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Unable to sign in to FaceTime on OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks

Hello!


I reinstalled OS X Mavericks using my own installer I bought from the App Store back in the day, since Apple isn't hosting it on their OS X download page. I am using a MacBookPro 10,2 (early 2013, 13-inch). It was a 10.9.2 installer, so I had to upgrade to 10.9.5 for the SSL update, which is very important, or else most websites will not work. The update went well. I opened up FaceTime and I typed in my password. A code was sent to my iPhone. I entered my password followed with the code (special process on old devices pre-El Capitan), and FaceTime gave me an error saying "An error occurred on the server while processing registration. Please try again later." in a red font. Then, there is a ~30 minute cooldown until I can type my password without it giving me the error again. After that attempt, it will start giving you the error for every attempt unless you wait 30 minutes.


Any ideas on how I can sign into FaceTime? The iCloud requirements say macOS 10.12 Sierra is the minimum for FaceTime and iMessage. However, I am able to still properly sign into iMessage by requesting the code from System Preferences. The 30 minute cooldown is also on iMessage, but it doesn't matter too much. I have tried the same trick on FaceTime with no luck. I have seen people say they were able to use FaceTime properly on Mavericks this week, although very few. A few people said they were no longer able to sign in after they signed out. Someone said they can call the Mac from their iPhone, but they cannot call their iPhone from their Mac, meaning it cannot make any outgoing calls.


Does anyone have any ideas as to why this happens, and how I can sign in?


Thanks,

iPodTouch4thGeneration

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Oct 19, 2024 10:24 PM

Reply
4 replies

Oct 20, 2024 2:42 PM in response to iPodTouch4thGeneration

Or try a better browser, Thanks to WZZZ…

Chromium Legacy, for 10.7-10.14, which runs reasonably well with all my usual extensions on the 10.13.


https://github.com/blueboxd/chromium-legacy


Thanks to A Brody, Browsers by Mac operating system

Browsers by Mac operating system - Apple Community


You'll need something more uptom date than Safari if if youn install Catalina.

Oct 20, 2024 6:54 PM in response to iPodTouch4thGeneration

Yeah you did - Mavericks...the macOS version so disappointing and buggy that Apple decided retroactively that it was a failed experiment and turned it into the only free macOS version that they refuse to provide download links for it. The only people who can get it are ones who have it in their hidden App Store profiles (and Apple probably wishes they could take that away too).


As to why you would upgrade to Catalina...because it is the last version your computer supports. The most up-to-date ESR versions of Firefox and many other apps run on it without issue - extending its useful life without having to go through a bunch of nonsense with ISRG X1 certificate updates and/or add-on proxies. Lots of App Store apps still support High Sierra or later, with vanishingly few supporting El Capitan and effectively none supporting Mavericks, unless you already owned them...


If you hate Catalina that much (for whatever reason), then choose High Sierra. Or even El Capitan. But in my opinion, even Mountain Lion is better than Mavericks, and Mountain Lion is completely useless in 2024 except as a tinker toy - and I say this as someone who was tinkering with Mountain Lion two weeks ago.

Unable to sign in to FaceTime on OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks

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