{ "slug": "facetime", "name": "FaceTime", "maker": "Apple", "category": "calls", "verdict": "y", "answer": "Yes. Only you and the people you call can see and hear your FaceTime calls, group calls included. If you record a FaceTime audio call, the recording is only sealed once you turn on Advanced Data Protection.", "title": "Is FaceTime encrypted? Calls, group calls and recordings", "description": "Only you and the people you call can see and hear FaceTime calls, group calls included. Call recordings in Notes are sealed only with Advanced Data Protection.", "parts": [ { "key": "call", "status": "y", "words": "Only you and the people you call", "note": "Apple says FaceTime calls are end-to-end encrypted and that it never stores what's said in them.", "sources": [ 1, 2 ], "label": "One-to-one calls" }, { "key": "people", "status": "y", "words": "Only you and the people on the call", "note": "Group FaceTime calls of up to 33 people are end-to-end encrypted too, and so are calls with people who join from a link in a web browser.", "sources": [ 1, 3 ], "label": "Group calls" }, { "key": "video", "status": "o", "words": "Only you, once you turn it on", "note": "iPhone call recording works on FaceTime audio calls and saves to Notes, which is only sealed once you turn on Advanced Data Protection; Apple no longer offers that to new users in the UK.", "sources": [ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ], "label": "Recordings" }, { "key": "pq", "status": "x", "words": "Not yet", "note": "No post-quantum protection for FaceTime announced as of 25 October 2026; Apple's post-quantum list includes iMessage, web connections and VPN, but not FaceTime.", "sources": [ 4 ], "label": "Post-quantum" } ], "extra_parts": [], "keys": "Your devices. Apple says it has no way to decrypt FaceTime calls.", "can_see": "Apple keeps limited records for up to 30 days, such as when you tried to call and who was invited, but not whether the call was answered.", "business": null, "fix": { "title": "Seal your call recordings, once", "steps": [ "Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud.", "Scroll down, tap Advanced Data Protection, then tap Turn on Advanced Data Protection.", "Set up a recovery contact or a recovery key, then follow the steps on screen." ], "after": "This also seals Notes, Photos, iCloud Drive and backups. Keep your recovery key safe, because Apple can't recover your data for you. Apple no longer offers it to new users in the UK." }, "fix_line": "Seal call recordings: Settings › your name › iCloud › Advanced Data Protection.", "sections": [ { "id": "is-facetime-end-to-end-encrypted", "q": "Is FaceTime end-to-end encrypted?", "a": "Yes. Apple says the audio and video in FaceTime calls are end-to-end encrypted, so only the people on the call can see and hear them [1]. Apple says it never stores the content of FaceTime calls [2].\n\nThe keys are made on your devices. A call may pass through Apple's relay servers to connect, but Apple says it can't decrypt what passes through [1]." }, { "id": "facetime-android-windows", "q": "Are FaceTime calls with Android or Windows users encrypted?", "a": "Yes. People without an Apple device can join from a FaceTime link in a web browser, and Apple says the call is still end-to-end encrypted [3]. They have to give a name and ask to join, and anyone on the call can remove them in the first 30 seconds [2]." }, { "id": "can-apple-listen-to-facetime", "q": "Can Apple or the police listen to FaceTime calls?", "a": "No. Apple's guidelines for US law enforcement say it has no way to decrypt FaceTime data and can't intercept FaceTime calls [10].\n\nApple does keep call invitation logs, which show that a call was started but not whether anyone answered, and can hand those over with a court order or warrant [10]." }, { "id": "is-facetime-quantum-safe", "q": "Is FaceTime quantum safe?", "a": "Not yet. Apple has added post-quantum protection to iMessage, and with iOS 26 and macOS 26 to web connections, VPN and the link between iPhone and Apple Watch [4]. FaceTime isn't on that list, and no post-quantum protection for FaceTime was announced as of 25 October 2026." } ], "sources": [ { "title": "FaceTime security (Apple Platform Security)", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/guide/security/facetime-security-seca331c55cd/web", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "FaceTime & Privacy", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/face-time/", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "Privacy: Features", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://www.apple.com/privacy/features/", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "Quantum-secure cryptography in Apple operating systems (Apple Platform Security)", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/guide/security/secc7c82e533/web", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "How to record and transcribe a call on iPhone", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/121583", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "Record and transcribe a call on iPhone (Personal Safety User Guide)", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/guide/personal-safety/ipsfa513e1a6/web", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "iCloud data security overview", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "How to turn on Advanced Data Protection for iCloud", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/108756", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection in the United Kingdom to new users", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://support.apple.com/en-us/122234", "read": "2026-10-25" }, { "title": "Legal Process Guidelines: Government & Law Enforcement within the United States", "publisher": "Apple", "url": "https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/law-enforcement-guidelines-us.pdf", "read": "2026-10-25" } ], "changes": [ { "date": "2026-10-25", "text": "First published." } ], "related": [ "imessage", "phone-calls", "zoom", "google-meet" ], "url": "https://isitencrypted.com/facetime/", "checked": "2026-10-25" }