iCloud for Windows Users Complain of Corrupted Videos, Photos From Strangers

[MacRumors]

Apple's iCloud for Windows software appears to experiencing serious issues for some users, with complaints on the MacRumors forums about corrupted videos and images from strangers appearing in Photo Libraries.

There are a handful of complaints from customers who are running into complications with iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models. Videos recorded on an iPhone and then synced with iCloud for Windows are turning black with scan lines, rendering the videos unwatchable.

More worryingly, some users are seeing strange photos and videos that do not belong to them appearing in their libraries when they attempt to watch these corrupted videos. MacRumors reader sleeping_ghost explains:

iCloud for Windows is corrupting videos recorded from an iPhone 14 pro max resulting in black videos with scan lines. On rare occasions, it is inserting stills into videos from unknown sources, possibly other's iCloud accounts. I've been shown photos of other people's families I've never seen in my life, soccer games, and other random photos. Obviously, this is extremely concerning and does not exactly make me feel safe using iCloud.

It is not clear if the photos are images from other iCloud users, but it appears possible. From the thread, users have seen random families, children, soccer games, and other similar photo content.

Deleting the iCloud for Windows app does not appear to fix the issue, as it may be server side, and several people have reported it to Apple, so the company may be aware. Windows 11 and Windows 10 both appear to be impacted, and it may only be affecting devices with certain settings like HDR and HEVC enabled.

Article Link: iCloud for Windows Users Complain of Corrupted Videos, Photos From Strangers

 

[idktbh]

Images from strangers appearing in Photo Libraries? are you ****ing kidding me?

 

[antiprotest]

Apple has done it again. The is alarming and law-suit worthy. But I have come to expect such things from Apple.

By the way, Apple is the one lecturing us about child safety and CSAM? And other users are all like "What do you have to hide"? It's just that some of us know better than to trust Apple.

Edit: Oh, come on, man: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...s-photos.2370666/?post=31743286#post-31743286

 

[I7guy]

Apple has done it again. The is concerning and law-suit worthy. But I have come to expect such things from Apple.

The FaceTime bug was lawsuit worthy as well and that ended up where?

 

[antiprotest]

The FaceTime bug was lawsuit worthy as well and that ended up where?

Law-suit worthy does not mean anyone will sue and win. But this is why Apple will keep getting away with it, as I expect.

 

[So@So@So]

This is why passwords (and with iOS 16 now also passkeys) should not be stored in iCloud...
Apple's approach for passwords is a bad idea.

 

[sirozha]

I love the feature of images from strangers. How do I subscribe to it?

 

[Godspeed8230]

Photos from other people? How is that even possible?

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

I wonder if these photos from strangers are possibly from a Shared Library?

 

[wallaby]

They must be trying out the Pied Piper algorithm.

 

[eilavid]

Photos from other people? How is that even possible?

It seems like videos are being corrupted and photos of others are being inserted into them. Sounds like something has gone completely wrong on Apple's side when they process videos to a lower quality for streaming on iCloud.

 

[mistasopz]

This is Apple Maps level bad.

 

[icanhazmac]

New Apple service? iFap? OnlyAppleFans? New images daily!

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

You know maybe Apple should just stop making Windows software, because it's clear ever since Tim Cook took over any of their Windows developers have all left, as evident from how badly iTunes is in disrepair and the fact they've yet to break it apart like they promised.

At this point they're making the Windows software bad on purpose as a pressure move to get more iPhone users to switch to Mac. "Tired of iTunes and want better iPhone management and iCloud functionality? Then buy a Mac." And the thing is it's working. Those who love their iPhone too much have started getting Macs instead for their next computer. My dad and uncle, two lifetime Mac haters since the 80s, got M1 Mac Minis just so they could have ecosystem functionality on their iPhones and iPads.

 

[Anung_Un_Rama]

I can confirm the corrupted videos portion of this and the fact that most videos refuse to download unless iCloud is stopped and restarted.

 

[pdaholic]

I would hate for any perverts out there to have access to my plethora of cat pics.

 

[StralyanPithecus]

Maybe is time to move my iCloud stored photos from iCloud so they don't end in some else's phone. I don't want to kill them of boredom.

 

[sleeping_ghost]

I wonder if these photos from strangers are possibly from a Shared Library?

Negative, I do not have any shared libraries in my collection

 

[0112862]

I’m going to blame Microsoft Windows for that. Reminds me of Microsoft Vista.

Are you for real!?! This is 100% Apple fault. Apple is backend and Microsoft frontend in this story. On top of this, Apple 1st party and Microsoft 3rd. A third-party frontend accessing unauthorized content from a firstparty backend is a big effing deal. It prove one thing, their architecture is garbage. This should be prevented by design so random bug doesn't trigger this. My feeling, they have a backdoor into iCloud and this bug exploit something around the backdoor.

 

[JSteele]

Ooo now I can feel like I have my own family that has children and goes to soccer games, thanks apple #foreveralone.

Also super creepy to whom ever is watching their kids soccer game and ends up with a photo of me part way through, sorry

 

[ignatius345]

Yikes! I don't run Windows, but this kind of thing could happen on any platform.

I keep my Photos library backed up in its entirety onto my own hard drives, in case the iCloud version ever gets corrupted like this.

 

[antiprotest]

I love the feature of images from strangers. How do I subscribe to it?

And then you get CSAM'ed up all your ports for other people's photos.

 

[_Spinn_]

Yikes. How can this even be possible? Apple really messed something up on their servers. Odd that this only affects Windows users.

 

[dabi]

I was wondering if I should try switching to iCloud, guess I'm sticking with Google Photos then 😅

 

[vegetassj4]

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