A newly discovered bug in FaceTime allows people to listen to the audio of a person they are calling before the person accepts or rejects the call.
FaceTime is a video chat app developed by Apple and supported on iOS devices and Mac computers.It is believed the bug impacts any device running iOS 12.1 or later.
The bug can be reproduced by starting a FaceTime call, swiping up from the bottom and clicking “Add person” and adding your own phone number to the conversation. FaceTime then allows you to hear audio from the other person’s device even if they have not accepted the call.
The bug, apparently discovered on Monday, has been spreading on social media.
On Monday Apple said the issue will be addressed in a software update “later this week.” Until then, the only way to protect yourself is by going to Settings, FaceTime and disabling the feature.
1. Start a FaceTime video call.
2. While it's still ringing, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and click "Add Person."
3. Add your own phone number to the call.You'll now be able to hear the microphone from the other device, even if the owner is nowhere nearby.
— Andy Baio (@waxpancake) January 29, 2019
Now you can answer for yourself on FaceTime even if they don’t answer🤒#Apple explain this.. pic.twitter.com/gr8llRKZxJ
— Benji Mobb™ (@BmManski) January 28, 2019