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How to disable FaceTime on iPhone iOS 12

Keep the peace and ward off would-be spies by learning how to turn off or otherwise disable FaceTime on iPhone.

Kevin Tucker

January 28, 2019 8:10 PM

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One of the biggest selling points for iPhones is the ability to use FaceTime, a popular video chat software built right into iOS. However, many users are wary about the security risks of internet-connected cameras and other devices, and for good reason: such devices make it incredibly easy to spy on others. This is apparently exactly the case with iOS, as users recently uncovered a bug in the operating system that allows FaceTime users to listen to microphone audio from any user without their actual permission. Worried? Don't be. Here's how to disable FaceTime on an iPhone running iOS 12.

iPhone - How to turn off FaceTime

Like many of the various settings and options built into iOS, the toggle to disable FaceTime is very easy to find. It's sitting right within the Settings app, near the middle of the list:

The process to turn off or disable FaceTime couldn't be any more simple:

1. Open up the Settings application.
2. Locate FaceTime, then tap on it.
3. Slide the FaceTime toggle to the off position.

Once this procedure has been completed, FaceTime will be disabled on the device. This should completely disable all manner of FaceTime connectivity, including both WiFi and cellular variants, and ought to remove the possibility of other iPhone users from listening into conversations and other microphone audio without permission.

The recently uncovered FaceTime bug or glitch has spawned a lot of conversation about the security risks inherent to mobile technology. Many users cover their phone and PC cameras with tape or other measures to prevent the possibility of being spied on, but there's little if any record of people doing the same thing for their phone's microphones. Perhaps that's why the internet seems so caught up in the latest iOS bug — it's a problem that makes us realize just how much of a risk even common devices can be in the wrong hands.

Learning how to disable FaceTime is easy, and as luck would have it, the procedure for enabling it is just as straightforward: simply head back into Settings, tap on FaceTime, and slide the toggle once again to enable. Shacknews is full of great little tips like this, and mobile users can find even more iOS and iPhone-related guides by heading over to our Apple home page.

Kevin Tucker

Guides Editor

Kevin Tucker is a core component of Shacknews' powerful guide development team. For questions, concerns, tips, or to share constructive criticism, he can be reached on Twitter @dukeofgnar or through e-mail at kevin.tucker@shacknews.com.