Apple Releases iOS 17.5.1 With Fix for Reappearing Photos Bug

[Squirrrrel]

I'm honestly shocked by all the people downvoting people for expressing their concerns here. Photos shouldn't be "reappearing." This isn't just a bug issue—this is a severe breach of privacy. It highlights a massive concern that our photos aren't actually being deleted when we delete them. A bug doesn't keep deleted photos around for years ... it exposed that Apple is still storing our supposedly deleted photos on their cloud servers.

 

[RumorChaser]

Calm yourself down, it's a bug related to the Files app. It's been explained in a Reddit by someone who apparently knows a Private Contractor that works for Apple

The Contractor's friend is as believable as the guy who claimed photo came back from wiped iPad.

 

[Eminemdrdre00]

I guess this just helps make sure the issue doesn't pop up again? I was affected by the 17.5 photo bug, updated to 17.5.1 just now, and the photos that I deleted over a year ago are still in my "recents" album (they resurfaced after I updated to 17.5).

 

[Squirrrrel]

The overreaction in this thread is insane.

The under-reaction by some people in here is insane. The implications of this in terms of privacy should concern everyone that stores their photos in iCloud. You pretending this isn't an issue doesn't make this not an issue.

 

[bg4uei2]

The Contractor's friend is as believable as the guy who claimed photo came back from wiped iPad.

It is beiievable because multiple people that had the issue confirmed that they had the photos saved in Files app.

 

[BigGongZillaSkrillex]

I'm honestly shocked by all the people downvoting people for expressing their concerns here. Photos shouldn't be "reappearing." This isn't just a bug issue—this is a severe breach of privacy. It highlights a massive concern that our photos aren't actually being deleted when we delete them. A bug doesn't keep deleted photos around for years ... it exposed that Apple is still storing our supposedly deleted photos on their cloud servers.

As I explained early, it's a bug related to the Files app. If you import your photos to Files, and you delete them from Photos, they were appearing once again in Photos app after updating to 17.5, so they were in your phone, but in another app. That's the bug. It's nothing to worry about.

 

[Delgibbons]

Apple today released iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1, minor updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last September. The 17.5.1 updates come a week after the launch of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5.

iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the updates include a fix for an issue that could cause images to reappear in the Photos library even after being deleted. There have been several complaints from iPhone and iPad users who saw their old, deleted photos resurfacing after installing the iOS 17.5 update. Images deleted as far back as 2010 were surfacing again, leading to confusion and worry over what was going on. Apple's information today indicates that it was a database corruption issue, and iOS 17.5.1 should solve the problem.



Article Link: Apple Releases iOS 17.5.1 With Fix for Reappearing Photos Bug

“Rare”

 

[tmg2010]

Next up: Reappearance of "deleted" iCloud keychains.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@BigGongZillaSkrillex

Welcome to the forum by the way!

 

[nutriousmitten]

But why aren't you deleting photos when I delete them!??

Maybe you'll get a (since deleted) email from Jobs saying "You're deleting it wrong".

 

[BigGongZillaSkrillex]

It is beiievable because multiple people that had the issue confirmed that they had the photos saved in Files app.

Exactly, but people prefer to go on furiously hating and spread misinformation. It's easier to believe fake stories and real ones, which are more logical.

 

[Graphate]

This has pretty much been asked about 100 times before this message... but: Does this really just, in effect, 're-hide' the photos for anyone who installs 17.5.1, and so it does nothing to actually permanently 'delete' (hide) the photos from anyone who retains 17.5?

That is, if Mr. Sahelanthropus installed 17.5 on Ms. Sapien's old device, and suddenly Mr. Sahelanthropus now has dozens of photos revealing Ms. Sapien's sensitive (and benign too) information; does it help for Ms. Sapien to update to 17.5.1 on her new device, if Mr. Sahalenthropus keeps 17.5 on the old device?

Finally, if Mr. Sahelanthropus never updates from 17.5, will Ms. Sapien's freshly deleted (and/or new) photos begin to appear on the old device in Mr. Sahelanthropus' paws in perpetuity?

 

[Squirrrrel]

As I explained early, it's a bug related to the Files app. If you import your photos to Files, and you delete them from Photos, they were appearing once again in Photos app after updating to 17.5, so they were in your phone, but in another app. That's the bug. It's nothing to worry about.

I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. Some of the reports said photos people deleted from years ago are reappearing. And they weren't from the Files app. This isn't a bug tied to Files. Stop playing cover for Apple. It helps no one.

