How to Fix Black Screen on FaceTime – If you end up with a blank or black screen, the whole purpose of FaceTime vanishes. While voice communication is effective, there’s nothing like seeing someone’s face. Let’s take a look at why your FaceTime calls are just a black screen instead of friends and family.
Causes of Black Screen on FaceTime
There are several causes of black screen on FaceTime. Something as simple as software tuning to a hardware failure can be the problem. Here are some possible causes of black screen on FaceTime:
- Camera is off or disabled.
- Camera does not work.
- The camera is being used by another application.
- Something is blocking the camera lens.
- Weak or no internet connection.
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How to Fix FaceTime Black Screen Issues
Most of the black screen fixes in FaceTime are things you can do at home. With some time and patience, you can get FaceTime up and running again. Let’s explore a few possible fixes below.
- Is this just a voice call? Make sure you don’t accidentally select a voice-only call. This is perhaps the most innocent reason why you sometimes see a black screen while using FaceTime. When you’re on a voice-only call, press the button in the center of the screen while speaking a Face Time . Select this button to switch to video call.
- Is the camera lens blocked? Check that you or the caller are not blocking the camera lens. Sometimes it can happen when a misplaced thumb or finger disables the device’s camera, leaving you with a black screen.
- Which camera are you using? Check which camera is selected. You may have enabled the front camera instead of the selfie camera.
- Have you turned off the device recently? If not, reboot the device. Yes, this is another simple option, but in some cases it will work, provided that reboots close all open applications. This may be what is needed to get FaceTime working properly again.
- Is the camera busy? Check that your device’s camera is not being used by another application. Sometimes black screens are caused by another app open on the device that is using the device’s camera. Since this additional app is already occupying your camera, you will need to turn it off first to get the video portion of your FaceTime call working properly again.
- Do you have a good internet connection? Check your internet connection to see if your connection is strong. A possible reason why your FaceTime video isn’t working is because your internet connection is having a problem or isn’t particularly good. If you are using a Wi-Fi network, make sure you are as close to the Wi-Fi router as possible.
- FaceTime blocked on the receiver side? Check that you or the caller has no restrictions on FaceTime. Access restrictions (parental controls for example) won’t give you a black screen when you’re in the middle of a call. Instead, if your recipient has removed access to FaceTime on their device, restrictions will prevent you from successfully making video calls. So, ask your recipient to go to Settings and then check Restrictions (on iOS 11 or earlier, General ) or Screen TIME (on iOS 12 or later).
- Is your device up to date? If not, update the device’s operating system. Updates can fix underlying software issues that could be causing the FaceTime black screen. Therefore, if a new version of iOS or macOS is available, it’s a good idea to update your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to that version.
- Did the above fixes not work? If you are still having problems, reset the device to factory settings. This is a tricky option and should only be performed if none of the above options fixed your FaceTime black screen issues. As previous Lifewire guides for iPhone, iPad, and Mac explain, factory reset should usually only be done after backing up your device.
- Do you need more help? Go to an Apple Store or an authorized repair shop. This is the last option available for FaceTime black screen issues and should only be taken if none of the above methods worked.