Audio delay or lag on FaceTime or video calls

Symptoms

• Voice lags behind video or comes in bursts
• Words get cut off or repeated
• Issue happens more with Bluetooth headphones connected
• Other apps and calls seem unaffected

Likely causes

• CommonWeak or unstable Wi-Fi or cellular connectionVideo calls need a steady connection, and dips cause audio and video to stutter or delay.
• CommonOther devices or apps using bandwidthDownloads, streaming, or other calls on the same network can slow things down.
• PossibleBluetooth audio processing delaySome Bluetooth headphones add a small delay when decoding audio, more noticeable on calls.
• PossibleToo many background apps running on the phoneHeavy background activity can slow audio processing during the call.
• Less commonServer-side issue with the calling appAn outage or slowdown at the app provider's servers can affect all users temporarily.

What to do

1. Move closer to your Wi-Fi router or switch to cellular data to test if the connection is the issue.
2. Pause downloads, streaming, or other calls happening on the same network.
3. Disconnect Bluetooth headphones and use the phone's built-in speaker and mic to compare.
4. Close other apps running in the background on the phone.
5. End the call and start a new one, since delay sometimes clears with a fresh connection.
6. Check the calling app's status page or social media for reports of a wider outage.
7. Update the calling app to the latest version if an update is available.
8. If delay happens on every call regardless of network and device, try a different calling app to compare.

When to call a pro

If delay persists across networks, devices, and apps, this points to a phone-level issue worth having checked by a technician.

Safety