Apple ‘Sincerely’ Apologetic for FaceTime Bug, Delays Fix to Next Week

Apple apologized Friday for a glitch that allowed group FaceTime users to see and hear the people they were calling even before a recipient answered. The company said it has fixed the issue on its servers and will issue a software update next week to re-enable group calling.

“We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple’s servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week,” a statement provided today to CNBC read. “We thank the Thompson family for reporting the bug.”

“We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue,” Apple continued. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this process.”

The apology comes days after it emerged that an issue with group FaceTime calls allowed people to listen in on other phones. In some cases, the bug would even allow users to see video through the phone’s camera, entirely without the knowledge of the person on the other end of the call.



Apple said that it had fixed the bug on its servers, but to turn the feature back on will require an iPhone software update, which is coming next week, according to Apple. Apple had previously said that the software update would be released this week.

Allegedly affected users in the U.S. and Canada have already started the process of filing lawsuits against Apple, claiming privacy invasions due to the bug.

Apple added: “We take the security of our products extremely seriously and we are committed to continuing to earn the trust Apple customers place in us.”