iOS: FaceTime is 'Unable to verify email because it is in use'

Products Affected

iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod touch (4th generation)

Symptoms

In rare instances, FaceTime may not be able to verify your email address following setup and may display the message, "Unable to verify email because it is already in use".

Unable to verify email because it is already in use.

Resolution

You may have more than one Apple ID that shares the same email address.

Try one of the following to resolve the issue:

  • This error message means that your email address is already associated with another Apple ID. It could be tied to GameCenter, iTunes Store, or another Apple ID. Try using your Apple ID for those services to log in to FaceTime on your device.
  • If you wish to use a separate Apple ID for FaceTime, unlink the email address from any other Apple ID before trying to set it up as a separate Apple ID for FaceTime.
  • If you would like to change your Apple ID to another email address, go to My Apple ID and follow the instructions in this article to change your Apple ID.

Refer to this article for more information about using FaceTime.

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