How to Fix the ‘Contact Is Not Available for FaceTime’ Error?
Getting the error message – Contact is not available for FaceTime; choose another phone number or email to call – is no fun at all when trying to FaceTime with someone.
This commonly occurring iPhone software glitch can result from several issues, including incorrect contact info, inconsistent network connections, corrupted app data, and such.
However, deleting and re-adding the contact, resetting the network, disabling and re-enabling the app, or removing and reinstalling it are among some options that often do the fix. Let’s show you how.
What Is Meant by the ‘Contact Is Not Available for FaceTime’ Error?
The ‘Contact Is Not Available for FaceTime’ message usually appears when you try to connect with a specific person. And this error keeps you from making any FaceTime audio or video calls.
Most often, it happens because of incorrect contact information, such as non-associated phone numbers or emails. Then it could be the one you’re trying to connect with has FaceTime disabled or turned off. And embarrassments aside, it’s also possible they’ve blocked you.
However, if none of those are at fault, your device system could be. More specifically, corrupted FaceTime app data or temporary glitches. Besides, sometimes, it may just be a mere inconsistency with your phone’s internet connection.
How to Fix the ‘Contact Is Not Available for FaceTime’ Error on iPhone, iPad, and Macbook?
Regardless of what’s causing the error, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the ‘Contact card is not available’ error. You’d better prepare for some trial and error, as each situation may require specific approaches.
Start with the Basics
Before trying anything else, be sure to check in on some basics. For starters, check whether the other person has blocked you (or vice versa) and whether you both are using the correct phone number, email, or Apple ID.
You can also ask them to add alternative contact information under “You can be Reached by FaceTime At” in Settings. And don’t forget to double-check misspelled contact information as well.
Besides, we’d also recommend using a different phone number or email on that person’s contact card if there’s more than one. Also, ensure you both have enabled FaceTime on your devices.
Check Your Region’s/Carrier’s FaceTime Availability
Well, this is another vital checkpoint before troubleshooting FaceTime’s contact card unavailable issue. After all, how are you going to make FaceTime calls if your region or your carrier won’t allow you to?
Despite how disheartening it may sound, Apple has yet to make FaceTime calls available worldwide. Notably, some middle eastern countries and China have no FaceTime coverage, whereas the service is only available in several regions and carriers.
So, what if you or the person you’re trying to contact is in one of these areas or using a carrier that doesn’t support FaceTime? Unfortunately, there’s nothing much to do than use other video calling apps or use a VPN before Apple lifts these restrictions. You can check the updates here.
Yet, there’s one more possibility that FaceTime may have gone down in specific regions, and either you or your contact is in that region. If you suspect this, check for the possible outage from here.
Restart Your Device
Just like most electronic devices, your iPhone needs an occasional restart. Why? Because this simple act can often fix the unconventional issues you didn’t even realize existed in your device. Restarting resets background processes and clears temporary storage, eliminating minor hiccups.
And if the problem of contact not being available for FaceTime still persists, try doing a hard reset. If you’re an iPhone user, to do a hard reset, you should press and hold the power button and the volume down button simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.
Disable and Re-Enable FaceTime
This sounds simple, but it can help solve the ‘Contact is not available for FaceTime’ issue in many cases. It’s like giving FaceTime a fresh start without data loss.
To do so, launch the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down, and find FaceTime. Now, toggle it off and wait a few seconds, then toggle it on again.
For Mac users, Open FaceTime, then at the top of the screen, click on ‘FaceTime,’ then click ‘Turn FaceTime Off.’ After a few seconds, click the same button, and it will read ‘Turn FaceTime On.’
Ensure Data Connectivity
Your Wi-Fi or mobile data has to be in good shape to make successful FaceTime calls. So, you must ensure your device has a stable network. Sometimes, idling devices may temporarily disable the internet connection, leading to unavailability issues for your contacts.
It’s a good idea to turn the data connection or Wi-Fi off and turn them back on or turn the Airplane mode on and off before restarting your device. This helps refresh the connectivity and clears any minor glitches that could prevent FaceTime calls from starting.
Do a Network Reset
Network connectivity, indeed, is a big issue. And that’s why a network reset might just be what your device needs if the previous step didn’t work for you. In fact, many users reported that it worked for them.
But remember that doing so removes your Wi-Fi passwords and all the data settings, restoring every network-related stuff to factory defaults.
For iOS users, go to Settings > General > Reset. Here, you will find the ‘Reset Network Settings’ option. Tap that and confirm ‘Reset.’
And if you’re on a Mac, go to System Preferences > Network. Here, choose whatever network applies to you, and click the ‘-‘ option to remove it. Then, click on the ‘+’ option to add it back.
Delete the Contact and Add it Back
Sometimes, it’s merely the contact data that gets corrupted and keeps you from making successful calls. So, if the pop-up won’t go away even though your network is in order, and so is everything else, try deleting that particular contact and add it again.
To delete the contact, go to the Contacts app, find the contact, tap it, followed by ‘edit,’ and select “Delete Contact.” After that, add this contact back with the correct info (name, phone number, email, Apple ID, etc).
Remove the FaceTime App and Reinstall It
If none of the above worked out for you, you should try removing and reinstalling. When the contact unavailability issue arises from a faulty corrupted App cache, deleting it often resolves the issue.
To remove the FaceTime app from an iPhone, simply hold down on the app icon on your home screen and select ‘Remove App. Then, to reinstall it, go to the App Store, search for FaceTime, and download it from there.
On Mac, you need to select Apple FaceTime under Applications from the Finder and drag the app to Trash. Then, empty the trash to complete the uninstallation. You can restore it back by updating the OS.
Update to the Latest OS
Now, here’s your last resort. Operating system updates often bring bug fixes, along with new features and improvements.
If the FaceTime contact card unavailability issue results from a bug in the current software, updating the operating system might fix it.
To update your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If there’s an update available, download and install it.
For macOS, click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update. If any updates are available, click the “Update Now” button to start the update process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have further questions about fixing the ‘Contact card is not available for FaceTime’ issue? Here, we’ve answered a few common questions that might help you.
Should I factory reset my iPhone when a contact is unavailable for FaceTime?
While you could do that, we won’t recommend it. This is because the contact card unavailability is a minor issue that can typically be resolved without such drastic measures. Factory resetting deletes all your device data which is an unnecessary risk for such a small glitch.
How many times can contact options be added to a FaceTime contact?
Contact options aren’t limited to any specific FaceTime contact. You can keep adding multiple email addresses and phone numbers so long as they are different for a single contact. In fact, FaceTime allows you to voice or video call a contact through any listed option.
Will using a VPN help when a contact is not available for FaceTime?
It might. Since VPNs allow you to change your device’s location, they might bypass any regional restrictions affecting your FaceTime calls. However, using VPN might also slow down your connection, which could negatively impact the call quality.
Conclusion
So, that’s that. Hopefully, one of the methods helped you solve the ‘contact is not available for FaceTime’ error on your Apple device.
Remember to try out these fixes on both ends of the call. After all, what might not work on your side may work for the other. And if all else fails, consider contacting Apple Support for further assistance.
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