Apple issues warning after some iPhone users had old deleted images resurface on their devices

Deleting photos from your phone can be like therapy. Want to wipe all traces of your toxic ex? Delete the pics. Had a sh*t night out that you’d rather forget? Delete the evidence.

It can even be a great activity when you’re sat on plane before a holiday, freeing up some storage from your photos app. But then the last thing you want is all those removed snaps and memories suddenly reappearing.

And yet, in a bit of a nightmare, that seems to have happened to a load of iPhone users. So, Apple has had to issue a warning after some users found old, deleted images resurfacing on their devices.

As any iPhone user knows, the Photos app has a ‘Recently Deleted’ folder, which (unless switched off) keeps deleted pics and videos for 30 days before wiping out completely.

Some iPhone users reported the issue. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

However, after downloading a previous software update, many users reported their deleted stuff was reappearing – from months and even years ago.

The tech giant has released a security update to fix the ‘rare bug’. Tipped as an ‘emergency fix’, iOS 17.5.1 has been issued to all iPhone users and contains ‘important bug fixes’.

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Apple explained in the update’s description: “This update provides important bug fixes and addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could appear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.”

The tech company didn’t publicly address the return of the deleted photos issue at the time but it seems like it’s resolved it now with this new software update.

In order to download it, go to your Settings app on iPhone, scroll down to General and tap ‘Software Update’.

An update has been issued. (Apple)

It should then show the option to download iOS 17.5.1 which you can choose to ‘Update Now’ or ‘Update Tonight’. This is currently available so it’s worth getting it done this evening to save yourself any potential problems.

Users took to Reddit to complain about the issue as one claimed ‘nsfw material’ they had ‘permanently deleted’ was ‘magically’ back. And another said their ‘reappeared photos’ were taken on an older phone but still showed up and some called it a ‘nightmare’.

Although, some users also suggested the resurfaced photos had also been saved on ‘Files’ but had only been deleted on ‘Photos’.

“Deleting in Photos does not delete it in the Files app. New update re-indexed (and added) the picture from the Files app,” one wrote.

LADbible has contacted Apple for comment.