iOS 15 Messages Bug Causes Saved Photos to Be Deleted

https://images.macrumors.com/t/QLvt8KCCpygceP25-KfGIwVQXiQ=/800x0/article-new/2021/06/iOs-15-Photos-Feature.jpg

A serious bug in the iOS 15 Messages app can cause some saved photos to be deleted, according to multiple complaints reported by MacRumors readers and Twitter users. From the report:

If you save a photo from a Messages thread and then go on to delete that thread, the next time an iCloud Backup is performed, the photo will disappear. Even though the image is saved to your personal iCloud Photo Library, it appears to still be linked to the Messages app in “iOS 15,” and saving it does not persist through the deletion of the thread and an “iCloud” backup. This is a concern because most users keep the “iCloud” Backup feature enabled and it’s something that happens automatically. If you’re someone who regularly deletes message threads, if there’s a photo that you want to keep, you won’t be able to keep it with “iCloud” Backup turned on.

To replicate this bug, the following steps must be taken:

  1. Save a photo from a Messages conversation to your Camera Roll.
  2. Check to see that the photo has been saved.
  3. Delete the Messages conversation the photo came from. The photo will still be in your “iCloud Photo Library” at this point.
  4. Perform an “iCloud” Backup, and the photo disappears.
3 Likes