Naked on FaceTime? Your iPhone's New Tool is Always Watching
While iOS 26 introduced big changes, including the Liquid Glass design and a revamped camera, those might not be the most attention-grabbing additions to the software. A newly discovered feature inside the FaceTime app, which automatically freezes video calls when it detects nudity, seems to be the weirdest, if not prudish, so far.
Apple introduced Sensitive Content Warning on iOS 17 and improved it in iOS 18. It provides safety tools to protect users, especially child accounts, by filtering and blurring sensitive and explicit content in select Apple apps and services. Now, as discovered in the iOS 26 Beta, the feature is expanded to FaceTime, but with an even stricter detection system.
FaceTime Is Watching Your Camera Screen
As reported and shared on X by iDeviceHelp, FaceTime on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 will now automatically pause your video if it detects nudity during an ongoing video call. A pop-up screen alert was also displayed, which shows a warning message explaining why the call was frozen, along with two large buttons that let you resume the audio and video, or end the session entirely.
While this feature does still offer options to continue your session once it is interrupted, it's unclear if a similar alert will appear if nude scenes are detected again.
Sensitive Content Warning was first integrated into Photos and Messages, so this is the first time we've confirmed how the safety function will work with FaceTime. Apple has made the framework that powers the feature available to developers, so you can expect third-party apps to utilize it.
Is This Feature a Breakthrough or Alarming?
Although it's clear what the intent of this feature is, it's now raising some privacy concerns for certain individuals, especially given that the underlying technology can access their camera screen and audio during video calls. This is despite Apple's note that it does not have access to the media content itself.
The good thing is that the Sensitive Content Warning for FaceTime is switched off by default, giving users the final control over whether they want their calls to be screened.
The toggle for Sensitive Content Warning for FaceTime is available in both the app's dedicated settings and on the Privacy & Security page, alongside other toggles for various apps.
What are your thoughts about this iPhone feature? Do you think the feature is necessary, and does it violate users' privacy? We want to hear your thoughts.
Via: 9to5Mac Source: X/u/iDeviceHelp
