So, what is an AAE file? It's a small companion file that Apple Photos automatically generates whenever you edit a picture on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac and if you've moved photos onto a Windows PC, you've probably seen a stack of them next to your images.
The original photo stays exactly as it was; the AAE file just holds a record of your changes, separately from the image itself. It shows up on Windows simply because Windows has no built-in way to read it.
The Short Answer
An AAE file is a compact XML document that Apple Photos uses to log photo edits. On a Windows machine, it serves no function.
Removing it won't touch your photo the original image remains fully intact either way. The only reason to keep it is if you plan to reopen that photo later inside Apple Photos on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad and see your edits still applied.
What Is an AAE File, Really?
An AAE file is what's known as a sidecar file: a small, separate file that rides alongside a photo and stores the edit details for it.
Apple Photos writes one automatically the moment you make a change to a picture on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac the everyday gadgets most people use for photo editing.
The Core Idea
Here's the part people miss: an AAE file never stores pixels. It stores directions crop amount, exposure tweaks, filter choice, whether Portrait Mode blur was layered in.
The underlying photo file, whether it's a JPG or HEIC, never actually changes on your device. That's the entire design behind the system: because the original is never touched, you can always strip the edits back off later.
AAE files aren't limited to edits you made on purpose, either. Computational effects like Portrait Mode blur generate one too, so a photo you never manually adjusted might still carry an AAE file if the camera processed it at capture.
Most people only run into these files the first time they move photos onto Windows, since on Apple's own devices, the Photos app quietly manages everything without ever surfacing the file.
What Is Meant by a "Sidecar File"?
A sidecar file is a small helper file that travels next to a primary file and stores extra data about it. It always carries the same base name as the photo it's tied to.
|
Original Photo File |
Matching AAE File |
|
IMG_0026.JPG |
IMG_0026.AAE |
|
IMG_0244.HEIC |
IMG_0244.AAE |
|
IMG_1103.JPG |
IMG_1103.AAE |
If those two files ever get split apart for instance, the photo gets moved to another folder but the AAE stays put Apple Photos stops applying the recorded edits. The image simply reverts to how it looked before any changes were made.
What Does the Acronym AAE Represent?
Apple has never publicly explained what the letters AAE mean. The theory that circulates most often is Apple Aperture Edits, or possibly Apple Aperture Extension, and the timeline supports that guess.
AAE files first appeared with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite in 2014, right around when Apple was phasing out its older photo-editing software.
According to Wikipedia, Apple used its WWDC 2014 keynote to announce that Aperture and iPhoto would be retired in favor of the new Photos app. That backdrop makes the naming theory plausible, though Apple has never confirmed it outright.
What Data Does an AAE File Contain?
Open an AAE file in a plain text editor and you'll find XML a structured, readable format built for storing and passing data between programs. It logs precise edit steps, not actual image content.
For instance, it might record a 4.3-degree crop rotation, a +0.5 exposure bump, or the filter applied. That's why these files stay so small usually around 1KB since they hold only a set of instructions, never a copy of the photo.
Why Does Windows Show These Files After a Transfer?
These files turn up when photos are moved manually from an iPhone to a PC via File Explorer, drag-and-drop, or the AutoPlay import built into Windows. That approach pulls the raw files straight off the device, AAE sidecars included.
Finding AAE files on your PC actually tells you something useful: it confirms the transfer grabbed the unedited, original versions of your photos. The edits recorded in those files stay invisible, since Windows has no software capable of reading the format.
Some people also run into a "permission denied" message when opening an AAE file on Windows. That's expected behavior, not a broken file or a real permissions problem — Windows simply hasn't assigned any program to handle that file type.
Nothing is wrong with the file itself; the operating system just doesn't recognize it. If you regularly move photos off an iPhone, a dedicated transfer tool will usually handle this more cleanly than File Explorer.
