Apple’s iOS 26 Will Automatically Freeze FaceTime Calls That Detect Nudity
Apple is rolling out a new safety feature in iOS 26 that will automatically freeze FaceTime video and audio if nudity is detected during a call.
The update, currently available in developer beta, is part of Apple’s broader initiative to expand family safety tools and curb inappropriate content – particularly for younger users. When the feature is triggered, FaceTime will pause the call and display a message alerting the user that “you may be showing something sensitive.” The prompt encourages users to end the call if they feel uncomfortable, though options to resume or terminate the call are also available.
First spotted by tech platform iDeviceHelp, the feature appears to operate using on-device machine learning, allowing the analysis to happen without transmitting data to Apple’s servers. According to the company, this ensures that FaceTime calls remain private and end-to-end encrypted, with no external access or review of content by Apple.
While the feature is aimed at protecting minors from harmful interactions, some users have reported that it remains active even when manually disabled in the beta settings – likely due to a software bug. It’s also unclear how sensitive the detection is or what types of scenarios might mistakenly trigger it.
Speculation around privacy has prompted concerns, but Apple has reiterated on its support pages that all content scanning happens locally on the device. The company says no alerts are sent to Apple, and no visual content is stored or shared.
iOS 26 is expected to enter public beta in mid-July, with a full release likely to arrive alongside the launch of the iPhone 17 in September. In addition to safety tools, the update will introduce Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface – featuring sleeker visuals, rounded edges, and semi-transparent UI elements. The design has already sparked playful jabs from Microsoft, which compared it to the early 2000s-era Windows Vista.
