iOS 17.5 arrived last week with one of the weirder problems we’ve seen — users reported that deleted photos on their iPhones and iPads were suddenly reappearing. Apple has refused requests to comment on the issue publicly, but on Monday afternoon it released iOS and iPadOS 17.5.1 updates to fix the problem.
Apple’s new iPhone update fixes a bug that resurfaced deleted nudes
Some iPhone and iPad owners saw supposedly deleted photos reappear on their devices after the last update, and now Apple has released iOS 17.5.1 to fix the problem.
Some iPhone and iPad owners saw supposedly deleted photos reappear on their devices after the last update, and now Apple has released iOS 17.5.1 to fix the problem.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget.
According to the notes, “This update provides important bug fixes and addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.”
Screenshot: iPadOS
The supposedly-deleted photos popping to the top of user’s “recent” photos included nude pictures in some cases, and at least one person reported they reappeared on an iPad that had been erased and sold to someone else.
Users should obviously install the update ASAP, however it’s unclear how many people may be at risk of experiencing this, which images are likely to reappear, or what you can do about a device that’s no longer in your control. The Verge has reached out to Apple for a comment on the issue and we will update this article if we receive a response.
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