Apple explains/clarifies the "resurrection" problem of deleted photos: caused by database corruption, only affecting a small number of users

According to news on May 24, Apple released the iOS 17.5.1 update on May 21 to fix the "resurrection" problem of deleted photos. After the official log clarified that the issue was caused by "database corruption," Apple is now further explaining and clarifying the issue.

Reason for “resurrection”

Apple stated that the photos “resurrected” this time are mainly user photos before 2010. Apple stated that this problem should not be blamed on iCloud Photos, instead the corruption of database entries present in the device file system itself is to blame. According to Apple, photos that are not completely deleted on user devices are not synced to iCloud Photos and these files only exist on the device itself. However, these files may persist from one device to another when restoring from a backup, performing a cross-device migration transfer, or restoring from an iCloud backup without using iCloud Photos.

Photos reappearing on a sold device? Not

A Reddit user posted last week (access has now been deleted) that a photo of the original owner had reappeared on an iPad he had sold to a friend. Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that the claim was false. The company says that after completely erasing the device using the following steps, all files and content will be permanently deleted. Open Settings Select General Select Transfer or Reset Select Clear All Content and Settings Follow these steps and all content on the user’s device will be permanently deleted, including old photos Reappear. Technology media 9to5Mac believes that in this Reddit user's case, they most likely did not follow the correct steps when resetting the device before selling it...or they fabricated the situation in the hope of gaining some Reddit Follow.

Apple emphasizes that this problem is relatively rare, and few users are affected

Apple has repeatedly emphasized that this problem is very rare, and only a few users and a small number of photos are affected. The company promised it was and still can't access users' photos or videos. Part of the reason is also due to the way NAND storage generally works. When you issue a delete command, the files on NAND storage are not actually deleted; instead, the space they occupy is marked for future use. The actual data remains unchanged until new data is written, which is why professional software can often recover "deleted" files.

Other notes:

After affected users upgrade to the iOS 17.5.1 update, the update will not delete the reappearing photos. Users need to enter the Photos App and manually delete these pictures. Related reading: "Apple iOS 17.5.1 official version released: Fix the "resurrection" problem of deleted photos" "Apple iOS/iPadOS 17.5 "Photo Resurrection Gate" upgrade: User feedback that second-hand devices display original Owner photo》

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