The upcoming iOS 26 update from Apple will include several major changes, but according to a recent report, a very special and privacy-related feature has been added to FaceTime.
Technology: Apple has consistently taken new steps to ensure user security and privacy with every new iOS update. Continuing this trend, the company has included a feature in iOS 26 that will surprise many. In fact, if nudity or any kind of sensitive content appears in front of the camera during a FaceTime call in the beta version of iOS 26, the audio and video will automatically be turned off.
The user making the FaceTime call will receive an alert message that reads, "Audio and video have been paused because you may be displaying something sensitive. If you are uncomfortable, you can end the call." After this, the user will have two options—resume the call or end the call.
This feature is part of Communication Safety
Apple had announced at WWDC 2025 that it would further strengthen its Communication Safety policy. This new feature has been included in iOS 26 under this policy. Initially, it was believed that this feature would only be for children or family sharing accounts, but beta testing revealed that it will be active for all users.
This means that regardless of who is making the FaceTime call, as soon as nudity or any objectionable object appears in front of the camera, the call will automatically pause for a few moments. This entire process will be based on AI-based recognition technology, which will immediately scan the content and respond.
A similar system will also be seen in the Photos App
Apple has also stated that it will implement a similar feature for Shared Albums in the Photos App. There, if nudity or obscene content is visible in a photo, it will be automatically blurred, and the user will be given the option of whether or not they want to view it. Apple says that the aim of these steps is to enhance digital well-being and user safety, especially for youth and children. The company does not want any user to suddenly be disturbed by an unwanted or objectionable scene.
Will this feature remain in the final version?
For now, it is not clear whether this censorship feature will be on for everyone or if users will have the option to turn it off when the final stable version of iOS 26 is released. However, Apple's stance certainly suggests that the company is taking a stricter approach to privacy and digital security than ever before.
Experts believe that this feature will be very useful for children and teenagers, as sometimes during online classes or video calls, some people engage in cyberbullying by displaying obscene content. This step in iOS 26 could prove helpful in preventing such incidents.
Use of AI Technology
This new censorship technology in FaceTime is entirely based on artificial intelligence. As soon as the camera captures a sensitive scene, the AI algorithm of the system immediately activates and blurs the video and audio feed. Apple has trained machine learning models for this so that nudity, obscene gestures, or any kind of sensitive object can be recognized immediately.
There has been a mixed reaction to this feature among beta version users. Some users have praised it, saying that it is a good step to protect children and family members during video calls. At the same time, some people have called it an unnecessary intrusion into privacy, as they believe that FaceTime calls are private conversations between two people and applying censorship seems like an overreaction.
