Understanding FaceTime Invites: Deciphering ‘Join’ Messages

FaceTime is one of the most popular video chatting platforms – in a recent survey, over 70% of iPhone owners reported seeing prompts to answer FaceTime calls. Just why does it say “Join” on FaceTime when you’re already messaging in texts? Read on to find out.

What Does The Green Join Button Mean On iMessage

The green join button simply means that the other person has initiated a FaceTime video or audio call that you have not yet joined. When a person starts a FaceTime call through iMessage, the other recipient in the chat will see a green “Join” button appear.

Tapping this button will allow the recipient to join the FaceTime call placed to them through the iMessage app. The “Join” button allows you to connect to a FaceTime call that is ringing directly within the Messages app. This way you can answer calls conveniently without having to open up the separate FaceTime app. 

Why Does The FaceTime Button Say Join In Messages With One Person?

This message may technically appear because of several factors, such as: 

There’s a Glitch

iOS, like any other software system, can have bugs or glitches. These might cause unexpected behavior in the user interface. For instance, the “Join” button might erroneously appear due to a miscommunication between the iMessage and FaceTime subsystems within iOS. 

Their Phone Died

In normal circumstances, the “Join” button should disappear, but if the other person’s phone dies during a FaceTime call, you might still see the “Join” button, probably because the system hasn’t yet updated the call’s status. 

Apple Is Notifying You Of An Ongoing FaceTime Call With Your Group

What usually happens is that the “Join” button appears in a group iMessage chat with multiple contacts, if some participants are already in a FaceTime call with each other, Apple may use the “Join” button to indicate to others in the group that they can join the video chat session already in progress – which makes sense if you think about it.

You Have A Contact In A FaceTime Call With Someone Else

This is a precarious situation, what happens is that you may see a “Join” button for an individual chat if you have separately started a FaceTime call from your device with that person and the call session became crossed with another call they are in from a third party. Apple only alerts you that they are engaged.

Why Does FaceTime Say Join In Messages?

The “Join” prompt that you receive in messages indicates that the system has detected an active FaceTime session initiated by the other user in the message thread. But when that is not the case – a few scenarios come into play: 

If you have multiple devices using the same Apple ID, a FaceTime call initiated or joined on one device might cause the “Join” button to appear on another. This scenario can happen if the devices aren’t syncing correctly or if there’s a delay in syncing the call status across devices.

Features like Handoff or Continuity allow for seamless transitions between devices. A possible though unconventional scenario might be a situation where these features interact unexpectedly with FaceTime, causing a “Join” prompt to appear due to activity on another device linked to your Apple ID.

While less likely, third-party apps that have access to your contacts or call logs might accidentally interfere with how FaceTime call statuses are displayed in iMessage. This scenario is very rare and is highly likely to be a significant bug.

iCloud synchronizes information like messages and call logs across devices. An anomaly in iCloud syncing, perhaps due to a network error or a server-side issue, might incorrectly trigger a “Join” notification in iMessage for a FaceTime call.

Apple uses algorithms to predict user behavior and streamline user experience. But this is a very far-fetched scenario, it’s conceivable that a predictive algorithm might mistakenly anticipate a regular FaceTime call based on past behavior and prematurely display a “Join” button.

If you are using a beta version of iOS or if your device was previously used for software development, there might be leftover configurations or settings that cause atypical behavior, such as the mislabeling of FaceTime call options.

iOS is a complex system with numerous features that can interact in unexpected ways. For example, if you’re part of a Family Sharing plan, the actions of other family members might somehow influence the way FaceTime call statuses are displayed on your device.

How to Fix FaceTime Saying Join in FaceTime on iMessage

In this section, we’re going to help you understand how you can fix the error message and why it helps:

Close FaceTime App

How to do it: Double-click the Home button (or swipe up and hold, on newer iPhones) to view all open apps. Find the FaceTime app and swipe it upwards to close it.

Why it helps: This action effectively resets the app, clearing any temporary glitches or errors that might be causing the incorrect display of the “Join” button.

Turn on Airplane Mode, Then Turn it Off

How to do it: Go to Settings and toggle on Airplane Mode. Wait for a few seconds and then turn it off again.

Why it helps: This process resets your device’s network connections, which can help resolve issues related to connectivity that might be affecting FaceTime’s functionality.

Hang Up and Call Back

How to do it: If you’re on a FaceTime call and see this issue, end the call and then initiate a new call.

Why it helps: This can refresh the call connection and eliminate temporary bugs or issues causing the “Join” button to appear incorrectly.

Join The FaceTime Group Chat

How to do it: If the “Join” button appears in a group chat, it might be an actual invitation to an ongoing group FaceTime call. Simply tap on it to join.

Why it helps: This verifies whether the button is functional and appropriate for the current context.

Turn Off Your Internet Connection

How to do it: Go to Settings and turn off Wi-Fi and Cellular Data. After a few seconds, turn them back on.

Why it helps: Similar to toggling Airplane Mode, this resets your internet connection, which can help if the issue is related to network connectivity.

Restart Your iPhone

How to do it: Hold the side button and either volume button (or just the top/side button on older models) until the power off slider appears. Slide to power off, then turn your iPhone back on after a few seconds.

Why it helps: Restarting the device can clear out any temporary software glitches and refresh the system processes, potentially resolving the issue.

FaceTime Them Normally

How to do it: Instead of using the “Join” button, go to the FaceTime app and start a new call with the person or group manually.

Why it helps: This bypasses any potential bugs in the iMessage interface and directly initiates a FaceTime call.

Wait It Out

How to do it: Simply give it some time. The issue might resolve itself without any intervention.

Why it helps: Sometimes, software glitches are transient and resolve themselves as the system updates or refreshes its status.

Update Your iPhone

How to do it: Go to Settings > General > Software Update, and download and install any available updates.

Why it helps: Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can resolve known issues, including those affecting FaceTime.

Contact Apple Support

How to do it: Visit the Apple Support website, call them, or make an appointment at an Apple Store.

Why it helps: If none of the above solutions work, the issue might be more complex. Apple Support can provide more advanced troubleshooting.