FaceTime App Bug A National Embarrassment For Apple
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Apple is working to resolve an issue with its Face Time app that is allowing users to eavesdrop on another person, even if that person did not answer the phone.
The bug has become a national embarrassment for Apple, which has been trying to show its commitment to protecting user privacy.
Could your iPhone be allowing others to eavesdrop, turning your cell phone into a spying device even when you are not using it?
"It's kind of scary to think about," says John Chakos, a Point Park University student from Upper St. Clair.
Social media is exploding over a bug in the Apple Face Time app which allows one iPhone user to call another and then listen in to nearby conversations -- even if the second person never answers the phone.
Chakos heard about this, so he tested for the bug in Apple's Group Face Time feature.
"I actually tried it last night where you call someone and then before they are able to pick up, you add yourself to the conversation and through that you are able to hear the audio before the other person is able to pick up the phone," Chakos told KDKA.
Chakos said he tried it out on friends and even his sister who, it turns out, was in the shower and unable to answer her phone.
"I like tried it on my sister and when I called she was in the shower so I heard like the shower and I was like, oh that's kind of weird," he said.
"I tried it on a few other friends and it worked just as well. And I was able to hear them talk about -- I heard them say my name when the phone was ringing."
Like many, Chakos likes the Group Face Time app which allows you to chat visually with lots of friends and family at the same time.
"That helps really well because beforehand you could only do one on one conversations, but now I can talk to my whole group chat."
But with the bug, Apple says a fix is in the works.
Apple says it's already disabled its Group Face Time where the bug was occurring.
But if you want to play it safe, you can also disable Face Time on your phone or iPad.
It's really easy to do.
Just go to settings, click on Face Time, and then just disable the function. It's as easy as that.
But not everyone is worried.
"I don't think I talk about anything too important for people to listen to," said Brant Matiasic, a Point Park student from Harrison City.
