iOS 26 can freeze your FaceTime video if it detects nudity

The developer beta for iOS 26 has been out for a few weeks, and as always,tech sleuths are uncovering features and details that weren't explained during WWDC. Among the latest discoveries stirring up conversation online is a safety and privacy feature for FaceTime that blurs your feed when it detects you in a state of undress. Should FaceTime detect nudity, it will display a message reading "Audio and video are paused because you may be showing something sensitive. If you feel uncomfortable, you should end the call."

Originally discovered by X user @iDeviceHelpus, the feature is off by default and can be enabled in FaceTime settings under "Sensitive Content Warning." The feature reads, "Detect nude photos and videos before they are viewed on your device, and receive guidance to help make a safe choice. Apple does not have access to the photos or videos."It seems the feature is intended for child accounts, though it can currently be enabled in the beta for adults as well.

The Apple support page for the company's "Communication Safety" features reads, "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."

Features in beta come and go, as testing and feedback are partly the point of the beta system, so this may or may not see broader adoption. The public beta for iOS 26 is slated for July.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/ios-26-can-freeze-your-facetime-video-if-it-detects-nudity-135329941.html?src=rss