Can you FaceTime on an Apple Watch?

By: Emmanuel

Can you FaceTime on the Apple Watch?

Yes, you can FaceTime on your Apple Watch. However, you can only access FaceTime audio when making calls on an Apple Watch using wifi or a cell service network. In essence, you only get to chat with your friends on Facetime, but you can’t see them.

How to use FaceTime on an Apple Watch?

You can use FaceTime on the apple watch through different methods as explained below:

Use FaceTime on Apple Watch with Siri

Siri (the Apple voice assistant) is the fastest and easiest way to activate and use FaceTime. All you need to do is:

Activate Siri on an Apple Watch by raising your wrist close to your lips and say, “Hey, Siri.” (Siri’s settings must have been activated on your Apple Watch).
Then say, ” FaceTime John (the name of the person you want to chat with).
Siri will place the call through your Apple Watch using FaceTime protocols. To make a call, you must be connected to the internet.

Use FaceTime on the Apple Watch with the call app

The call app can also initiate a FaceTime call on your Apple Watch.

Unlock your Apple Watch and go to the phone app.
Click on either Recents, Favorites, or contacts, depending on your preference.
If the person you intend to call on Facetime is on Recents or Favorite, ensure you click on the contact and tap the Facetime icon below it. The call will start.
If you tap on contacts, select the contact of the person you want to FaceTime.
Tap on the white phone icon on the left side of your Watch face.
Click on FaceTime audio.
Your Apple Watch will start the FaceTime audio call. Wait till the person at the other end picks up, then you can start chatting.

Use the messaging app to FaceTime on an Apple Watch

Just like the iPhone messaging app, you can start an audio FaceTime call from the Apple watch messaging app. Follow the steps below:

Go to the Apple Watch messaging app.
Select the intended person’s chat.
Click on details at the bottom.
Select the phone icon, then click on FaceTime audio.

Note: Whichever method you use to start FaceTime on your Apple Watch, your Watch needs to be connected to the internet. This means you have to connect your Watch to your iPhone or use Apple Watch cellular, which has its own cellular service. Another alternative is to connect through a wifi network.

How to fix FaceTime issues on Apple Watch

Sometimes when you try to make a FaceTime audio call on your Apple Watch, it might fail and not work. There are ways you can fix that. To fix this issue on the Apple Watch:

Ensure your Apple Watch is connected to the internet via wifi, cellular, or iPhone

FaceTime calls on all Apple devices (from Apple Watch, iPhone, Mac, or iPad) need an internet connection. You can ask Siri for today’s weather to check if your Apple Watch is online. Press the Digital crown and say, “Hey Siri, what is today’s weather?” If Siri responds, your Apple Watch is online. Once you’ve confirmed that your Apple Watch is connected to the internet, you can start your FaceTime call.

Pick a contact that uses an Apple device

FaceTime calls are only for Apple device users. So after ensuring your Apple watch is connected to the internet, make sure you select the contact of the person who has an Apple device, or the call won’t go through.

Select the right settings

If you want to make a FaceTime call, clicking on the wrong icon can take you elsewhere. Ensure you follow the steps listed earlier in the article. If you choose Favorites, Recents, or Contact, always select the FaceTime Audio icon. Your Apple Watch will make a standard, non-FaceTime call if you tap on the phone number instead of FaceTime audio.

Check the FaceTime settings on your iPhone

For your Apple Watch to make FaceTime calls, the FaceTime settings on your iPhone need to be enabled. To check if the FaceTime settings are enabled:

Go to the settings app on your iPhone and select FaceTime.
Toggle the FaceTime setting on if it is off.
Under the FaceTime toggle, ensure your phone number and email addresses are correct.

Verify your Apple ID

To verify your Apple ID, go to the settings app on your iPhone and do the following:

Click on your name at the top.
Your Apple ID will appear with your name and picture.
Go to your Apple watch and open the settings app.
Click on your name at the top, and your Apple ID will appear.
The Apple ID on your iPhone and Apple Watch has to correspond.
If not, sign out of your Apple ID and sign in with the correct details.

