Reports have recently emerged from iOS owners claiming that their device is recovering old deleted content out of nowhere after updating to iOS 17.5. A Reddit user on the iOS subreddit said he saw images taken in 2021 reappear even though they were “permanently deleted.”
The same thing happened to a former iPad owner who sold the tablet to a friend who then called him after his September 2024 vacation photos returned.
And it's not just the software itself that is affected. User ssmithdev on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) posted an image of his iPhone XR showing 26 voicemail notifications on WhatsApp even though he had already deleted them a long time ago.
It's understandable that people are scared. You'll see comments on Reddit posts from users experiencing the same thing: old deleted photos dating back to 2010 returning. What's worse is that some of the content at the heart of this issue is very sensitive.
New mistake, old problem
As of this writing, this issue does not appear to be widespread. Currently, reports originate solely from social media platforms. However, if it affects a lot of people, Apple will surely need to fix it.
No one knows exactly why this is happening, but iPhone owners point the finger at iOS 17.5. Each of these reports indicates that deleted images started reappearing after installing the latest update. It's also worth mentioning that this bug has been known for some time. On the iOSBeta subreddit, you'll find posts from testers saying the same thing: previously removed content returns without direct input. This issue dates back nine months, so it's not a new issue.
theory development
Likewise, no one knows exactly how this is happening, although theories exist.
TheVerge claims that the returned files could originate from an iPhone's device storage. They mention that “computer data is never deleted.” Besides, “[Operating] The systems simply cut off references to it,” so they may still exist in some dark corner of your phone. iPhones can keep these files hidden and this bug is causing them to resurface.
Other people think that there is a “dark problem of corruption in the photo library.” MacRumors believes this is the result of Apple attempting to fix a photo sync bug in iOS 17.3. But instead of patching it properly, the company simply created another problem. Some think it is less serious and blame improper disposal. Perhaps these users did not completely wipe their devices and iCloud recovered everything.
There is a lot of speculation, but unfortunately no one has an official answer. We've reached out to Apple and asked if they are aware of this issue and would like to comment on it. As of this writing, they have not yet responded, but we will update this story if we receive a response.
While we have it, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best photo storage and sharing sites of 2024.
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