- Some iPhone users have seen random apps appear on their devices
- Many apps were previously deleted but others are brand new to users
- The error may be caused by update to iOS 18.4
Occasionally, a strange iOS-Bug, which brings back lost items, apparently from the dead. We’ve seen this kind of behavior before with deleted photos, and now it seems that iOS 18.4 mysteriously resurrected old iPhone apps that some users removed many moons ago.
As discovered by macumors, the question is documented by users who post on Reddit and Apple’s official support forums. People have described how their iPhones automatically started downloading apps after they were updated to iOS 18.4.
Interestingly, while some users reported that the apps in question had once been on their devices, but have since been deleted, other iPhone owners claimed apps were brand new to them.
For example, Reddit users Eagleeyediger7 stated that their iPhone “randomly” downloaded the last war game after updating to iOS 18.4. In response, the user said Schulze1 that the same thing had happened to them and that “I’ve never had that app installed before.”
A strange situation
At first glance, it may seem that the problem relates to the Automatic Downloads setting in the Apple App Store. This allows Apple devices to automatically download apps and games installed on other Apple products you own, even if they are never added to the device you are currently using.
However, several users claimed that their iPhone is the only Apple device they own, which means apps could not have been downloaded this way.
Nor do we have many details of whether the error only affects people with certain iPhones, users located in specific regions, or people who have taken other steps. It is also unclear how widespread the problem is.
For the moment, the main solution is simply to delete the unwanted apps from your device. Hopefully Apple will soon roll a solution that prevents random apps from appearing on people’s iPhones, but for now we just have to wait.
