Apple to fix FaceTime bug allowing iPhone users to eavesdrop on people

In certain situations, the bug also broadcast both video and audio from the recipient's phone

Reuters 

Apple iphone
File photo of Apple's group FaceTime feature

Inc said on Monday it will issue a software patch later this week for a bug that lets hear audio from users who have not yet accepted a video call.

The bug, which Reuters was able to replicate, allows an iPhone user placing a call using Apple's video-calling feature to hear audio from the recipient's phone even if the recipient has not yet picked up the call. The bug appears to rely on Apple's group video-calling feature.


"We're aware of this issue and have identified a fix that will be released in a software update later this week," an spokesperson said.


The Cupertino, California-based company was not immediately available to comment on the update on its system status page.

Users took to Twitter to tweet jokes and comments about the bug affecting Apple's group service.

"Disable FaceTime for now until fixes," Twitter Inc CEO tweeted.

Apple announced the feature last summer, but then removed it from early test versions of its iOS 12 operating system. The company launched the feature in October.

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First Published: Tue, January 29 2019. 10:52 IST