Apple iOS 26 update: FaceTime will now pause calls if someone starts undressing on camera

Apple iOS 26 is much more concerned about security and privacy than you know. According to the reports, the iOS 26 beta version of FaceTime includes a feature that automatically freezes a video call if it detects nudity on screen.

In Short

• Apple iOS 26 beta introduces nudity detection in FaceTime calls
• The feature pauses audio and video calls if sensitive content is detected
• A similar feature is expected to extend to Shared Albums in the Photos app

Apple's forthcoming iOS 26 update—first unveiled at WWDC 2025—is already generating buzz for its striking new Liquid Glass design and sweeping updates across the iPhone’s ecosystem. But a newly uncovered feature in the iOS 26 beta has now turned attention towards FaceTime, where Apple appears to be testing an unexpected layer of privacy protection. According to a report by 9to5Mac, the iOS 26 beta version of FaceTime includes a feature that automatically freezes a video call if it detects nudity on screen. The feature is designed to pause both video and audio immediately, with the user shown a cautionary message explaining the interruption.

The message reads, “Audio and video are paused because you may be showing something sensitive. If you feel uncomfortable, you should end the call.” Users are then given the option to either resume or end the call.

This functionality appears to be an extension of Apple’s wider commitment to user safety, particularly for younger audiences. During its WWDC keynote, Apple highlighted enhanced family safety tools in iOS 26, noting that Communication Safety would now include protection during FaceTime calls. Specifically, the feature is designed to detect and intervene when nudity is identified in live video chats—initially assumed to be limited to child accounts or those within Family Sharing setups.

However, it now appears the detection tool may be active across all accounts in the current beta, not just those flagged as underage.

The company had previously confirmed that similar safeguards would extend to Shared Albums in the Photos app, where explicit images would be automatically blurred. These changes reflect Apple’s ongoing efforts to enhance digital wellbeing and protect users, especially younger ones, from exposure to inappropriate content.

While the nudity detection in FaceTime hasn’t been heavily promoted as part of the iOS 26 feature list, its presence may signal Apple’s intention to make video calls safer and more secure by default. Whether the feature remains active for all users in the final release remains to be seen.

For now, iPhone users testing the iOS 26 beta may find themselves momentarily cut off if FaceTime detects anything deemed “sensitive.” As Apple prepares for the full public release of iOS 26 alongside its next iPhone line-up later this year, more clarity is expected around how and for whom this new safeguard will apply.

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