releases updates to current OS that have impacts.

      If that’s not an option or there isn’t any update available for the current OS, both of you should sign out of FT via FT > Preferences, then close FaceTime, and reopen–then follow the steps on-screen to sign back into FT. This action forces a refresh to Apple’s FT servers. That might do the trick.

      If it didn’t help, consider performing the steps again but this time adding in a restart after signing out of FT and closing the app. What might also help is closing ALL apps, not just FT.

      Keep us posted and we’ll keep looking out for more tips!

      SK

      Reply

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