Try calling another contact

If you’ve been trying to FaceTime a particular contact, but it is not going through, try calling another contact on FaceTime. If the call goes through, the problem is probably the contact you were calling. The person might have turned off their internet connection or deregistered FaceTime.

Update your device to the latest WatchOS

Take your time to check if there is a new WatchOS update and download it. The update might fix the FaceTime call problem.

Restart your Apple Watch

Press the button by the side of your Apple Watch and drag the power off slider to the right. Wait for some minutes before pressing the side button to turn on your Apple Watch. It will help if you restart your iPhone while restarting your Apple Watch. Restarting your devices might fix the issue.

Unpair your Apple Watch and pair it again

Suppose none of the above-listed steps works for you, unpair and pair your Apple Watch again with your iPhone if that is your data connection source. This should erase the problem. Note that this takes a while to sync properly, so do it in your spare time.

One of the steps listed above should solve the problem of your Apple Watch not making FaceTime calls. However, if you followed all the steps and the problem persists, you have to contact Apple Support. They should tell you how to solve it as it could be a more complicated technical problem.

What appears on my Apple Watch face when I’m on FaceTime audio call?

There are different icons that you see on your Apple Watch face when making a FaceTime call:

Current time: by the top right, you see the current time. This helps you know when to hang up if you have another appointment within a stipulated time.
Orange microphone icon: This icon close to the current time shows that your Watch is currently using the microphone on your Watch.
Speaker icon: The speaker icon directly next to the digital crown shows the volume level. You can increase or decrease the volume by rotating the digital crown.
Mute button: By the left button of the screen, you can click on the icon to mute or unmute sound during FaceTime calls.
More icon: The three dots indicate this icon. This icon lets you see more options, like the audio output. You can choose AirPods or the galaxy earbuds connected to your device

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Red button: The big red button at the center of the screen is there to end the call once you are done. So once you are done chatting, you have to press the red button to hang up.

How to transfer FaceTime calls from Apple Watch to iPhone

When making a FaceTime call on your Apple Watch, you can transfer the call to your iPhone. To transfer FaceTime calls from your Apple watch to your iPhone, you just need to press the green phone button in your iPhone’s left corner. This method is quick and easy. The call will automatically be transferred from your Watch to your iPhone. With this, you can continue the conversation without any form of break in transmission.

Note: If you are using Airpods, it must be Airpods 2 or a newer model to transfer Facetime calls from Apple Watch to iPhone.

Frequently Asked Questions about FaceTime on Apple Watch

Q. Why can’t I make a video Facetime call on my Apple Watch?

A. You can’t make a video facetime call because the Apple watch doesn’t have a camera on it. So it will be impossible to make a video call on a device that doesn’t have a camera on it.

Q. Does Facetime drain my Apple Watch battery faster?

A. Yes, Facetime drains the Apple Watch battery faster. It appears to be one of the most intense apps on an Apple Watch. Facetime takes a lot of energy and cellular network or wifi to run properly.

Q. How can I save my Apple Watch battery when on FaceTime?

A. There are a few steps to save battery on your Apple Watch while on Facetime. The tips listed will help you get an extended battery life on your Apple watch.

Reduce the brightness level on your Watch. Usually, when the brightness level is increased, it increases the drain on the battery.
Ensure that no other app is running in the background.
Before making the FaceTime call, charge your Apple Watch to 100%. Don’t worry it won’t overcharge if you leave it plugged in.

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Q. What is FaceTime audio?

A. FaceTime audio is an Apple call service that allows you to make free voice calls with people within the Apple ecosystem. You can use this service to call someone even if you don’t have a cell phone signal. All you need is wifi or a cellular network connected to the internet.

Conclusion

FaceTime is a great way to reach out to someone using an Apple device without necessarily going through a regular cell service. So, if you find yourself with just your Apple watch and without any cellphone airtime, don’t hesitate to use FaceTime to audio call the person you have in mind.

This article has answered the question, “Can you FaceTime on an Apple watch?” and provided relevant information about the topic.

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