Gaming

Apple FaceTime Bug: How to Turn It Off to Avoid Eavesdropping

An invasive bug was recently discovered concerning an Apple feature called FaceTime. According to […]

An invasive bug was recently discovered concerning an Apple feature called FaceTime. According to the glitch, the on-camera calling feature will actually bug out to where audio is heard before the call technically connects. We’ve all said/done silly things when waiting for someone to pick up, so to avoid any embarrassing mishaps, here’s how you can turn it off.

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Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Open Up iPad / iPhone Settings
  2. Select FaceTime
  3. Switch the green button off at the top

For Mac users:

  1. Activate the FaceTime app
  2. Select “Turn FaceTime Off” at the top of the screen

The bug in question affects both iPads and iPhones running on iOS 12.1, and PCs using MacOS Mojave. Though the bug has been segmented on group calls, individual FaceTime calls can still be affected.

It’s pretty easy to turn off but some people haven’t even been made aware of the issue to begin with, so we’re hoping this helps for anyone curious as to what they can do before a full fix has been deployed.

As far as how the bug is initiated, 9to5Mac was the first to break the glitch with the below steps:

  • Start a FaceTime Video call with an iPhone contact.
  • Whilst the call is dialling, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap Add Person.
  • Add your own phone number in the Add Person screen.
  • You will then start a group FaceTime call including yourself and the audio of the person you originally called, even if they haven’t accepted the call yet

This allows people to listen in on private conversations without the receiver’s knowledge, would could end up in some hilarious eavesdropping — but also dangerous.