The FaceTime bug that let users eavesdrop on others won't be fixed until next week, says Apple

Facetime.
(Image credit: ODD ANDERSEN / Getty Images)

Apple is nearly ready to fix FaceTime, but they're going to need a few more days.

The company said Friday that it would release a software update restoring Group FaceTime to normal next week, having previously said Monday that the update would be available later this week, reports CNBC.

The fix is needed because of a massive security flaw that allowed users of Group FaceTime to eavesdrop on a person who hadn't actually picked up the call. Apple disabled the group calling feature entirely, meaning the security flaw is not currently a problem, but Group FaceTime has remained offline as the company works on a permanent fix for the bug.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It was a 14-year-old in Arizona who discovered the bug and reported it more than a week before Apple actually did anything, reports The New York Times. In a Friday statement, Apple apologized to customers and thanked this teenager and his family, also addressing criticism over how long it took for a response by saying the company is "committed to improving the process by which we receive and escalate these reports, in order to get them to the right people as fast as possible."

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.