Top 4 Fixes When FaceTime Is Not Working on Windows 11

Users can communicate with friends and family worldwide using the well-known video calling software FaceTime. However, some customers have complained that FaceTime is not working properly on their Windows 11 PCs. This issue can be quite frustrating, especially when you want to stay in touch with loved ones.

There are many factors behind this error such as a slow Internet connection, your camera or microphone being damaged, or you are using outdated software. Regardless of the cause of the problem, this article will provide you with some useful tips to overcome this problem and get your system running without any issues.

We recommend trying out these quick fixes before using our more comprehensive solutions.

• The first thing you should do if FaceTime is not working on your device is to verify your Internet connection, as a weak or unstable connection could cause this problem.
• Next, ensuring to use the Microsoft Edge or Chrome browser should get you started with FaceTime conversations on your Windows 11 PC. According to the official Apple support page, Microsoft Edge and Chrome are the only programs that let you utilize FaceTime on Windows 11.
• You can also request that your contact share the FaceTime call link again if the problem persists. The FaceTime link might have expired, resulting in this error.

If the steps above do not work, try out the solutions outlined below.

1. Turn on camera and microphone access

If FaceTime is not working on your Windows 11 device, you should check if your camera and microphone are enabled, because if they are turned off, you will not be able to use FaceTime. Since Microsoft Edge and Chrome are the recommended browsers to use, we will go over how to enable your camera and microphone for each of them.

1.1 For Microsoft Edge

1. Launch the Microsoft Edge on your Windows 11 device.
2. Once the browser is open, click the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, then choose Settings.
   
3. From the left menu, choose Cookies and Site Permissions.
   
4. Next, select Camera.
   
5. Verify to know if the browser has permission for Camera, if not click on the toggle to enable it.
   
6. Go back and repeat this same process for your Microphone.
   
7. After doing this, check to see if the problem has been resolved.

1.2 For Chrome

1. Open Chrome on your device, click on the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, then choose Settings.
   
2. From the left menu, choose Privacy and Security.
   
3. Next, click on the Site settings option at the bottom.
   
4. Choose Camera.
   
5. Click the radio button for the Sites can ask to use your camera option.
   
6. Go back and repeat this same process for your Microphone.
   
7. Once you are done, check to see if the problem has been fixed.

2. Verify that joining FaceTime calls is enabled

Another important step to take if you want to resolve this issue is to check if the Silence Join Requests option is enabled. If it is turned off, you will not be able to access FaceTime calls. The steps below will show you how to check this option.

1. Open the FaceTime application on your iPhone, and click on the Create Link option.
   
2. Next, on your laptop, tap the info icon in the top right corner.
   
3. Now, click the toggle for Silence Join Requests.
   
4. After doing this, check to see if FaceTime now works.

3. Turn on hardware acceleration for your browser

By optimizing your GPU resources for graphically demanding operations, Hardware Acceleration aims to improve your web browser’s performance. This includes engaging in electronic games, making FaceTime calls, and watching videos. Thus, if Windows 11 FaceTime is still not functioning, you should verify and turn on Hardware Acceleration for Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Follow the steps below to do this.

1.1 For Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome and click on the three dots at the top right corner of your screen.
   
2. Next, choose Settings.
   
3. Type hardware in the search bar.
   
4. Look for the Use hardware acceleration when available option, and enable it.
   
5. After doing this, relaunch the browser and see if the problem has been resolved.

1.2 For Microsoft Edge

1. Open the browser, click on the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, then click Settings.
2. Next, select the System and Performance option.
   
3. Now, turn on the toggle for hardware acceleration.
   
4. After doing this, check to see if the error has been fixed.

4. Update your browsers

You could also be having this problem as a result of an outdated browser. In this case, we recommend updating your browsers. The steps below will walk you through this process.

1. For Chrome users, open the browser, click on the three dots at the top right corner, then choose Settings.
   
2. Next, pick the About Chrome option.
   
3. If you see an update, download and install it.
4. If your preferred browser is Microsoft Edge, open the browser, click on the three dots at the top right corner, then choose Settings.
   
5. Scroll down and select About Microsoft Edge.
   
6. If an update is available, download it.

Final Thoughts

By following the steps outlined above, you will successfully troubleshoot any error that is not allowing FaceTime to work on your Windows 11 device. For further questions, talk to us via the comment section below.