Remember to Protect Yourself from FaceTime Eavesdropping Bug

Updated Feb 02,2019 | by Joy

Apple added an amazing feature to Facetime in iOS 12, which enables users to make group FaceTime call and add personality to FaceTime on iOS 12. However, a recently discovered bug in FaceTime app on iOS 12.1 allows users to remotely eavesdrop on another person’s microphone and camera during an incoming FaceTime call.

If you are a person who regularly uses FaceTime to stay in touch with your families, friends and colleagues, you’d better pay more attention to this issue as attackers can eavesdrop on you even if you don’t answer a FaceTime call. In the following article, we will show you how the FaceTime eavesdropping bug works on your device, and we will also show you how to protect yourself against this bug. 

Now, let’s see how you can test and reproduce the FaceTime eavesdropping bug and remotely listen to on your iPhone. 

Step 1. Simply start a FaceTime call with one of your friends by entering his or her name, email address or phone number. Then tap on the three dots or swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the Group FaceTime option while the FaceTime call is ringing.

Step 2. Click on “Add Person” button to add your friends’ contacts and also add your own phone number into the call. Now, the FaceTime app thinks you are on a group call and you will be able to hear audio from the other person’s microphone even if they don’t pick up.

Although Apple Inc. shut down the Group FaceTime feature to protect users against the bug, people also should take an extra degree of security to disable FaceTime entirely in their iPhone’s Settings. Here are the simple steps to protect yourself from the bug on iPhone. Check it now.

Just simply open Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to find “FaceTime”. Then turn off the switch next to “FaceTime”.

As mentioned before, the FaceTime eavesdropping bug appears to be related to the Group FaceTime feature in iOS 12.1 for iPhone and Apple’s next software update will be released later to contain a permanent fix.

However, remember to backup iPhone files before updating to the latest iOS version to avoid any data loss caused by bugs. Here I introduce an iPhone manager - IOTransfer to backup all your data with ease. It allows you to quickly and safely transfer photos, videos, contacts, apps, and much more from iPhone or iPad to computer for backup.

Bottom Line:

After knowing how the FaceTime eavesdropping bug works on your iPhone, remember to timely protect yourself from the bug by following the guide above. Also, do not hesitate to share the article with your friends and families. 

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