Apple details iOS 17.5 bug that reappears deleted photos – 9to5Mac

Earlier this week, Apple released iOS 17.5.1 to address a rare issue where deleted photos would reappear on a user’s device after installing iOS 17.5. In the release notes, Apple said this was caused by “database corruption”. The company has now confirmed some additional details about the 9 to 5 Mac to further clarify the situation.

iCloud inclusion

One question many people had is how dating images from 2010 resurfaced due to this problem. After all, most people aren’t still using the same devices now as they were in 2010. Apple confirmed to me that iCloud Photos isn’t to blame for that. Instead, it all boils down to the corrupt database entry that existed on the device’s file system itself.

According to Apple, photos that were not completely deleted from a user’s device were not synced to iCloud Photos. Those files were only on the device itself. However, files may have persisted from one device to another when restoring from a backup, performing a device-to-device transfer, or when restoring from an iCloud backup, but not using iCloud Photos.

Photos reappear on sold devices? No.

In a now-deleted post, a Reddit user last week claimed that their photos reappeared on an iPad they sold to a friend, despite the fact that they had deleted the contents of that iPad before selling it. Apple tells me this claim was false.

The company says that once a device is completely wiped using the steps below, all files and content are permanently deleted.

1. Open Settings
2. Select “General”
3. Select “Transfer or Restore”
4. Select “Erase all content and settings”

After these steps, everything is permanently deleted from the user’s device and there is no chance of old photos reappearing online. In the Reddit user’s situation, they probably didn’t follow the proper steps when they reset their device before selling it … or they made up the situation hoping to earn some Reddit karma.

A rare problem

Apple repeatedly states that this problem was rare and affected a small number of users and a small number of photos. The Company did not and does not have access to a user’s photos or videos.

This is still a matter of concern, but there is solace in the fact that the photos in question were not stored in iCloud and could not have reappeared on a device once it had been properly deleted and sold.

Also to point out: iOS 17.5.1 does not automatically delete photos that reappeared after updating to iOS 17.5. If you’re affected by this issue, you’ll need to go to the Photos app and manually delete those images. The images will then be moved to the “Recently Deleted” album in the Photos app, where they will remain for 30 days. You can choose to delete those images immediately by selecting “Delete from all devices” in the “Recently Deleted” album.

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