Apple fixes iPhone and iPad bug that restores old photos deleted years ago

The updates released by Apple include iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 which are now available to download for compatible iPhones and iPads. They appear just 1 week after the company released iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5. Some user reports appearing on social media platforms like Reddit claim that such updates have recovered old photos on iPhones and iPads that were deleted years ago.

One Reddit user said many photos from 2010 have reappeared as the latest photos on iCloud. Surprised by the reappearance of photos deleted years ago, some users raised privacy concerns regarding Apple's handling of user data.

In the release notes for the latest updates, Apple said the issue was caused by a data error, resulting in database-corrupted images that could reappear in the Photos library even if they had been deleted. erase.

Affected users should install the update as soon as possible by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 17.5.1 update is compatible with iPhone XS and later. Meanwhile, iPadOS 17.5.1 is compatible with iPad mini 5 or later, iPad 6 or later, iPad Air 3 or later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch or later, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) or later .

For reference, these updates are a follow-up to iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 that the company released earlier this month, with support for offline mode in Apple News+, new Pride Radiance wallpapers, and game play. play puzzles. The highlight of the update is a security feature called Cross-Platform Tracking Protection - a joint effort between Apple and Google that allows iPhones and Androids to warn users about unknown Bluetooth-enabled tags being followed. follow them.

Lesley Montoya

Update 22 May 2024