Apple just released an update for iOS (and iPadOS) to tackle a strange bug that cropped up in the past week. When iOS 17.5 came out, some users noticed that photos they deleted were reappearing in their Photos library — now, iOS 17.5.1 promises to fix that. As Apple puts its, the update “addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced database corruption could reappear in the Photos library even if they were deleted.”
As noted by MacRumors, some users on Reddit were seeing photos that were deleted not just weeks ago but months and years ago returning to their devices. Indeed, one person reported seeing photos from way back in 2010 popping up in their library as if they were newly shot.
As usual, Apple hasn’t offered more details besides what is in the iOS 17.5.1 release notes, but we’re reaching out to see if they have any other details about how this bug popped up in the first place. In the meantime, you might as well go update your iPhone or iPad now.