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Old Google Photos Images Corrupted For Some Users

Google Photos app on a smartphone application icon on iPhone X screen close up
BigTunaOnline/Shuttersock.com

Long-time Google Photos users may want to check their archives to see if their memories have been damaged in a bizarre data corruption incident being reported by 9to5Google.

Over the weekend, some users noticed that many images over five years old now have lines, deep cracks, and white dots. 9to5Google characterizes the flaws as analogous to water damage on physical photos. And while not all users are affected, reports indicate damaged Google Photos images come from the service’s Android, iOS, and web apps. Reports seem to be uniform regarding the damage type and the images’ age.

And it’s not just the online version of the photos that contain the new flaws. Users report that images remain distorted even when they download the online source files. However, the original, non-edited versions of the images don’t appear to be damaged.

While reports were sizable over the weekend, they seem to be slowing down. According to 9to5Google, the issue appears to be affecting fewer and fewer people, possibly indicating that Google has a solution for the problem.

Source: 9to5Google

Danny Chadwick Danny Chadwick
Danny has been a technology journalist since 2008. He served as senior writer, as well as multimedia and home improvement editor at Top Ten Reviews until 2019. Since then, he has been a freelance contributor to Lifewire and ghostwriter for Fit Small Business. His work has also appeared on Laptop Mag, Tom’s Guide, and business.com. Read Full Bio »