iOS 17.5.1 was recently released by Apple for eligible iPhone models alongside iPadOS 17.5.1, and the software update brings a fix for a bug with the Photos app that was causing previously deleted photos to reappear for some users. The latest update also includes other unspecified bug fixes for Apple’s smartphone and tablet operating systems. It arrives a few days after Apple rolled out the iOS 17.5 update with cross-platform tracking detection, an offline mode for Apple News+, and several security and bug fixes.
Apple’s brief iOS 17.5.1 release notes state that the update fixes a “rare issue” where photos would reappear in the Photos library after being deleted. According to the company, these images were affected by a database corruption issue that caused them to appear in the Photos app even after being deleted. The company also said that other bug fixes were included in the update, but did not provide specific details.
The bug, highlighted in a thread by a Reddit user via MacRumours a week ago, affected iPhone models running iOS 17.5, with some users claiming that photos deleted from years ago started appearing in their photo library. For iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, any images deleted from the Photos app are moved to the Recently Deleted folder and then deleted. However, a bug appears to be preventing some photos from being deleted and it looks like Apple has finally fixed the issue.
According to Apple’s official support page, unlike the iOS 17.5 update released earlier this month that included new wallpapers and features, the latest version does not include fixes for any notable security flaws. This contrasts with the iOS 17.5 update, which included fixes for at least 15 security flaws affecting various parts of the operating system.
As with the previous iOS 17 update, users with older models ranging from iPhone 15 to iPhone XR will need to download and install the iOS 17.5.1 update to fix the issue affecting deleted photos on the company’s smartphones.
To install iOS 17.5.1, users can open the Settings app and select: Normally > software update > install now. After entering the password, the device will download the latest version of the operating system and system and prompt the user to install updates, but may also postpone the installation. Doing so will schedule updates to install overnight.
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