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AAE File Behavior Across Platforms
How an AAE file behaves varies across different types of gadgets, which is worth laying out clearly:
|
Platform |
Can Read AAE File? |
Edits Visible? |
Safe to Delete? |
|
iPhone / iPad |
Yes |
Yes |
No — edit history is lost |
|
Mac (Apple Photos) |
Yes |
Yes |
No — edit history is lost |
|
Windows PC |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Linux |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Android |
No |
No |
Yes |
Should You Hold On to AAE Files?
The answer really comes down to where your photos live.
On Windows, Linux, or Android
AAE files serve no purpose here. None of these platforms can interpret them, so deleting them is completely safe your original photo is never affected.
On a Mac, iPhone, or iPad
Keep them if you care about preserving your edit history inside Apple Photos. As long as the AAE file sits in the same folder as its matching photo, Photos reads it automatically.
Separate them, and the edits vanish from view though the source image itself stays untouched.
Moving Between Apple Devices
Shifting photos between an iPhone, iPad, and Mac through AirDrop or iCloud carries the AAE files along automatically no extra effort needed.
Is It Possible to View an AAE File Manually?
Yes, technically. Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac will both open one. Since the contents are XML, they're readable, but not practically useful outside Apple Photos.
If you want to inspect what's inside, a code editor like VSCode makes the XML easier to parse thanks to syntax highlighting and cleaner formatting. Outside of troubleshooting, there's rarely a reason to open one on purpose.
On Apple's own devices, Photos reads and applies these files automatically, so you'll never need to interact with them directly.
Best Ways to Move iPhone Photos Without Dropping Your Edits
Most AAE clutter on a PC traces back to using a transfer method that pulls raw files instead of finished, edited versions a common headache when moving photos between Apple and Windows gadgets.
As reported by TechCrunch, when Apple announced it was ending development of Aperture in 2014, it pointed to the new Photos app and iCloud Photo Library as the way to keep a photo library safely stored and accessible from any device which only happens reliably through the right transfer method.
|
Transfer Method |
Platform |
Preserves Edits |
Difficulty |
|
iCloud Photos |
Mac, Windows, iOS |
Yes |
Easy |
|
Export from Mac Photos App |
Mac only |
Yes |
Easy |
|
iMazing (third-party software) |
Mac, Windows |
Yes |
Medium |
|
Cloud Storage (Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon Photos) |
Mac, Windows |
Yes (as flat file) |
Easy |
|
Drag-and-drop / File Explorer |
Windows |
No |
Easy — not recommended |
iCloud Photos
This is the easiest route for most people. It automatically syncs the fully edited version of each photo across your devices, and on Windows, you can reach them through the iCloud for Windows app.
Exporting From the Mac Photos App
This works well if you're already on a Mac.
Steps
Select the photos you want, open File > Export > Export Photos, and choose JPEG. That saves the edited version as a standard image file, so no AAE file is generated at all.
iMazing
Worth a look if you transfer photos often and want more control over the process. It renders the edited version of each photo during the transfer, so what ends up on your PC is already the finished image.
Final Takeaway
An AAE file is simply Apple's method for storing photo edits without altering the original image. On Apple's own devices, it operates invisibly.
On Windows, it's just clutter safe to remove, and never linked to the photo file itself. If these keep showing up during transfers, switching to iCloud Photos or a proper export method will stop it from happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting an AAE file delete my photo?
No. The AAE file and the photo are two separate files. Removing the AAE file only clears the stored edit instructions the original photo stays completely intact.
Why do only some photos have AAE files?
AAE files only get created when a photo has been edited or had an effect like Portrait Mode applied. Photos left untouched won't have one.
Can I open an AAE file on Windows?
You can, using Notepad or another text editor. It's readable XML data, but it isn't functional anywhere outside of Apple Photos.
How big are AAE files?
Around 1KB, typically. They only hold edit instructions, not image data, which is why they stay so small.
What happens if I move the AAE file away from its photo?
Apple Photos will stop applying those edits to the photo. The image itself remains unaffected, but the edit history won't appear in the app anymore.
