The Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro is one of those colors that makes you feel like you’re holding a tiny sunset in your hand. But late last year, Reddit started buzzing with reports that some Cosmic Orange iPhones were mysteriously turning pink or rose gold.
Naturally, the internet panicked. People started checking their phones like they were about to witness a rare lunar eclipse.
The question on everyone’s mind: Is this a widespread issue, or just a few unlucky phones?
The Apple warning that explains it
The most likely explanation is that the discoloration comes from bleach or hydrogen peroxide, both of which Apple explicitly warns against.
Apple’s support page says:
Don’t use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
It also advises to avoid getting moisture in any openings and to never submerge your iPhone in cleaning agents.
In other words: Apple’s not just being picky. This stuff is actually corrosive.
So how likely is it to turn pink by accident?
CNET writer Andrew Lanxon decided to test this out for real. He didn’t just “accidentally” use cleaning products. He deliberately used ones that Apple warns against.
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Because of course he did.
Andrew repeatedly applied two cleaning products that clearly violated Apple’s rules:
“I bought an ‘oxy-active’ stain remover spray that, among other things, contains ‘oxygen-based bleaching agents’ which sounded ideal. Apple also clearly states ‘don’t use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide’ on its support page so, naturally, I bought some thick bleach too.”
Then he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Over a three-month period, he applied the products multiple times and left them on for up to an hour each time.
The results
Here’s the fun part: despite the aggressive testing, the results were… underwhelming.
After months of abuse, the phone showed very little to no discoloration.
Andrew wrote:
“Several months later I don’t think there’s any notable difference. In certain light, if I sort of squint a bit and angle the phone in just the right way then I think maybe I can see a slight shift in the color. But I also think I might be imagining it.”
So basically, your Cosmic Orange iPhone is not going to turn pink just because you wiped it with a questionable cloth once.
The real takeaway
If you accidentally use a cloth that had a household cleaner on it, don’t panic. It’s unlikely to cause sudden color changes.
That said, you still shouldn’t intentionally use bleach or peroxide on your phone. Not because it will instantly turn pink, but because Apple is clearly not kidding about the risks.
