- By Alex David
- Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Apple and Android have finally made it easy for phone-to-phone photo transfer, but the new feature is limited to a few phone choices. But just weeks after the feature started rolling out, iPhone users began complaining about a weird problem. Photos taken originally on Android devices and then shared to iPhones are showing up with, in some cases, a strong red tint when viewed or zoomed in. The issue appears related to iOS 26 and has already generated several complaint threads on the web. It doesn’t impact every image or device, but it is common enough to be of concern — the more so because the bug seems to have survived even recent software updates.
What Is the Red Tint Photo Bug on iOS 26?
Some photos taken with an Android phone appear redder than they should when seen on the iPhone on iOS 26, according to users' reports. The problem seems to occur when the image is viewed full screen, or sometimes zoomed in, using Apple’s Photos app.
Interestingly, not all Android pictures are affected by the bug. Some users report it occurs only with images captured on select devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and Motorola Razr. Fewer reports say the issue occurs with photos taken on more recent iPhones, further muddying the waters of the cause.
Bug Still Present in iOS 26.2
According to the reports, the problem has been ongoing for weeks and is still persisting even after the most recent updates are installed. It has been confirmed by users that the red tint issue is still found in the iOS 26.2 stable release.
While there have been a number of complaints on Reddit and similar forums, it’s not clear whether the problem is widespread. The problem doesn’t affect all users, including reviewers testing the aforementioned devices, further complicating the identification of what causes the issue.
What Could Be Causing the Issue?
According to speculation from users, the issue is likely that Apple’s Photos app isn’t interpreting colour data in images generated on other devices properly. The app may not be reading colour profiles or metadata correctly, causing a colour adjustment or filter to be applied accidentally without the image file itself changing.
The good news is, the problem doesn’t seem to cause permanent harm to photos. The image data itself still appears to be all there, so I'm guessing this is a display/processing issue rather than altogether file corruption.
Temporary Fix: How to Remove the Red Tint
However, users have come up with a quick fix that appears to resolve the problem for affected photos:
- Open the problematic photo in the Photos app
- Tap Edit
- Select Revert
This is said to take away the red hue and make the photo look as it was shot. The disadvantage is that the correction will have to be done image by image; there’s no batch option.
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It is important to know that this workaround relies on user feedback and has not been fully verified for all users (as the problem doesn’t affect all devices).
Final Thoughts
The red-tinted photo bug is a salient reminder of how much harder it can still be when different platforms attempt to work more closely together. Even though cross-platform photo sharing between Android and iOS is definitely a nice development, cool stuff like this indicates the feature still requires some tweaking. Because the problem does not cause permanent damage to images and can be temporarily fixed, it is more of an inconvenience than a serious threat. Apple, however, will need to correct this in an iOS update to make sure that shared photos are also displayed properly on all devices.