Earlier this week Apple released the iOS 17.5.1 update to fix a very serious bug that saw deleted photos reappear on devices — including devices that were alleged to have been factory reset. Initially Apple claimed this issue was caused by “database corruption”, but has divulged some extra details to 9to5Mac.
Some people reported finding images that date as far back as 2010, meaning they’ve long since upgraded from the device those images originated from. That led some to assume that iCloud Photos may be involved in the glitch, but Apple says this isn’t the case. The glitch all came down to a corrupt database entry on the device’s file system.
The glitch is pretty disconcerting, there’s no doubt about that. Once a photo or file has been deleted, and removed from the trash folder, you expect it to be gone forever. You certainly don’t want it popping back up after 14 years. Especially if it's something you deleted for a very good reason.
The fact that iOS 17.5.1 is now available means that this shouldn’t happen again. However you will need to go back through your photos and delete them all over again. Let’s just hope that this time they’ll be gone for good.
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