Some users who have recently updated their iPhones to the latest software, iOS 17.5, have reported that images that were deleted years ago are reappearing in the Photos app. This discovery has raised concerns among users, as it is unclear how these long-gone photos could still exist on their devices.
According to reports on Reddit, users have found images deleted years ago suddenly popping up in their photo libraries. One user even discovered NSFW material that was deleted years ago, leading to questions about data retention and privacy issues. It seems that this issue goes beyond recently deleted images, which are usually stored in the Recently Deleted folder for a short period of time.
Some Reddit users have speculated that the new iPhone update may have caused changes that require the app to re-index photo libraries, leading to the re-appearance of deleted images. However, this explanation still does not clarify how images from years ago could resurface. Other users have reported random photos from past years suddenly reappearing in their photo libraries, suggesting that this issue may be more widespread.
MacRumors has highlighted several potential causes for this problem, including an indexing bug, photo library corruption, or a syncing issue between local devices and iCloud Photos. It is also possible that Apple’s attempts to fix a photo syncing bug in a previous update may have inadvertently caused a new syncing issue that involves iCloud backups. Users running iOS 17.5 developer beta 4 have reported similar experiences, indicating that this issue may be related to the new update.
As of now, Apple has not yet commented on this issue, but it is expected that they will address it in a future update. This is a developing story, so users are advised to stay tuned for further updates. In the meantime, users are encouraged to be cautious when using the Photos app and to closely monitor their photo libraries for any unexpected images that may have reappeared.
