Facetime frustration

[annk]

I've read Apple's info about troubleshooting Facetime, and googled for more info from forums etc. I still can't get this to work:

1) I originally had FT set up on my iMac, with my Apple ID, password, and the gmail address I had chosen as the identifying address. Worked fine.

2) I got a MacBook Air while abroad, opened up FT and logged on with the same (my only) Apple ID and my gmail address. Worked fine.

3) I get home and discover what you all already know, that while you can use the same Apple ID on all devices, you have to have a different identifying email address for each device. No problem, I think, and create xxxxx+imac@gmail.com for my iMac (after reading that gmail has that function). I test out the new gmail address by mailing myself, and it works fine. In FT, Apple lets me go through the verifying process with no problem; I get the verification email, the link works, and when I log into the Apple ID site I see that the mail has indeed been confirmed.

4) I then think I'm ready to log on to FT via my iMac, but no. I log in with my Apple ID and password. FT asks me which mail I want to be identified by, and I type in the new gmail address. After a few seconds, "Verifying" changes to "Verified", but nothing happens. After a couple minutes FT tells me that the mail address couldn't be verified and asks me to check my network connection.

I don't want more than one Apple ID, I want to use separate identifying mail addresses for each device (I have an iPod as well that I will want to have in this loop). Apple tells me I can do that, but in practice it doesn't work.

I'm running 10.7.3 on my iMac.

I looked for an existing thread on this here, but couldn't fine one. Any help is REALLY appreciated.

 

[Mal]

Don't use the xxxx+imac@gmail.com structure. Their verification system doesn't expect a + symbol in the email address, and so while it's not set up to tell you it's not valid, it won't approve that. Use your primary email, or set up one for that purpose if you want to keep your primary private. I feel your pain, as I like using gmail's auto aliases too, but in this case, I think it's not going to work.

jW

 

[annk]

Thanks for the info about the xxxx+xx structure, that explains that problem at least.

I would use my primary email address, the problem is that that's already in use for FT on the MBA, and FT won't let me use the same email for the iMac (and for my iPod, I assume, when I get that far).

I only have one personal email address, and ideally I don't want to create more for the sole purpose of identifying two extra devices. If I do that, I'll have to keep the emails "alive" by using them, even very occasionally, and that seems like a hassle (a gmail address will eventually be shut down if it's not used, and I'm not happy about registering with more than one provider regardless). But from what you say, that's what I'll have to do.

I would be more willing to create two new Apple IDs and only use them for logging on to the two extra devices. But would I be able to associate the same identifying email address (the one now in use for FT on my MBA) with all three Apple IDs?

It's odd; I would assume Apple wants us to have a desktop, a laptop, an iPhone, and an iPod, but they're making it unnecessarily convoluted - or impossible - to use them all with a single FT account. As it stands, we not only have to create extra email addresses for each device, we also have to let our contacts know about them so they can find us on FT (with the ensuing confusion some of our contacts will then have about which email is actually our primary email).

 

[Shrink]

It's odd; I would assume Apple wants us to have a desktop, a laptop, an iPhone, and an iPod, but they're making it unnecessarily convoluted - or impossible - to use them all with a single FT account. As it stands, we not only have to create extra email addresses for each device, we also have to let our contacts know about them so they can find us on FT (with the ensuing confusion some of our contacts will then have about which email is actually our primary email).

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I have one email address and I can FT on my MBP, iPad, and iPhone using that one address. I don't use different addresses for each device.

If I have misunderstood (always likely), please ignore dopey post)

 

[annk]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I have one email address and I can FT on my MBP, iPad, and iPhone using that one address. I don't use different addresses for each device.

If I have misunderstood (always likely), please ignore dopey post)

That's exactly what I want to do, it just doesn't seem to work. When I get it going on one device, it stops working on the other. Do you set it up again each time you use another device?

 

[Shrink]

That's exactly what I want to do, it just doesn't seem to work. When I get it going on one device, it stops working on the other. Do you set it up again each time you use another device?

Is it that you want to use two devices with the same address at the same time? If so, I'm not sure you can do that.

If you just want to use one device, say iPad, for a call...and then later in the day use your laptop for a call, you shouldn't have to set up each device each time you use it.

I haver a daily call to a friend in the UK. Somes days I use the iPad, some days my MBP. I don'y have to do anything to receive his calls, or make mine.

