iOS 26 bug causes photos to turn red when shared from an Android device

Apple's latest iOS update, iOS 26, is facing fresh criticism after users discovered a peculiar software bug that dramatically alters the colour of photographs imported from Android devices. The issue, which has been widely reported across online forums like Reddit, manifests as an intense, disturbing red tint overlaid on certain images viewed within the native Photos app on the iPhone.

According to reports, the glitch is not immediately obvious. While scrolling through their library, users see the correct image in the thumbnail preview; however, the moment the picture is tapped on or zoomed in, the red haze instantly appears. This behaviour has understandably caused concern among many, who initially feared the image files themselves were corrupted. Further complicating matters, some users have noted that attempting to crop an affected image can cause it to turn unexpectedly black and white.

The bug appears to predominantly affect photos originally captured on popular Android mobile phones, which were then transferred to an iPhone. Experts believe the root of the problem lies in the way iOS 26’s imaging pipeline interprets embedded colour data or HDR metadata, specifically, the gain maps used by newer formats like Android's Ultra HDR, leading to a severe channel imbalance that favours the red spectrum.

Despite the fact that the issue persists even after installing the recent iOS 26.2 update, Apple has yet to officially acknowledge the strange behaviour. For affected users, a simple, albeit frustrating, workaround exists. By opening the red-tinged photograph, selecting ‘Edit’, and then tapping ‘Revert’, the original colour profile can be restored.

While this temporary fix ensures the picture data is safe, it must be performed individually for every affected image, making it an inconvenient measure until Apple rolls out a permanent solution. The glitch adds to a list of initial teething problems for iOS 26, including complaints of battery drainage and stuttering animations following its roll-out.