AAE Files

What is a .AAE file?

.AAE File Represents Edit Sidecars in Photos Format. This is the proprietary file format created and implemented by Apple within its Photos application running iOS and iPad operating systems as well as MacOS. Usually such .AAE file exists next to original asset with matching base names like IMG_1234.JPG + IMG_1234.AAE after transferring file from iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

A .AAE file is not containing any image pixel data. This file is storing only non-destructive editing information in order for Apple Photos to use it and create final edited view from original JPG, HEIC, MOV images based on the edit instructions, properties list, metadata information, references and instructions needed. This file format is usually ignored during viewing on Windows, Linux and Android devices without Photos support.

Users might encounter such .AAE files in cases they are transferring Photos from device through USB connection or through export of photos from Photos itself, Air Drop transfer, backups and browsing iPhone folders like DCIM folder. There is no contemporary file format which is unrelated to the edit sidecar usage with this particular extension used by anyone. In case of encountering the file in question one should know that if such file is starting with Plist declaration after opening and displaying as XML - that is a legitimate Photos sidecar file format. However, in all other cases it has probably wrong extension, application specific extension or it is misused in some way.

How to open a .AAE file

Technical details

An AAE file is just plain-text property list format, often UTF-8 encoded with Apple’s plist DTD (Document Type Definition), and contains dict, array, string, integer, real, and data standard property list objects. It has no fixed binary ‘magic number’ header in its common incarnation. AAE begins with an XML header like <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> plus plist's DOCTYPE and <plist> root tag.

As its MIME type, application/xml is common with the file being recognized in many generic software packages also as text/xml MIME type. Unlike other Apple file extensions, AAE has not received an official dedicated MIME type from the company to be assigned to such file by applications developers. In other words, AAE format does not follow the standard and is not specified for interchangeability between software systems and devices.

Typical AAE file size ranges from several kilobytes to tens of kilobytes. An AAE document is used to hold information about applied photos filters and adjustments data in the binary-encoded form. Common items included in the document are Apple-private editing parameters, adjustment identifiers, timestamp, photo orientation/crop geometries, applied filters' name and opaque blob data required for Apple image processing framework (in base64-encoded and other possible form). Endings and structure are not important, however modification of keys/values may cause an ignore of AAE content by Photos.

It's usual case for AAE files to have plain XML text representation. Also, a binary form exists in plist format which starts with bplist00 byte signature instead of text. The file could be read, analyzed with plutil command-line tool and converted in JSON/Bplist for inspection, but conversion will not process the photo as AAE is expected to do.

Correct attachment of AAE to a photo requires additional factors other than only matching filenames, e.g. library database and photo editing methods involved.

How to convert .AAE files

But converting it practically will mean much more than the sidecar file itself. There is an actual photograph alongside its .AAE and the result from conversion to be made using either JPEG, HEIC, and TIFF format, which is done through Apple Photos or iCloud Photos applications. On Mac computer with Photos app, it is possible to use File/Export/Export 1 Photo when pixel baked edition is wanted for Windows computer, Android computer, social networks or any other non-Apple computer. If it is required an unmodified file alongside with its sidecar, one needs File/Export/Export Unmodified original. However, if the original file was edited in HEIC format and cannot be opened by recipient, it can be exported as JPEG so the visible edit survives even without metadata, while also being deprived some additional characteristics of HEIC images.

There is no other option except using plutil program in the Terminal for rendering this file to either JSON of binary formats, for instance, plutil -convert json -o IMG_0001.json IMG_0001.AAE, but again, it does not allow performing crop and applying additional filters to images. The process of renaming of IMG_0001.AAE to IMG_0001.xml will give an ability for such popular text-editing editors as VS Code and Notepad++ to display code but it does not make this file available in photos programs.

