Update to iOS 12.1.4 to re-enable Group Face Time

     HIGHLIGHTS

•  Group FiceTime bug is fixed now 
•  Need to update to iOS 12.1.4 
•  Back up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud or your computer, using iTunes

That nasty FaceTime bug is now past. Now you can download and update your iPhone and iPad to re-enable Group FaceTime again. iOS 12.1.4 is a bug fix release and doesn’t contain any new feature other than this one.

Soon after people discovered that you could listen in on somebody’s microphone or camera by starting a fake Group FaceTime call, Apple disabled Group FaceTime on the whole. If you’re running iOS 12.1.3  or earlier, you just can’t start or join a FaceTime call with more than two people.

The company has been working on this fix to enable Group FaceTime again without the nasty bug. And that update is now available. 

Last week Apple said in a statement, “We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple’s servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week. We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this process.”

First, you need to back up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud or your computer, using iTunes. You can then head over to the Settings app. Tap on “General” then “Software Update” to download and install the patch. The update is still propagating on Apple’s servers so it could take a few minutes before you see it.