Apple Fixes Problem of Resurrected Deleted Photos with iOS17.5.1 Update

By:Jack Published 2024-05-24T00:22:03Z

TapTechNews May 24th news, Apple released the iOS17.5.1 update on May 21st, fixing the problem of'resurrected' deleted photos. After the official log clearly stated that this problem was caused by 'database corruption', Apple now further explains and clarifies this issue.

Apple Fixes Problem of Resurrected Deleted Photos with iOS17.5.1 Update_0

'Resurrection' Reason

Apple said that the photos that were'resurrected' this time were mainly user photos before 2010. Apple stated that this problem should not be attributed to iCloudPhotos, but rather to the damaged database entries existing in the device file system itself.

According to Apple, the not fully deleted photos on the user's device did not synchronize to iCloudPhotos, and these files only exist on the device itself.

However, when restoring from a backup, performing cross-device migration transfers, and restoring from an iCloud backup without using iCloud photos, these files may persist from one device to another.

Photos reappearing on sold devices? No

A Reddit user posted a post last week (which TapTechNews now accesses has been deleted), indicating that the original owner's photos reappeared on the iPad he sold to a friend. Apple confirmed to the media 9to5Mac that this statement is incorrect.

The company said that after completely deleting the device using the following steps, all files and contents would be permanently deleted.

Open Settings

Select General

Select Transfer or Reset

Select Erase All Content and Settings

According to these steps, all the content on the user's device will be permanently deleted, and the old photos will not reappear again. In the case of this Reddit user, they probably did not follow the correct steps when resetting the device before selling it... or they fabricated this situation hoping to get some Reddit attention.

Apple emphasizes that this problem is relatively rare and affects few users

Apple has repeatedly emphasized that this problem is very rare and only affects a small number of users and a small amount of photos. The company promised that it could not access the user's photos or videos in the past and now.

Part of the reason also lies in the general working mode of NAND storage. When you issue a delete command, the files on the NAND memory are not really deleted; instead, the space they occupy is marked as available for future use. Before new data is written, the actual data remains unchanged, which is why professional software can usually restore 'deleted' files.

Other notes:

After affected users upgrade to the iOS17.5.1 update, the update will not delete the reappeared photos, and users need to enter the Photos App and manually delete these pictures.