A new FaceTime bug allows people to hear you even when you don’t pick up, and dear God no

Apple, we’re about ready to head into our underground bunker. As many unnerved iPhone users are finding out, there is a major FaceTime bug that allows callers to hear audio even if the person you’re calling doesn’t answer. The bug was discovered yesterday, January 28th, and immediately caused an uproar on social media. If a person FaceTimes one of their iPhone contacts and then swipes up and adds their own contact into the Group feature, a Group FaceTime is started in which the caller has gained access to their contact’s microphone. However, the call recipient will still only see their lock screen and hear the FaceTime ring, as if everything is normal.

Basically, someone could totally hear you say, “Ugh…I’m not answering this,” or catch you during a private moment.

Worse still, if the recipient presses their power or volume buttons, as if to silence the call, the caller will gain access to their front-facing camera—meaning that, unbeknownst to the recipient, the caller can hear and see them. Yikes times 10. 9To5Mac also tested the FaceTime bug on a call between an iPhone and Mac and experienced a similar issue. If anyone has tried to FaceTime you in the last 24 hours, they may still be listening in—or watching.

And people are SHOOK.

Now you can answer for yourself on FaceTime even if they don’t answer🤒#Apple explain this.. pic.twitter.com/gr8llRKZxJ

— DEAD FRIENDS™ (@DeadFriendsCHI) January 28, 2019

Person with iPhone: *incoming facetime*

Me: i’m not going to answer i don’t feel like talking

Person with iPhone: hello…?

Me: HELLLLOOO!???????? pic.twitter.com/cbdD3myqvb

— miah (@XoMiahhh) January 29, 2019

this is a NIGHTMARE https://t.co/wSxU2fESE9

— austin walker (@austin_walker) January 29, 2019

Settings > FaceTime > Off

If you have an apple device do this IMMEDIATELY. https://t.co/KYQVQhS7ui

— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) January 29, 2019

false

According to a January 28th BuzzFeed News article, Apple says the bug will be fixed in a software update “later this week.” And the company has supposedly disabled the Group FaceTime feature as a temporary fix. To avoid being affected by this creepy bug, it’s recommended that you disable FaceTime on both your iPhone and Mac until it’s fixed. Or, as BuzzFeed noted, turning your phone to “Do Not Disturb” also limits the caller from accessing audio. The bug seems to be affecting phones with the latest version if iOS and doesn’t seem dependent on new or outdated iPhone models.

We don’t know about you, but we’re not going to come out from under the covers until this bug is dead and gone.