Some Apple iPhone users reported seeing old deleted photos in their galleries after updating to iOS 17.5.
First noted on a Reddit thread by user u/Specialist-Fix8528, several iPhone owners saw pictures taken all the way back in 2010 despite them being "permanently deleted."
Latest iOS update has brought back some pictures I deleted in 2021
byu/Specialist-Fix8528 inios
Many more expressed safety and data privacy concerns about the Apple operating system, especially since iPhones usually permanently remove images in the Recently Deleted after 30 days.
It is worth noting that most of the pictures reportedly resurfaced were uploaded on Apple's iCloud. MacRumors first reported about the supposed bug.
As of writing, Apple has yet to address the glitch on its iOS 17.5 update.
iOS 17.5 Photo Glitch Spreads to Other Apple Devices
While the glitch seems prominent on iPhone devices, several other users have reported the same issues on other Apple devices.
Another Reddit user u/Swimming-Tax-6087 claimed to see deleted photos from their old Apple Watch Series 2 and iPhone 6, both of which reportedly "a brick," still appear on their 'My Devices" list.
Photos bug in devices? Old devices being added back. byu/Swimming-Tax-6087 inios
As of writing, no one can point out exactly what is causing the glitch.
How to Fix iOS 17.5 Deleted Image Glitch?
There is only one thing that could resolve the glitch until Apple rolls out a bug fix: downgrade to a previous iOS update.
Users first need to back up all the important data to an external hard drive or a digital cloud server.
While Apple's iCloud would often be a good option, it is best to refrain from using the server temporarily as the issue could be from the iCloud system.
Once all necessary apps and data are backed up, iPhone users can factory reset their phones to remove all iOS updates.
They can later download an older iOS version via ipsw.me, a safe-to-use website dedicated to hosting Apple operating system updates.
Users can only revert their phones' systems down to iOS 14. Older, unsupported systems would only render many apps unusable when accessed on modern phones.
Once done, users only need to wait for Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update before installing any system patch on their devices.
It is worth noting that other iOS versions also have particular glitches and bugs that were patched in later updates, so it is important to note of which iOS version is suited for temporary use.
