Apple released iOS 17.5.1 to address a concerning issue with previously deleted photos reappearing in users’ libraries. This bug was first reported by users after the iOS 17.5 update, causing old deleted photos to reappear as recently added in the Photos app. The bug raised serious privacy concerns among users, as some of the resurfaced photos contained sensitive content that had been deleted years ago.
The reappearing photos are not limited to recently deleted folders, but appear as new additions to the photo library, leading to speculation that there may be an issue with indexing or syncing with iCloud. The cause of the error wasn’t immediately clear, but it appears to be caused by changes made to the Photos app in iOS 17.5.
In response, Apple quickly released the iOS 17.5.1 update. This is intended to fix this bug and prevent deleted photos from reappearing unexpectedly. Users can download updates by going to Settings > General > Software Update on their devices.
