They are some of the most popular smartphones in the world.
And if you’re using an iPhone, make sure you update it today.
Apple has released an urgent security update that fixes a “rare bug” that caused deleted photos to be recovered on some iPhones.
The update, called iOS 17.5.1, was quietly released by Apple, and according to the tech giant, also contains ‘important bug fixes’.
Here’s how to install iOS 17.5.1 on your iPhone.
They are some of the most popular smartphones in the world. And if you’re using an iPhone, make sure you update it today
The update, called iOS 17.5.1, was quietly released by Apple and, according to the tech giant, also contains ‘important bug fixes’
iOS 17.5.1 was released by Apple in response to a bizarre glitch that caused some users’ photos to resurface years after they were deleted.
“This update provides important bug fixes and resolves a rare issue where photos with database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted,” Apple explains in the update’s description.
By default, Apple’s Photos app has a Recently Deleted folder, which keeps your deleted images and videos for 30 days.
However, after downloading the previous software update, iOS 17.5, several users reported that images and videos deleted months or even years ago are reappearing.
iOS 17.5.1 was released by Apple in response to a bizarre glitch that caused some users’ photos to resurface years after they had been deleted
One user wrote: ‘I have four photos from 2010 that keep showing up as the latest photos uploaded to iCloud. I deleted them repeatedly
Although Apple did not publicly address the issue at the time, the new iOS update appears to have fixed the problem
On Reddit, a user revealed how ‘nsfw material’ had reappeared on his iPhone after the update.
“The latest iOS update brought back some photos I deleted in 2021. Um, so yeah. Very scary. Completely panicking,” they posted.
Another user wrote: ‘I have four photos from 2010 that keep showing up as the latest photos uploaded to iCloud. I deleted them repeatedly.”
One added: ‘One photo from June 2023 reappeared in my iPhone’s photo library. I know for sure because in April 2024 I transferred all my photos/videos to a computer and then cleaned out all photos/videos from iPhone (including trash). I don’t use iCloud Photos.’
And someone said, “Some photos from a few years ago have come back to me. It’s really shocking. They are in the recent footage, that’s what worries me.’
Although Apple did not publicly address the issue at the time, the new iOS update appears to have fixed the problem.
To download it on your iPhone, simply open the Settings app and scroll down to General.
Tap ‘Software Update’ and the option to Download iOS 17.5.1 will appear on your screen.
Tap “Update Now” to install it immediately, or “Update Tonight” if you’d rather install it tonight.