Apple recently released iOS 17.5, delivering several new features, but it seems to have also introduced a bug that could be quite disastrous (literally life-ruining) for some users. Multiple iPhone users have reported that immediately after updating to iOS 17.5, photos they had deleted years ago reappeared in their photo library. Some have even found deleted nude photos—the kind no one wants others to see—showing up again in their libraries.
Data on Storage May Have Resurfaced Due to a Bug
This bug first came to light when a Reddit user named Specialist-Fix8528 posted that NSFW photos they had taken and deleted years ago reappeared after updating their iPhone to iOS 17.5. The same user also reported facing a similar issue on their iPad, where artwork they had deleted years earlier reappeared as well.
The Reddit thread gained traction, with hundreds of users reporting similar experiences, revealing just how widespread this bug has become. Looking at their situations collectively, it seems this bug has been reported even by users who don't use iCloud at all, suggesting it stems from a bug in local storage management.
Deleting a photo normally works by breaking the reference between the stored data and the accessible user interface. As long as the data hasn't been overwritten on the storage, it may remain there in an unreadable state. In other words, this bug appears to be caused by the broken link being reconstructed, effectively recreating an index of photos that the user had deleted.
For now, there doesn't seem to be a way to avoid this bug. After updating your iPhone to iOS 17.5, you'll need to manually check the Photos app to see if any deleted content has reappeared. That said, it seems not all users are affected by this issue.
If there's a chance you've deleted embarrassing photos in the past, it might be wise to check whether any photos remain before showing your library to anyone else. Given how serious this bug is, though, a fix will likely arrive soon.
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