Apple recently initiated the rollout of the iOS 17.5 update, introducing a new Cross-Platform Tracking Detection feature, Repair State mode on Find My, and various enhancements. However, within days of its release, reports surfaced from iOS users asserting that their iPhones were mysteriously bringing back old deleted photos after updating to iOS 17.5. Some users claimed that photos deleted years ago were resurfacing in their photo libraries.
One Reddit user expressed shock at discovering old NSFW photos deleted in 2021 suddenly reappearing in the Photos app, marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. This phenomenon wasn’t isolated; other users shared similar experiences with iOS 17.5. “Same here,” confirmed one Redditor, adding, “I have four pics from 2010 that keep reappearing as the latest pics uploaded to iCloud. I have deleted them repeatedly.”
The conversation sparked numerous responses from users who recounted similar experiences. One individual recounted, “I found a random photo from a concert taken on my Canon camera reappearing in my phone library, appearing as if it had been added today.”
As of now, there’s no definitive explanation for the issue. When photos or videos are deleted in the Photos app, they’re moved to the Recently Deleted album for 30 days before permanent deletion. However, since some users reported photos taken months or years ago resurfacing, this doesn’t appear to be a case of recently deleted photos being undeleted.
Furthermore, the problem isn’t limited to photos alone. An X (formerly Twitter) user, ssmithdev, posted an image showing his iPhone XR displaying 26 voicemail notifications, despite having listened to or deleted them long ago. This issue arose after updating to iOS 17.5.
Apple has yet to comment on the matter. While the problem doesn’t seem widespread, it raises significant concerns regarding data privacy and retention. Speculation among Reddit users suggests that iOS 17.5 may have introduced changes to the Photos app, necessitating a re-indexing of photo libraries. However, even if the Photos app undergoes re-indexing, there’s no justification for deleted photos to reappear.
Several factors could be contributing to this issue, including photo library corruption, indexing bugs, or syncing issues between Apple devices and iCloud Photos. It’s also plausible that Apple is addressing a photo syncing bug that occurred in iOS 17.3. However, these are mere speculations until Apple officially addresses the issue.
Are you experiencing old deleted photos resurfacing after updating to iOS 17.5?Let us know in the comments below!
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