Apple has addressed and resolved a peculiar issue in iOS 17.5 that caused deleted photos to reappear on some iPhones with the release of iOS 17.5.1. The bug, linked to local database corruption, led to some users seeing photos they had deleted years ago.
The problem, detailed by Apple through 9to5Mac, stemmed from corrupted files that survived device upgrades via backups and transfers. Crucially, Apple emphasized that iCloud was not involved in this bug. When photos are deleted in iOS, they are genuinely removed from the operating system. However, the nature of NAND storage means the memory used by the photo is simply marked as available rather than immediately wiped.
A bug in iOS 17.5 caused these corrupted files to resurface in the Photos app. This issue occurred because the corrupted data persisted outside the photos library, only remaining on the device through upgrades and transfers. Apple described this as a rare event and did not specify the number of users affected.
Apple reassured users that performing a complete device wipe using the "Erase All Content and Settings" function would remove any corrupted database, thus preventing old photos from reappearing. Additionally, Apple confirmed that the reported incident of photos from another user appearing in a library was not true.
For users who encountered reappeared photos, the recommended action is to delete them again manually. The iOS 17.5.1 update ensures that the corrupted database causing this issue is fixed, preventing old deleted photos from resurfacing again, but it does not automatically remove the photos that have already reappeared.