 

[whateverest]

"Rare issue". I'm not saying it isn't but how did they make that determination, precisely?

File access logs of iCloud data storage systems.

 

[yustas]

Where is this database and why does it exist?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm honestly shocked by all the people downvoting people for expressing their concerns here.

I used to shocked by it, but it's turned into a cult following and the polarization around everything Apple mirrors the strong political polarization around the world.

People defend Apple as though it were their own child -- right or wrong, they can do no wrong for some folks
New data never helps either -- folks just further entrench in their defense

 

[dfwiddoc]

1. Don't tell me how to behave
2. That is STILL not acceptable

Apple needs to explain themselves here

Amazing how many "brand new" forum accounts always swoop in to defend Apple

I’m not a brand new member and I find the constant outrage and cynical comments on here equally tedious. The iPhone is an extraordinary, multifunction device that performs an unfathomable number of tasks, and performs them in parallel with astonishing speed and a remarkable absence of hitches.

Apple releases updates to a slew of these components steadily throughout each annual cycle. They make betas public. I’ve used iPhones for years and have never experienced a truly concerning issue. If folks think they can find a better alternative, they’re free to do so. Please don’t pretend like all these snarky comments on here are worthwhile—they are decidedly not.

 

[BigGongZillaSkrillex]

I'm sorry, but this is nonsense. Some of the reports said photos people deleted from years ago are reappearing. And they weren't from the Files app. This isn't a bug tied to Files. Stop playing cover for Apple. It helps no one.

They never said if their photos were in the Files app to begin with.

The Files app was made in 2017, plenty years to go and import some "old photos", which where appearing once again in iOS 17.5. Those photos can also be in iCloud Drive, which after downloaded, are located in the Files App.

 

[Beautyspin]

Unreal. Wtf is going on at Apple, they’ve been dropping the ball lately. This is a nightmare of a bug.

Edit: also, what happens to the photos that have reappeared? Do they disappear again? We need way more info than a footnote.

The bigger and more pertinent question is; what happens to the photos that have reappeared on phones that have been wiped and sold/given to others? What if they had already saved some of those photos that are of delicate nature? Not saying every wiped phone had this problem, but there should be some solution for those cases too.

 

[planetf1]

A few weeks ago I lost a walk's worth of photos. I'd taken about 40, and by the end of the walk my phone was misbehaving. Tried to open several photos and they wouldn't render correctly (low res). I decided to reboot, after which they had gone. No issues since then though. Oh and icloud backup was inactive as I was on low power mode for the walk. (I changed that now!)

Roll on to today and I installed the update (previously tracking betas). The photos are back! Seemingly all of them!

I never thought I'd see them again. Note that in this case I never deleted them, they just got lost in database corruption.....

 

[Squirrrrel]

They never said if their photos were in the Files app to begin with.

The Files app was made in 2017, plenty years to go and import some "old photos", which where appearing once again in iOS 17.5. Those photos can also be in iCloud Drive, which after downloaded, are located in the Files App.

Apple lies. And they don't address things until they get caught redhanded. Siri was listening in to everyone's conversations and sending those conversations to Apple's data analysts, and it wasn't until a whistleblower pointed this out that Apple has now made Siri listening to everything an option that you must opt in to manually. Please stop playing cover for Apple. Also, you're the only person saying this is a Files bug. Not even this MacRumors article is saying this, nor is Apple's announcement saying this either. Many people reporting on this said this was from photos deleted from the Photos library, not photos stored in Files.

 

[sw1tcher]

That story was deleted by the source after it was posted, most likely because it was made up.

You're telling me Apple released iOS 17.5.1 to address a made up issue?

According to Apple's release notes, the updates include a fix for an issue that could cause images to reappear in the Photos library even after being deleted.

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.

 

[nottorp]

And... people pay for iCloud?

How many of them had their photos in there because some update re enabled photo uploading without permission btw?

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm not a brand new member and I find the constant outrage and cynical comments on here equally tedious.

You don't have to read or participate in comments sections.
It's all optional!

I mean .. what kind of comments do you think you're going to find in a thread on this type of topic?

All the bugs in Apple software is what I find tedious!

 

[repoman016]

Okay but that still says nothing about *why* they were able to resurface to begin with, after being deleted many iOS updates ago…

Nothing is ever truly deleted. Operating systems only "mark" files for deletion making them invisible, and then wont actually delete them until that space is needed and overwritten with new saved files.

Its why overwriting is important.

So unless you've had your device overwritten with a bunch of 1's and 0's, then data will still be there. It's the OS that screwed up making them visible.