Apple elaborates on iOS 17.5 bug that resurfaced deleted photos
iOS 17.5 Glitch Revives Deleted Photos: Safe?
Apple released iOS 17.5.1 to fix a bug where deleted photos reappeared on devices due to "database corruption." This issue, unrelated to iCloud Photos, involved photos not fully deleted from local storage possibly persisting through device transfers or backups. Apple clarified that properly erased devices would not retain any old photos, countering claims of photos resurfacing on sold devices. The company advised affected users to manually delete the reappeared photos.
How did Apple explain the reappearance of photos dating back to 2010 on users' devices?
Apple explained the reappearance of old photos, some dating back to 2010, as a result of a corrupt database entry within the device's file system, not due to iCloud Photos13. The company clarified that these photos were not synced to iCloud but were instead retained on the devices themselves. This issue could occur when files persisted through actions like restoring from a backup, transferring data between devices, or restoring from an iCloud Backup without using iCloud Photos1. Essentially, the photos that reappeared were never fully deleted from the device’s storage system due to this corruption1.
According to Apple, what was the role of iCloud Photos in the issue of photos reappearing on devices?
Apple clarified that iCloud Photos was not responsible for the reemergence of old photos on devices. The issue was attributed to a corrupt database entry on the devices themselves, not to iCloud Photos. Apple explained that the photos that reappeared were not synced via iCloud Photos but were instead remnants of files that persisted locally on the devices3. These could have been carried over through actions like restoring from a backup, device-to-device transfers, or restoring from an iCloud Backup without using iCloud Photos4. This local persistence is what led to the reappearance of the photos, not any action or fault within iCloud Photos.