ItsGeekToMe.co

Q: My wife and I both have Apple iPhones, hers is a 14 and mine is a 16 Pro. We also share the same, identical Apple ID credentials. We can obviously call each other but FaceTime does not work as “call failed” always pops up. I assume this happens because we share the same Apple ID. Is there a way around this without changing one of our Apple ID’s?

– Kelly S.
Fort Walton Beach, Florida

A: Until I read your question, Kelly, it had never crossed my mind to use the same Apple ID on multiple devices.  In fact, my initial thought was “that won’t work” even though you clearly said that’s what you’re doing.  I’ve never researched how Apple credentials work, or even given the matter a whole lot of thought.  My devices are set up, and they just work.  Then it crossed my mind that I do something remarkably similar by having the same Apple ID on both my iPhone and my iPad.  At that point I thought I’d better do some research before attempting to answer your question.

So, as it turns out, using the same Apple ID on two iPhones is indeed a supported option, and is desirable in many ways.  By using a single ID, all the iCloud data for both devices are automatically accessible from either device and all messages are synchronized across both phones.  There is the potential for problems, however.

The Apple ID is used to identify an individual, not a pair or group of individuals.  By having a single identifier on multiple devices, you run the risk of having duplicates of many things.  These can include messages and calls, as well as extra copies of contacts, notes, and even photos.  Because you are sharing a single Apple ID, you are also sharing common iCloud space.  That means instead of you each getting your own 5 gigabytes of iCloud storage, for a total of 10 gigabytes, you must share the 5 gigabytes that goes with the single Apple ID you are using.

 Now, despite all the risks of problems that come from sharing an Apple ID, one thing that you should not be having a problem with is making FaceTime calls between the devices.  You mentioned that you’re having issues with the devices FaceTiming each other, but you neglected to say if both devices are able to make and receive FaceTime calls from other devices.  I mention that because it’s possible for Facetime to be disabled in a device’s settings, which would result in the exact failure you mentioned.  So, do some testing and make sure you can FaceTime others first.  One way of knowing you have a problem is if someone tries to FaceTime you and both devices ring.  If that happens, the devices are using all of the same credentials. So, when one of your devices tries to FaceTime the other, it is essentially calling itself – hence “Call Failed”.  This doesn’t happen for regular phone calls because each device has its own phone number.

If you can place or receive FaceTime calls to other devices and your own are still failing, check to see what information you’re using to try and connect.  FaceTime calls can be placed using a contact in your phone, or a phone number, or even an email address.  All bets are off on the contact card, since your devices are purposely sharing the contacts.  I recommend trying the email address that’s associated with the device instead.

Google’s AI has a whole bunch of other troubleshooting tips to try – far too many to list here in the column.  You can find them by visiting TinyURL.com/IGTM-0932 and drilling down into the “Show more” button in the “AI Overview” at the top of the results.

On the off chance that you somehow wound up with these duplicate Apple IDs, but want each device to have its own, I’m happy to tell you that Apple IDs are free, and it’s a cinch to get one and apply it to your device.  Not only will this solve your FaceTime issue, but you’ll double the benefits of having an Apple ID, not the least of which is that additional 5 GB of free iCloud storage that I mentioned earlier.  If you’re interested, I recommend you start by doing a simple Google search on “How to get a new Apple ID” and go from there.  I can tell you that you’ll need a verifiable email address to proceed, but if you don’t have an extra one just lying around you can get one for free from Gmail.

---

To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question of your own, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)