iOS 17.5 Update Sparks Privacy Worries as Deleted Photos Mysteriously Resurface

TLDR: Apple’s iOS 17.5 update is causing deleted photos to reappear in users’ recent galleries, raising privacy concerns. The issue may stem from a sync problem in iCloud. Users can wait for a fix or update cautiously.

Apple’s iOS 17.5 update has just been released, but users are already reporting a concerning iPhone bug that is causing deleted photos to reappear.

Troubling.

The Bug Reported on MacRumors and Reddit

First reported by Apple-focused site, MacRumors, users are complaining about the iOS 17.5 bug on Reddit. The post, which has accrued nearly 100 replies at the time of writing, describes how a user’s old photos taken “years ago” reappeared as recently uploaded to iCloud after completing the update.

Uncomfortable.

The user shared, “When in conversation with my partner, I went to send a picture and saw that the latest pictures were nsfw material we’d made years ago when we were living apart.”

Deleted Photos Appearing in Recent Gallery

According to those reporting the iOS 17.5 bug, the deleted photos are appearing in their recent gallery. This indicates the issue is not related to recently deleted photos being reinstated.

Privacy Concerns

As many users are pointing out, if Apple is keeping hold of the photos that are reappearing since updating to iOS 17.5, it’s a major privacy concern.

Worrisome.

Potential Cause: Sync Issue in iCloud

Many people are worried the iOS 17.5 bug means Apple isn’t really deleting your photos. But the answer could be more simple: Perhaps it’s an issue where deleted photos have failed to sync in iCloud, preventing them from being deleted altogether.

What to Do

The iOS 17.5 photos bug is certainly annoying, and potentially very concerning from a privacy point of view. If you haven’t updated to iOS 17.5 yet and you are worried about this bug, you could wait to see if Apple pushes out another iPhone update.

However, it’s important to note that updating to iOS 17.5 fixes some major security flaws, so you’d have to weigh up the likelihood your iPhone would be targeted by an attack.

I have already updated my iPhone 14 to iOS 17.5 and I’m not having any issues.

Possible Quick Fix from Apple

If you have already updated to iOS 17.5, you’ll know by now if you are affected by the bug. It’s possible that Apple will prepare a small update, iOS 17.5.1, to quickly fix this issue—or even push out something quietly.

Only time will tell how Apple addresses this concerning bug.