Stay Connected
Access FaceTime from anywhere
FaceTime is blocked or restricted across much of the Middle East. In the UAE, Apple doesn't even include it on iPhones sold locally. Lantern gets your calls through.
How to access FaceTime with Lantern
Step 1: Get Lantern
Download Lantern on your phone or computer. It's free.
Step 2: Open and Connect
Open Lantern and tap to connect. Lantern automatically picks the best protocol for your network, so there's nothing to configure.
Step 3: Enjoy FaceTime
Launch FaceTime and call whoever you want. You're connected.
Where is FaceTime blocked?
FaceTime is caught up in a broader pattern of VoIP blocking across the Gulf states. Governments restrict free calling apps to protect state-owned telecom revenue and maintain control over communications.
What makes FaceTime different from other blocked apps is how deep the restriction goes. In the UAE, Apple removes FaceTime entirely from iPhones sold in the country.1 It's not just blocked at the network level. It's missing from the device itself. If you bought your iPhone in Dubai, FaceTime isn't there, and changing your region settings won't bring it back.
Countries and regions where FaceTime is blocked or restricted:
- UAE (removed from locally sold iPhones, VoIP blocked network-wide)
- Qatar (VoIP services blocked by telecom regulators)
- Saudi Arabia (VoIP bans were partially lifted in 2017, but enforcement remains inconsistent)2
- Oman (VoIP calling restricted)
- Egypt (intermittent VoIP blocking)
- China (blocked as part of broader Apple service restrictions)
- Jordan, Kuwait, and others with partial or intermittent VoIP restrictions
The UAE pushes users toward government-approved alternatives like BOTIM3, which require a paid subscription through local telecom providers Etisalat or du. Free calling apps are blocked specifically because they compete with these paid services.
Why VoIP blocking is different from website blocking
Most internet restrictions work by blocking access to a website or server. VoIP blocking is more targeted. Gulf state ISPs use deep packet inspection to identify and throttle voice and video call traffic specifically4, even when the app itself loads fine.
This means a basic VPN that just changes your IP address often isn't enough. The ISP can still detect that you're making a VoIP call and degrade the connection. You need a VPN that disguises the type of traffic you're sending, not just where it's coming from.
Why Lantern works for FaceTime calls
Lantern runs more circumvention protocols than any other VPN, including Shadowsocks, VLESS, Hysteria 2, and WireGuard. Several of these protocols make VoIP traffic look like regular web browsing, which prevents ISPs from selectively blocking your calls.
Lantern also uses Smart Routing, which means only your FaceTime traffic goes through the VPN. Everything else on your phone works normally. This keeps call quality high because you're not routing your entire connection through a remote server.
During Iran's 2022 internet shutdowns, Lantern carried up to 13% of all Iranian internet traffic. The same protocol stack that kept people connected during a nationwide crackdown works for getting your FaceTime calls through in Dubai.
Your calls, your connection
Lantern is a nonprofit VPN, built by a 501(c)(3) and trusted by over 250 million people worldwide. It's open source, independently audited, and maintains a strict no-logs policy. Lantern doesn't record who you call or when.
Every Pro subscription helps fund free access for people in the most restricted regions.