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A major bug was discovered in FaceTime. Here's how to turn the video-calling feature off

Jan 29, 2019, 21:46 IST

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  • Apple was embarrassed on Data Privacy Day when a FaceTime glitch was discovered that allowed users to eavesdrop on the person they were calling, even before they answered.
  • Apple has temporarily disabled FaceTime's group video chat feature in the meantime, and says it's planning to release a fix for the glitch "later this week."
  • Although the core feature where the glitch was discovered has been disabled, you may still want to completely turn off FaceTime until the software fix is released.
  • Here's how to completely disable FaceTime on your Apple devices.

A major bug discovered in Apple's group FaceTime feature has raised privacy concerns, with many calling on users to disable the app until the issue is fixed. 

The glitch lets people listen in on the person they're calling on FaceTime, even before the user answers the call. A Twitter user posted a video demonstrating the bug to the social network on Monday and it quickly went viral, even drawing the attention of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who advised that people disable FaceTime until the issue is fixed.

Since the glitch was discovered, Apple has disabled group Facetime calls. The ability to FaceTime with more than one person was only first made available to Apple devices with an update in November. Apple says a fix "will be released in a software update later this week."

FaceTime video chat is available on iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. Although the feature where the bug was found has been disabled, you may still want to turn off FaceTime completely until the software update is released.

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Here's how you can turn off FaceTime on both your iPhone and Mac.

If you're curious what the problem was, here's the FaceTime glitch in action.

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

In the Settings app, scroll down to FaceTime.

The FaceTime tab will show you every number and email that can be reached via FaceTime. For most, that'll be your phone number, the email associated with your Apple ID, and your iCloud email. To turn off FaceTime on all devices, all you have to do is toggle the button to switch it off.

Toggling FaceTime off will disable the video calling feature on all your Apple devices, and you'll be unable to place or receive any FaceTime calls.

Turning off FaceTime on your iPhone should disable the feature completely, but it's a good idea to manually turn it off on your Mac if you also use FaceTime there. First, open the FaceTime app.

Locate "FaceTime" in the menu bar, found in the upper-left corner of the screen. Select "Turn FaceTime Off."

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