GoKawiiliPhone cache found retaining 145,000 'permanently deleted' photos and videos
A user running a security audit with Claude Code discovered that a hidden directory on their iPhone, PhotoData/Thumbnails, contained over 146,000 photos and videos they had deleted between 2021 and 2025, including some cleared multiple times from Recently Deleted. The files included sensitive images such as ID photos, bank screenshots and a crypto seed phrase, and were accessible to any of the 23 apps on the phone with file and folder permissions.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The finding suggests Apple's photo deletion process may not fully erase images from the device, since iOS appears to retain compressed copies in a search-indexing cache indefinitely. This could expose users to privacy risks if third-party apps with broad file access read that cache, though it remains unclear whether any app has actually done so or whether this behavior is intentional on Apple's part.
- A hidden cache called PhotoData/Thumbnails reportedly retained over 145,000 deleted photos and videos spanning 2021-2025
- Sensitive content including ID images, bank details and a crypto seed phrase was found still stored despite repeated deletion
- Restricting apps' Files and Folders access (cut from 23 to 3 in this case) is offered as a quick mitigation step
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Published there as: “Claude Code found 145K photos I deleted from my iPhone sitting in a hidden cache”
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