Common problems and fixes

On Windows, these .AAE files are very often seen either as blank file or unknown or ask to select how to open the file - there is no in-built renderer in the Windows for Apple Photos editing instructions. This is normal. These files contain text-only data and usually open with any text editor as XML plist containing long strings of keys/values, proprietary adjustment keys as well as some incomprehensible looking strings. Such view is not a sign of corruption on its own.

As a matter of fact, when the .AAE is deleted, the original photo remains safe since it is just a sidecar file with instructions needed by Apple Photos/iCloud Photos app to recreate the edited version of the image in the future. Edits are not seen after the transfer because usually the problem happens due to one of the reasons - either the JPEG, HEIC/MOV was not moved with its corresponding sidecar (AAE) file OR because of different file names used so base name of the image file is now different. Sometimes in one move, there are created both the files IMG_E1234.JPG and IMG_1234.JPG - the first is probably rendered image while second file IMG_1234.AAE can be used as instruction on future rendering.

It could happen that some reason, Apple Photos decides not to follow the edit instructions for the photo (or for multiple files/images) because they can be invalid, incomplete or have something changed due to transfer process. This file will not be followed and thus editing will not be seen in the Apple photos program. To export the edits in such cases, the image is exported (or downloaded from the photos service) via editing program itself rather than being re-rendered via the sidecar (AAE) file on windows machine.

Security considerations

AAE documents are usually low-risk; they represent a passive XML property list and not a potential malicious payload such as an EXE/Script or Macro document. Yet there may be sensitive data revealed about the user including original filenames, time edit, hints about the device work-flow used, etc., sometimes even serialized meta data related to the corresponding photo. Due to its XML nature, the format is vulnerable to parsing exploits - utilize modern parsers that support disabling of the external entities' processing as needed. Be sure never to Trust an untrustworthy AAE attachment simply on account of a seemingly harmless file format extension; it might have been spoofed and is misleading in appearance. Editing it manually is more likely going to break recording of edits instead of causing problems.

When sending around photos and similar files, do not include AAE "sidecars" unless absolutely needed; for privacy checking, open them in text editor and match up information provided inside to the EXIF/XMP of the file itself. The content is not typically encrypted.

History and versions

The proprietary .AAE format from Apple came out around the release of iOS 8 and Yosemite back in 2014. The introduction of AAE format was the moment the Photo took away the old conception of the iPhoto, whereby edit metadata were saved inside a .library file structure. The format belongs to the Apple's Photos system, not an external standards agency or cross-company Photo editors organization. The use rate of the file increased with the growth of the iPhone user base and further expanded after introducing iOS 11's ability to work with the advanced and highly compressable HEIC/HEIF images in 2017.

Apple developed additional internal adjustment data according to each improvement the Photos had - now it covers Live Photos edits and other advanced features of Portrait Effects and Depth Effects in addition to the regular postprocessings. Apple did not publish any versions or specifications of the AAE format publicly. That's why most third parties deal with preservation and export of the file instead of the decoding of all edits instructions. Unlike XMP, the AAE is also a metadata sidecar like XMP is, but it is undocumented outside of Apple and application-specific while XMP is widely public. And since AAE files keep appearing during export process on iPhone or iPad you still should care about the extension.

Related formats

XMP sidecars are most similar across vendors. They contain the same standard metadata and some edit settings for Adobe software applications, as well as some other photo applications, thus migrating better compared to .AAE sidecars but not supporting the same editing paradigm as Apple Photos uses. Rendered in the form of .JPG or .JPEG is easier to manipulate since pixels themselves are set and reversible instruction of the sidecar is lost. .HEIC and .HEIF are the new formats of images made using iPhones; the edit of the HEIC file could be described by an .AAE sidecar. In any case, an old-fashioned system will probably require JPEGs to be created from the new photos taken. The video format would be another one that is used side-by-side with .AAE but .AAE is neither. .DNG keeps raw sensor output of the camera while .AAE keeps edits. The .TIFF file is preferable as an output for editing or for printers since it makes file larger.