Ever since I changed cell phone carriers (from Xfinity to Consumer Cellular) I can no longer "pair" my iPhone with my Mac so that I can call out from my Mac.
iMac 24″, macOS 14.0
Problem resolved & it wasn't the change in cell carriers.
Also co-incident with the time FaceTime started misbehaving was an update in my VPN. And that was the problem -- the VPN (which was also causing problems with my phone's WiFi reception/connection.) I deleted the phone's VPN and FaceTime started to behave.
Thank you for all of your support and worthwhile suggestions.
Howard Benn
Problem resolved & it wasn't the change in cell carriers.
Also co-incident with the time FaceTime started misbehaving was an update in my VPN. And that was the problem -- the VPN (which was also causing problems with my phone's WiFi reception/connection.) I deleted the phone's VPN and FaceTime started to behave.
Thank you for all of your support and worthwhile suggestions.
Howard Benn
On your iPhone, go to Settings>Phone>Calls on Other Devices>Allow Calls on Other Devices and make sure that it's turned on. Make sure that your Mac is selected. Bluetooth needs to be turned on on both devices.
See also:
Make and receive phone calls on Mac or iPad - Apple Support
Thanks; I'll call this step one. Bluetooth is showing 'on' on the iPhone (2nd generation SE). It does not list the iMac as a bluetooth 'device' to be paired with. Further, when I go to the iMac's drop down listing of bluetooth devices to be paired with, no iPhone shows up at all. (In addition to changing cell carriers last week, I also changed internet providers, from Comcast to Hotwire).
hpblistreceive wrote:
Thanks; I'll call this step one. Bluetooth is showing 'on' on the iPhone (2nd generation SE). It does not list the iMac as a bluetooth 'device' to be paired with. Further, when I go to the iMac's drop down listing of bluetooth devices to be paired with, no iPhone shows up at all. (In addition to changing cell carriers last week, I also changed internet providers, from Comcast to Hotwire).
No, you do not pair the two devices using BT. That's actually not possible. You just need to have the feature enabled on both devices.
I'm at step 1 & 1/2. Both devices are open/bluetooth available. FaceTime doesn't work. One out-bound ring and then auto disconnect. If I call in to the Mac, FaceTime indeed does ring once on the Mac, then "call failed." Seems to me that the problem is within the Mac; its FaceTime software is somehow internally corrupted (and has nothing to do with last week's changes of Wireless provider & Landline-VOiP provider). Any other suggestions?
If you can make a FaceTime call, then the problem is somewhere in the Call Forwarding from your iPhone.
You might try resetting the network settings on your iPhone. Settings>General>Transfer or Reset iPhone>Reset>Reset Network Settings. You'll lose saved WiFi passwords but nothing else.
Thanks for your help. Definitely getting there, although we haven't quite crossed the finish line. It (FaceTime) now dials out; you can hear through the iMac repeated rings (4 or 5). However the receiving phone line, for example my Landline or my friend's Android cell, does not ring/recognize that there's an incoming call. After listening to the iMac's audible repeated outgoing "ringing," I then hear nothing (non-response) and the iMac displays the message "Call Failed."
I realize that what I initially stated may well be irrelevant, but to repeat, I recently changed cell phone carriers (Comcast Xfinity to Consumer Cellular.) It occurs to me that that is when the problem started. Could that be part of this conundrum?
hpblistreceive wrote:
I realize that what I initially stated may well be irrelevant, but to repeat, I recently changed cell phone carriers (Comcast Xfinity to Consumer Cellular.) It occurs to me that that is when the problem started. Could that be part of this conundrum?
I can't think how it could be but, as it is a thing that change around the same time as you started having the problem, maybe? I honestly don't even have a good suggestion of what to ask your carrier, though.
Excellent detective work!
Regarding VPNs. Unless you need one for accessing a secure server, they don't really have much benefit. Lots of VPN companies have very questionable privacy policies. So, you should be fine without it.
Best of luck!
Mac software doesn't get corrupted very often. So, that would not be my first thought.
Can you make actual Facetime calls to other people using an Apple device, not calls to a phone number?
Yes. Used e-mail addresses.
I recently changed cell phone carriers. I can't get FaceTime to work on my Mac now.
