147,863 Files He Thought Were Deleted: Grok Bot Found Old iPhone Photos Hiding in a Backup's Thumbnails Folder
- Level Intermediate
- Setup~30 min (estimated)
- Evidence Anecdotal
- CostNot stated in source
- No-codeYes
What they did
He backed up his iPhone to his laptop and asked Grok Bot to review the exported files. It flagged a PhotoData/Thumbnails folder with 147,863 files, including previews of photos he remembered deleting, among them a passport photo, bank screenshots and a wallet recovery phrase. It separated thumbnails from originals, and his privacy cleanup got a longer checklist.
How it went
It flagged PhotoData/Thumbnails with 147,863 files, including previews of images he had deleted, organized the files and separated thumbnails from originals, and he started checking older backups too.
Worth knowing
- X post by @Mellon0x (Oct 24, 2026 Denver time): Grok Bot reviewed an exported iPhone backup and flagged PhotoData/Thumbnails with 147,863 files, including previews of photos he had deleted. The post is written in an engagement style ('save this') and shows no screenshots, so treat the numbers as his claim.
- Backups hold sensitive files; keep the review on your own computer and delete nothing until you've checked what each folder is.
Prompt
Cleaned version rewritten from the source — not a direct quote.
I exported a backup of my phone to [folder]. Go through it and list every place where copies or previews of my photos are stored, including thumbnail and cache folders, not just the camera roll. Count the files in each place, separate thumbnails from originals, and flag anything that looks sensitive (IDs, bank screenshots, passwords or recovery phrases). Don't delete anything; give me a cleanup checklist.
Recommended
Try it in Grok Bot
- Copy the prompt (button below).
- Open Grok Bot chat and paste it. Replace any [bracketed] placeholders.
- Connect the listed tools (as needed) as connectors when Grok Bot asks.
- If the task repeats, ask: "Make this a daily routine."
Alternatives: the same prompt works in Claude, ChatGPT Agent, OpenClaw.
Set it up
Stack: Grok Bot + computer files
- Read the original source for full context.
- Connect the tools your agent needs.
- Paste the prompt and replace [bracketed] placeholders.
- Run once manually and check the output before scheduling it.
Generic suggested steps, not from the source.
Evidence
X post by @Mellon0x (Oct 24, 2026 Denver time): Grok Bot reviewed an exported iPhone backup and flagged PhotoData/Thumbnails with 147,863 files, including previews of photos he had deleted. The post is written in an engagement style ('save this') and shows no screenshots, so treat the numbers as his claim. Backups hold sensitive files; keep the review on your own computer and delete nothing until you've checked what each folder is
Source: X · 2026-10-24 · Verified by us: not yet · Report broken or outdated