Last year, a Reddit thread surfaced showing that the user’s iPhone 17 Pro color had changed from the once vibrant Cosmic Orange to a wild pink tone. I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be true. In an earlier version of this article, I attacked my phone with various chemicals, but little seemed to change. But when I put my phone up against the new iPhone 17 Pro Max at this year’s MWC, the difference was clear: mine was now pink. Here’s what happened and what you can do to protect yours.
As Eric Zeman of PCMag pointed out, the discoloration can be caused by cleaning the phone’s finish, and oxidation is responsible for the color change from cosmic orange to hot pink. Sure, this may be technically wrong, but in all honesty, I love pink phones (remember the pink Moto Razr V3?) and the sight of a hot pink iPhone 17 Pro filled me with joy. The pink is on the rise, and I couldn’t be happier. Even if it’s “blush” MacBook Neosoft pink iPhone 17E or amazing pink Nothing for 4A Pro (heck, I’ll throw in my latest Leica Q3 43 for good measure), the soft shade of spring can be seen cropping up in technology everywhere.
So I tested this theory with different cleaning fluids.
It’s important to note that the iPhone 17 Pro I used was purchased by CNET for review. If I had paid more than $1,000 of my own money, I would never have been so reckless as to spray it with chemicals that would cause irreparable damage. And neither should you. If you need to clean your phone, do it safely. Without a disclaimer, let’s dive in.
Don’t do what I do. Keep this away from your phone.
Chemicals
I first bought two chemicals to test this. Zeman explains that oxidation can cause the color to change and that hydrogen peroxide can do this. I couldn’t find this over the counter in the UK at the time (but more on this later), so instead I bought an “oxy-active” stain remover spray that, among other things, contains “oxygen-based agents,” which sounds good. Apple clearly states on its support page, “don’t use products that contain bleach or hydrogen peroxide, so naturally, I bought thick bleach, too.
Watch this: The iPhone 17E Packs More Features for the Same Price of $599
Oxy application
I started by spraying the oxy cleaner on the microfiber cloth until it was noticeably wet with the liquid. Then I freely used it all on the back of the iPhone. A Reddit user with an affected phone pointed out that it only affected the metal parts, not the glass back panel, so I made sure to focus my attention on the sides and the camera bar.
Applying chemicals to cloth.
With the phone full of useless chemicals around the phone, I left it to sit and think about what it had done for 30 minutes — after which I wiped it dry and examined it. Disappointingly, my phone was orange, rather than the “what the hell have you done to your phone” pink. Time to move on.
Bleach explosion
I turned on the bleach and, trying hard not to think of my days as a middle school cleaner, put a loose blob of fabric on the dress. I again applied it to the defenseless wire, again focusing on the metal surfaces. I definitely had to wear protective gloves for all of this, so please make sure you take better care of yourself than I do when you do anything with bleach.
Also, I gave it a 30 minute settling time before cleaning it and testing the results. The phone remained orange as before, looking as box-new as it had been the day before when, in fact, it was brand new.
The orange iPhone 17 Pro is heavy, rugged, and perhaps a little cleaner.
Hydrogen Peroxide FTW
Although I couldn’t find hydrogen peroxide in stores in the UK, it was readily available on Amazon. I bought a bottle and, using a kitchen towel, I rubbed it hard on the metal parts of the wire. I’ve done this a few times, letting it dry between applications. I was disappointed at first that I didn’t really see the orange turn into a hot pink, but later on, I realized that, in the right light, it was more pink.
But it felt subtle, and in some light, it looked as orange as before. But a few weeks later, during Mobile World Congress 2026, I compared the phone with Patrick Holland’s cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro Max, and that’s when the difference became more apparent. Mine wasn’t just a slight change in pink; looks like i bought a completely different color. All the metal surfaces looked bright pink compared to the orange of Patrick’s model, with only the glass parts — and the non-metallic clips for the horns — remaining orange.
On the side, it is clear that my phone has completely changed color.
Is the pink iPhone 17 real?
My original version of this article should have concluded that maybe the pink iPhone seen on Reddit wasn’t real. Or that something went wrong in Apple manufacturing, and that the customer just bought a faulty model. But finally seeing my phone treated with chemicals against the new Cosmic Orange model really showed me what can happen to a phone if it’s not taken care of properly.
So yes, it is possible that the iPhone 17 Pro will change from orange to pink. But the truth is that this will not be a problem for most owners, and I do not believe that this can be considered any kind of error on the part of Apple. Apple’s guidance is very clear that harsh chemicals should not be used in its phones, and frankly, I don’t think that’s the guidance we should be giving. What I did — completely on purpose — was to attack the phone with chemicals so strong that I couldn’t even buy them in stores.
If you have an orange iPhone and want to keep it that way, my advice is simple: Don’t cover your phone with hydrogen peroxide. You are welcome. Of course, I digress, but it is worth remembering that hydrogen peroxide can be found in other products, including hair dye, so it is possible to have it in your hands and pick up your phone to answer the call without thinking. A case can really help protect your phone.
But if not, I don’t think you need to worry about keeping your phone in its original orange state. Of course, if you’re just looking for a pink iPhone 17 Pro, that’s another matter entirely, but my guidance has always been that dousing your phone with harmful chemicals is a no-brainer. It could do a lot of damage to you and your phone, and you’re best off just hoping that Apple launches a new pink iPhone Pro in September. And it might — it just launched the pink iPhone 17E, after all.
