iOS 18.4 Bug Causes Deleted Apps to Reappear on Some iPhones

There has been a weird glitch with Apple’s latest iOS 18.4 update. A subset of users have observed that apps previously deleted from their iPhones ‘magically’ reappeared. Many have taken to Reddit as well as social media platforms, and even Apple’s support pages to share their experiences.

iOS 18.4 Glitch Brings Back Deleted Apps on iPhones

For the past twenty-four hours, we have observed that a wide range of iPhone users are reporting issues regarding the apps and games that they had uninstalled on their phones are resurfacing post the update to iOS 18.4. A few of the users claim that these apps are unrecognizable to them.

The problem seems to stem from a bug with iOS 18.4’s latest version. Apple had launched this version a few days back on Monday where they added some features along with a couple of tweaks. This issue however, appears to be a step backwards is puzzling for a lot of people.

Does Not Have to Do With Automatic Downloads

Initially, some assumed the problem might be due to Apple’s ‘Automatic Downloads’ setting. This option downloads apps that have been purchased on one Apple device and installs them on all devices which use the same user ID. The majority of users claiming to be affected do not own other Apple devices. Hence this would suggest that the problem is not related to the Automatic Download.

Furthermore, other users who have never jailbroken their phones and use only the App Store for downloading apps are experiencing the problem which shows that the bug stems directly from the iOS update.

Potential Reasons and How Apple Responded

The exact cause of this bug remains unclear. Some users believe Apple’s cloud backup system restores old app data, leading to the issue. Others think it affects only certain device models or regions, as not everyone encounters the problem.

Apple has yet to issue an official statement. For the time being, customers can cope with the problem by erasing the apps that keep coming back, and doing so repeatedly. Most people await an update from Apple that would solidly resolve the problem.

What Comes Next

For those who are impacted, reaching out to Apple Support can help. This has the potential of leading to swifter solutions. For now, people need to monitor their app library to make sure they erase any apps they do not wish to have, at least for the time being. An impending release is expected from Apple.