FaceTime is testing a new feature in iOS 26 to pause video calls when it detects nudity. The feature was spotted in the iOS 26 developer preview, confusing some iPhone users.
If a naked body appears on a video call, a pop-up message reads, “Audio and video are paused because you may be showing something sensitive. If you feel uncomfortable, you should end the call.” You’re then given the option to hang up or resume the call as normal.
This feature, spotted by iDeviceHelp, was originally revealed as part of an expansion of the company’s family tools designed for children’s Apple accounts. In testing, the feature is now also active on adult accounts running the iOS 26 developer beta.
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A toggle to turn the feature on or off is appearing in iOS 26 test accounts, but it seems to also be working even when the feature is toggled off. This suggests Apple has a bug on its hands.
Apple’s iOS 26 is still in its developer beta, which means it’s far from the final release stage. A p public beta is expected this month ahead of a final launch in September.
Some have been concerned about privacy, as the feature suggests Apple has access to your video calls to detect nudity. Its policies for similar features say it’s all done on the iPhone itself.
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One of the company’s support pages says, “Communication Safety uses on-device machine learning to analyze photo and video attachments and determine if a photo or video appears to contain nudity. Because the photos and videos are analyzed on your child’s device, Apple doesn’t receive an indication that nudity was detected and doesn’t get access to the photos or videos as a result.”
It’s unclear what sort of nudity will make the phone freeze your video. Some online have joked about whether removing a coat during a video call will cause the lock to activate. This is likely something Apple is testing through its developer preview.
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About James Peckham
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