Applethe last iOS 17.5 The update introduced a worrying bug that causes old deleted photos, even some from years ago, to suddenly resurface in users' photo libraries and iCloud accounts. The issue has sparked significant privacy concerns, with some users reporting that it is sensitive. NSFW Images they had been deleted a long time ago and now reappear without their consent.
Multiple users on Reddit and other online forums shared stories of photos they had deleted, in some cases as early as 2010 or 2016, showing up in their Recents and iCloud album as if freshly uploaded.
One user claimed that around 300 of his old photos, including some “revealing”, had reappeared on a website. iPad they had wiped it out and sold it to a friend. The issue doesn't appear to be limited to the Photos app, as another user reported seeing deleted voicemails returned in WhatsApp after updating to iOS 17.5.
The exact cause and extent of the bug remains unclear at this stage. Theories range from an indexing or syncing issue between devices and iCloud, to photo library corruption, or an unintended consequence of Apple's attempt to fix a different photo sync bug than iOS 17.3.
Some users running the iOS 17.5 beta had previously reported similar issues that were apparently not resolved before the public release.
Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the bug or provide an explanation for how long it takes for long-deleted photos to reappear. The company also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Until more details are revealed, users' priority is to report the issue through Apple's feedback channels and wait for a fix to be released. In the meantime, some are taking steps like deleting resurfaced images and revoking app permissions.
While some will find this bad, it could be good news for others. The bug may or may not recover photos that someone deleted by mistake. But none have shared an instance where a mistakenly deleted photo reappeared.
Multiple users on Reddit and other online forums shared stories of photos they had deleted, in some cases as early as 2010 or 2016, showing up in their Recents and iCloud album as if freshly uploaded.
One user claimed that around 300 of his old photos, including some “revealing”, had reappeared on a website. iPad they had wiped it out and sold it to a friend. The issue doesn't appear to be limited to the Photos app, as another user reported seeing deleted voicemails returned in WhatsApp after updating to iOS 17.5.
The exact cause and extent of the bug remains unclear at this stage. Theories range from an indexing or syncing issue between devices and iCloud, to photo library corruption, or an unintended consequence of Apple's attempt to fix a different photo sync bug than iOS 17.3.
Some users running the iOS 17.5 beta had previously reported similar issues that were apparently not resolved before the public release.
Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the bug or provide an explanation for how long it takes for long-deleted photos to reappear. The company also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Until more details are revealed, users' priority is to report the issue through Apple's feedback channels and wait for a fix to be released. In the meantime, some are taking steps like deleting resurfaced images and revoking app permissions.
While some will find this bad, it could be good news for others. The bug may or may not recover photos that someone deleted by mistake. But none have shared an instance where a mistakenly deleted photo reappeared.
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