Apple’s new iOS 17.5 update has brought with it a series of new features, as well as a creepy bug that has left users astonished. Some users who installed the update reported that photos they had deleted years ago suddenly reappeared on their iPhones.
According to information shared on Reddit, after the iOS 17.5 update, deleted photos are reappearing in photo archives as if they were newly uploaded. This raises the possibility that Apple keeps a record of deleted files on its servers. Setting aside privacy concerns, the situation can be quite disturbing for many people, like a user who saw inappropriate photos they deleted in 2021 reappear on their phone.
Some users have reported that photos from as far back as 2010 continuously appear as newly uploaded to iCloud, while others have reported that photos they took and deleted with Canon cameras have reappeared on their phones. It is known that a deleted photo or video is stored in the “Recently Deleted” folder on the iPhone for about 30 days. However, users can choose to delete photos from this folder as well. How Apple has managed to resurface photos deleted years ago remains a mystery.
This issue could be due to an indexing error, a problem in the photo archive, or synchronization issues. Apple may have triggered this problem while trying to fix a synchronization error that existed in iOS 17.3. Although users of iOS 17.5 beta 4 also reported the same issue, Apple has not made an official statement on the matter. The company is expected to resolve this issue with an upcoming update.
Even though a solution may be coming soon, the question of how Apple retains deleted photos on its servers still lingers in the minds of many.
