If your Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro is turning pink, you might be cleaning it wrong
Just when we thought Scratchgate was over, now there’s a new iPhone scandal involving the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro turning pink. The brouhaha started over a week ago with a Reddit post from DakAttack316, who shared photos of the iPhone 17 Pro in a “Rose Gold” shade, as they described it.
As things like this happen on the internet, it gained momentum and other people started posting pictures and videos of their Cosmic Orange phone turning pink. Although some videos like the one from connordavis0808 on TikTok below appear legitimate at first glance, many people are “remixing” videos or taking the photos from Reddit and making their own video, making the problem appear more widespread.
I got the iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange, reviewed it, and have been using it daily for about a month. It is still orange and shows no signs of color change. I’ve had a case about this for most of this time; first the TechWoven case, then I upgraded to a thinner, clear case that I bought on Amazon for $16. The only time I cleaned the phone was when I changed the case, and it still looks fine.
However, the obsession with erasing your new iPhone could be causing the problem. Apple recently updated its support page regarding cleaning your iPhone. The update mainly concerns the handling of the iPhone’s Ceramic Shield; the previous version of the document did not contain this. While the document doesn’t specifically address the Cosmic Orange aluminum frame turned pink, it does highlight a part that was part of Apple’s guidelines as early as 2023 but seems relevant now: “Do not use products that contain bleach or hydrogen peroxide” to disinfect your iPhone. Apple also added the following statement: “Avoid getting moisture into openings and do not immerse your iPhone in cleaning agents,” in the recent document update.
It’s possible that bleach or hydrogen peroxide could react with the iPhone’s coating, causing discoloration. If you need to disinfect your iPhone (people flush them down the toilet, it happens, that’s what I’ve heard), follow Apple’s advice and use a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75% ethyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox disinfectant wipes and “gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone.”
Apple has not commented specifically on the issue. The iPhone 17 Pro also comes in Deep Blue and Silver, and we haven’t seen any reports of discoloration with these phones. If you want to go orange without risking it turning pink, you can always opt for an orange iPhone case.
