Apple Releases iOS 12.1.4 to Fix Group FaceTime Eavesdropping Bug


Posted by Evan Selleck on Feb 07, 2019 in Apple News, FaceTime, News

FaceTime Group Video Calling 2

Apple ran afoul of some security issues recently, after a bug within Group FaceTime was revealed to allow callers to hear a recipient’s audio even before they answered the incoming call.

That led the company to temporarily disable the Group FaceTime feature altogether as it worked on finding a patch. After Apple apologized for the issue and promised a fix, it has finally arrived. Apple today released iOS 12.1.4. The primary function of the software update is to address the FaceTime audio bug that allows for easy eavesdropping.

Here is the changelog for the newest iOS software:

“iOS 12.1.4 provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.”

On supported devices, simply open Settings –> General –> Software Update and follow the onscreen instructions. If you aren’t in any particular rush to install the new software, and if you have the “Automatic Updates” feature turned on, then your iOS device will update in the background the next time you plug it in.

The changelog for iOS 12.1.4, which does patch the issue, does not suggest when Apple will reenable the feature. It is likely that Apple will keep Group FaceTime disabled for devices that are running earlier versions of iOS than iOS 12.1.4, though. So if you want Group FaceTime available for you on your supported devices, then you will want to make sure that you update to iOS 12.1.4 as quickly as possible.

The new software is available now, and it should bring back the Group FaceTime feature as well.








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