Another Trouble For iOS Users: Years Old Explicit Pictures Resurfacing As New In Photo Albums

The original poster of the Reddit thread mentioned that explicit photos they had deleted "years ago" were back on their device.

Users are now wondering whether Apple is retaining old deleted data or it's simply a quirk in how iOS 17.5 manages data.

Source : Getty

Apple seems to be experiencing a bug that is resurfacing data believed to have been deleted by iPhone users. Reports from some iPhone owners indicate that, following the update to iOS 17.5, deleted photos, some dating back quite far, are reappearing on their devices. This issue was highlighted in a Reddit thread noticed by MacRumors, and similar complaints were voiced by iOS beta testers the previous week.

Users affected by this apparent bug mentioned that old photos are appearing again in their Recents album after the update on Monday. While iOS provides an option to restore deleted photos, these photos are typically permanently removed after 30 days.

The original poster of the Reddit thread mentioned that explicit photos they had deleted "years ago" were back on their device. Another Reddit user shared that images from 2016 resurfaced as new photos, despite not recalling deleting them. Additionally, a later comment claimed that "around 300" old pictures, including some "revealing" ones, appeared on an iPad that had been wiped and sold following Apple's guidelines.

Only Photos Are Resurfacing?

This situation might be less concerning than it initially appears. In computer systems, data is not truly erased until it's overwritten by new information—operating systems simply remove references to it. One user also mentioned seeing a photo reappear despite not syncing their phone or using iCloud, suggesting that the photos could be originating from the device's internal storage.

Additionally, there's a possibility that this issue extends beyond photos. A user on the X forum reported old voicemails reappearing after the update, a sentiment echoed by several beta testers during earlier iOS 17 betas. Whether this problem suggests that Apple is retaining old deleted data or it's simply a quirk in how iOS 17.5 manages data, it's a less-than-ideal situation. Nobody wants their deleted personal content to resurface unexpectedly.

After upgrading to iOS 17.5 on my Xr, voicemails that I had already listened to or deleted reappeared. Before the update, I had only one unheard voicemail, but now I have 26. pic.twitter.com/eqx1buJIx0

— Stacey (@ssmithdev) May 15, 2024