Apple has finally shed light on the perplexing issue of deleted photos mysteriously reappearing on iPhones after a recent update. Last week, numerous iPhone users took to Reddit to report the sudden reappearance of old and long-deleted photos, including some sensitive images, on their devices. Apple swiftly addressed the issue with the release of the iOS 17.5.1 update earlier this week, and now they've revealed the reason behind it.
According to an explanation shared with 9to5Mac, Apple attributed the problem to a corrupt database entry stored locally on specific iPhone devices. The company clarified that the issue did not involve iCloud Photos. Apple emphasized that the affected photos were not stored in the cloud and were never synchronized to iCloud Photos in any way.
Reportedly, some users were able to see deleted photos dating back to 2010 after upgrading to a newer iPhone. Apple stated that this could occur when users migrated deleted photos from an old iPhone to a new one using local or iCloud backups or device-to-device transfer.
For users who have sold their previous devices, Apple assured that the deleted photos would not reappear as long as the old iPhone had been completely erased and reset before being handed over to the new owner.
The latest iOS update has fixed this error, ensuring it won't recur in the future. However, it's worth noting that the update does not re-delete previously restored photos. Users who find old deleted photos on their devices are advised to locate and delete them again using the Photos app.
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