14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has temporarily disabled Group FaceTime calling until the company comes up with a fix for a bug that allows others to hear and see contacts even before their answer.
The issue was reported earlier today and it involves a rather simple procedure, with pretty much anyone being able to take advantage of it and listen even if someone doesn’t answer.
The company hasn’t provided any official statement on this security flaw, but an update posted on the System Status page reveals that “Group FaceTime is temporarily unavailable.” Most likely, the company is already working on a fix, with further details to be shared soon.
The worst thing is that we’re seeing reports from users online claiming that they can still reproduce the issue, which means that the service has remained up for some. Specifics on what exactly is happening aren’t available, but on the other hand, it’s believed that Group FaceTime is gradually being shut down across the world, so it could take a while until the changes come into effect for everyone.
How to disable FaceTime
One temporary workaround that would technically prevent others from eavesdropping on you is to temporarily disable FaceTime on your device.
To do this on an iPhone, head over to Settings > FaceTime > Click toggle. On a Mac, you can just fire up the FaceTime app > FaceTime (menu bar) > Turn off FaceTime. Needless to say, this means you would no longer receive any FaceTime apps, but at least you can make sure nobody spies on you.
Apple originally said a fix is on the table for a release this week, though, by the looks of things, the company is working around the clock to bring it to users much faster.
Most likely, Group FaceTime would remain unavailable until this workaround goes live, so hopefully, it won’t take long for Apple to give it the go-ahead.