One thing I discovered. I'm not sure it will help you, but I'll pass it along. If you use Mac Mail, when you make outgoing calls, make sure that you EXIT Mac Mail (just closing the window won't work). Both Face Time and Mac Mail share port 433, and if Mac Mail is open it won't allow outgoing calls. Once the call is placed, you can then open Mac Mail, I'm told. I don't do it, but I'm told it's OK to open Mail again after there call.

You can change ports for the Mac Mail app, but not the Face Time app - it has to use 433. I haven't changed the Mail port. I'm too much of a newbie to want to mess with Mail...I know that even if I do the port change correctly, somehow Mac Mail will punish me for messing with it.

I hope this information is useful.

 

[annk]

^ I think what you write might be very useful.

I only want to use FT on one device at any given time, so that's not the problem. I've found more than one place online that says each device has to be set up with a separate identifying mail address, but from what you write, that's not the case, which would be great. Up to now, though, that hasn't worked for me.

When you write Mac Mail, do you mean the Mail program, or do you mean .mac/.me mail? I use Apple's Mail program, and have it set up to read my gmail account. I have successfully used FT on my MBA with Mail open.

 

[Shrink]

^ I think what you write might be very useful.

I only want to use FT on one device at any given time, so that's not the problem. I've found more than one place online that says each device has to be set up with a separate identifying mail address, but from what you write, that's not the case, which would be great. Up to now, though, that hasn't worked for me.

When you write Mac Mail, do you mean the Mail program, or do you mean .mac/.me mail? I use Apple's Mail program, and have it set up to read my gmail account. I have successfully used FT on my MBA with Mail open.

Using one device at a time, I've not had to use separate addresses, as I only have one address.

When I say Mac Mail, I'm referring to the native, preloaded Mail app on all devices (the stamp icon - see below). That app must be exited for outgoing calls, as mentioned above. My guess (only a guess) is that you should exit the app on all devices when making an outgoing call. In fact, you might try turning off (not sleep - OFF) all other devices when making a call.

I use gmail only. No iCloud @me or any other. One account, one gmail address.

 

[annk]

^ I'll try that when I get home, thanks.

I will be REALLY happy if I can use my primary gmail address as a common identifier on all three devices.

 

[Shrink]

^ I'll try that when I get home, thanks.

I will be REALLY happy if I can use my primary gmail address as a common identifier on all three devices.

I hope it works!

I've always used my primary (and only) email address and it's worked with my iPad and MBP. In fact, when I get an incoming call, both my iPad and MBP both ring (FT is not turned on in my iPhone).

Good luck...

 

[annk]

The problem seems to be my iMac. I can use FT on my MBA (regardless of whether or not Mail is open), and I can use it on my iPod Touch. I used to be able to use it on my iMac - it stopped working after I returned home with my MBA and had had my iMac shut completely down with the power cord out (don't know if that's connected to the issue or not).

I've tried moving the FT plist files out of Library -> Preferences, with no luck.

The FT behaviour on the iMac is a little erratic. Sometimes I only get as far as the first set-up page where it asks me to input my Apple ID password (my Apple ID - my old .mac email - is filled in automatically). Sometimes it continues to the next window where it asks me which email I want to be visible to those who will call me. At that point it will verify my address, but nothing else happens. After a couple minutes, I get a pop-up telling me it couldn't sign in and asking me to check my network connection (which is fine).

Sigh.

 

[Shrink]

The problem seems to be my iMac. I can use FT on my MBA (regardless of whether or not Mail is open), and I can use it on my iPod Touch. I used to be able to use it on my iMac - it stopped working after I returned home with my MBA and had had my iMac shut completely down with the power cord out (don't know if that's connected to the issue or not).

I've tried moving the FT plist files out of Library -> Preferences, with no luck.

The FT behaviour on the iMac is a little erratic. Sometimes I only get as far as the first set-up page where it asks me to input my Apple ID password (my Apple ID - my old .mac email - is filled in automatically). Sometimes it continues to the next window where it asks me which email I want to be visible to those who will call me. At that point it will verify my address, but nothing else happens. After a couple minutes, I get a pop-up telling me it couldn't sign in and asking me to check my network connection (which is fine).

Sigh.

Sorry, annk, but we just went beyond my painfully inadequate expertise (if it can even be called that). I'm only left with the suggestion that you call Apple.

Not much help, but that's all I can suggest.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[annk]

^ Thanks for trying. You set me straight about being able to use the same email identifier for each device, which was good to know.