How to recover
What is .AAE file and should you delete it
from Windows
Discover the purpose of .AAE files in Windows 10 and 11. Find out if you should delete them and recover lost files easily. Expert-tested solutions!
What leads to What is .AAE file and should you delete it?
- .AAE files are created by the Photos app on iOS devices.
- They contain edit information for .JPG files.
- Windows does not natively support .AAE file viewing.
- .AAE files may appear without an extension when transferred to Windows.
- The data in .AAE files is not incorporated into the image.
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Hello, I recently uploaded all my photos I had on my old iPhone to my Windows PC. I did use my phone to modify some of these pictures, so the .AAE files are included. However, I cannot view those files on Windows machine - do you know if it is possible at all? Thanks for the advice.
.AAE is a file format created by Photos app on the iOS device and comprises of edit information about a particular .JPG file. Its main purpose is to transfer the edit information about the photo so that users could easily access the original version of the file if they would want so. .AAE are XML-based[ref en-1] files are used by iOS 8 + and OS X 10.10+ devices.
.AAE files are generally unique to Mac-based systems as they are created with the help of Photos app, although these files can also be copied to Windows or other operating systems. However, they are particularly confusing for Windows users, especially if they do not know what these files are used for.
As previously mentioned, AAE files hold file modification data, allowing the user to view its original form. Once copied from iOS or Mac device to Windows, however, these files appear without the extension and, as soon as users try to open them, they are presented with an error message
The information held on the .AAE file can, in fact, be viewed via a text editor program, such as Notepad.[ref en-3] However, it brings no use for the user, as the data is not incorporated into the image. Thus, while you might be able to access the information on the file on older Mac OS X or iOS, as well as Windows operating systems, the modified version of the picture will not be accessible.
How can you open .AAE files or transfer them to another platform and retain the modifications on the image?
You cannot open .aae files on older Mac systems and Windows directly. However, there is a solution for this situation, and it can be easily solved. To open this file format and safely transfer the modified versions of the files, you will have to use your iPhone or Mac OS X/macOS first. There are several ways how to transfer the particular picture, which includes:
- Uploading the modified version of the photo on OneDrive or another hosting service.[ref en-2] Then, access the picture via your Windows or older Mac computer and download the modified version of it.
- Put the picture on the social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.
- Use another application on your iPhone to open the modified file and then save it. Transfer the file via the email or communications app.
Should I delete .AAE files?
If you transferred the images from your iPhone to a Windows machine and you do not mind that modifications to those photos were not applied, you can safely delete .AAE files, they will not affect anything. However, be aware that if you delete or rename these files on your iPhone or Mac, you will not be able to retrieve these modifications.
Note: if you renamed the .AAE file and still remember the original name, they will be in working order as soon as you rename them to default.
Bottom line
To open .AAE files, you can view them using a text editor like Notepad, but this does not help with accessing the modified images. Unfortunately, you cannot directly open .AAE files on older Mac systems or Windows. If these methods do not work, consider using a compatible Mac or iOS device to access the original modified images.
Frequently asked questions
.AAE files store edits made to photos in the Apple Photos app, and they accompany the original image files. If you're using Windows 10 or Windows 11 to manage these images, .AAE files may not be necessary for your workflow.
Yes, if you delete .AAE files, you might lose any edits made in the Apple Photos app, as these files contain the editing information. However, the original images will remain unaffected.
To recover lost .AAE files, you can use file recovery software compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11, or check your backups if you have them. Additionally, ensure to look in the Recycle Bin for any accidentally deleted .AAE files.
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