Apple's recent iOS 17.5 update, which the company encouraged users to download as soon as possible, has a bug causing users to see photos they deleted years ago reappear in their phone's photo library.
Reddit user (Specialist-Fix8528) reported on the platform that after updating, their camera roll displayed previously deleted explicit photos taken with their partner years ago. The user expressed shock and discomfort, stating they saw the inappropriate content while attempting to send another picture.
"I went to send a picture and saw that the latest pictures were (not safe for work) material we'd made years ago when we were living apart," the shocked and "uncomfortable" Specialist-Fix8528 wrote.
User Specialist-Fix8528 vented their frustration, exclaiming they had permanently deleted these photos years ago, only to find them back on their device now. "I checked my iPad, and it also has pictures (some artwork I did years ago). I feel so uncomfortable," the user wrote.
iOS 17.5: The Update That Unearths Your Past
Despite boasting security upgrades and new features, the iOS 17.5 update also caused a similar problem for another user who commented on the post. "Same here. I have four pics from 2010 that keep reappearing as the latest pics uploaded to iCloud. I have deleted them repeatedly," they wrote.
On X (formerly Twitter), user Isaac_Kea shared screenshots of their photos that reappeared unexpectedly after deletion. They described the experience as "the worst software experience ever." According to the user, these photos just appeared out of nowhere.
"This has to be the worst software experience ever. I thought Apple had a solid OS, ever since iOS 16 it's been shambles," the X user wrote. Another X user chimed in, stating they saw previously deleted photos reappear in their library.
Adding to the confusion, another user reported that 25 deleted voicemails had mysteriously reappeared on their phone. MacRumors suggests the cause could be an indexing bug, photo library corruption, or a syncing issue between devices and iCloud Photos.
The site also theorises that Apple's attempt to fix a previous syncing bug in iOS 17.3 might have unintentionally caused a new one related to iCloud backups. This data retrieval bug highlights the need for a solution.
Despite Apple's silence on the photo recovery bug, its history of prioritising user satisfaction suggests a future update might address it.
Security Gains Overshadowed by Data Recovery Bug
While the data recovery bug is causing concern, iOS 17.5 addressed several critical security flaws, including a vulnerability in the iPhone's core operating system (CVE-2024-27818) that could have allowed attackers to take control of the device.
Another fixed issue involved AppleAVD, a component used for multimedia processing. If downloaded, a malicious app could have gained complete control of the iPhone. You can find more details about the patched vulnerabilities on Apple's support page.
In addition to the critical kernel and AppleAVD fixes, iOS 17.5 also addressed other essential vulnerabilities. One fix patched a security hole in Voice Control, a feature that allows users to control their iPhones with voice commands.
This data recovery bug comes just months after iPhone users across various models, including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, and iPhone 13 mini, reported their phones shutting down unexpectedly at night.
