If some of your photos suddenly look like they were dunked in a red filter after updating to iOS 26, you are not imagining things. A strange new iOS 26 bug is causing certain photos taken on Android phones to appear heavily red-tinted inside Apple’s Photos app.
The good news is that your photos are not corrupted. The fix is simple, once you know where to look.
How This Bug Was Discovered
This issue first started surfacing in user reports on Reddit, where multiple iPhone owners noticed that photos imported from Android devices were displaying an intense red haze when opened in the Photos app.
The posts quickly gained traction as more users confirmed they were seeing the same behavior.
Shortly after, 9to5Mac picked up on the Reddit reports, bringing wider attention to the bug and confirming that it appears to be tied specifically to photos captured on non-iPhone cameras.
What’s Actually Going Wrong
This bug mainly affects photos taken on Android phones or other non-Apple cameras that are later saved to an iPhone.
What makes it especially confusing is how inconsistent it looks:
- The photo appears normal in thumbnail view
- The red tint only shows after tapping and zooming in
- Scrolling through your photo library may not reveal anything wrong
This strongly suggests iOS 26 is incorrectly applying or interpreting a color filter when fully rendering certain images, rather than damaging the file itself.
How to Fix Red-Tinted Photos in iOS 26
You do not need to re-download the photo or edit it manually. There is a quick workaround that restores the image instantly.
- Open the Photos app
- Tap the affected image
- Tap Edit
- Tap Revert
- Confirm
Once reverted, the red tint disappears and the photo returns to its original colors.
Why This Fix Works
Even though no edits were made by the user, iOS 26 behaves as if a color adjustment exists. Reverting the image forces the Photos app to discard any assumed filters and reload the original image data correctly.
Most importantly, this confirms there is no permanent data loss involved.
Does This Affect iPhone Photos Too?
So far, reports indicate the bug is limited to photos taken on non-iPhone cameras. iPhone-shot images do not appear to be affected, further pointing to an issue with how iOS 26 handles embedded color profiles from external devices.
Will Apple Fix This?
Almost certainly. This is the type of bug Apple tends to address quietly in a future point release. Until then, the Edit > Revert workaround remains the fastest and safest fix.
Suggested: Apple Releases iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2: What’s New and How to Download
If you updated to iOS 26 and noticed certain photos looking off only after opening them, now you know what is happening, why it is happening, and how to fix it in seconds.
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