If you’re an iOS user, you would have come across the .AAE files. So, what are AAE files? What is the purpose of those files? How to open .AAE files? How to open .AAE files on Windows? We will find answers in this article.
What are AAE files?
AAE files are a record of edits made to an image from Apple photos. The primary purpose of these files is to transfer these edits to macOS from iOS, so that the original image is still retained, even after the modifications. With this, the user can revert the edited image to its original form whenever required. Now, these files are available only for certain versions of iPhone like iOS 8, 10, and later. You can find these files usually in the same folder as the original image and choosing to delete it, will eliminate the alteration made to the image and not the image itself. Also, please note that these files are of use only on Apple devices. If you transfer the image to Windows or other operating systems, you can safely delete the corresponding AAE files, as those will be of no use there.
How to open these files?
AAE files are XML-based files, created by Apple, to store all the information about the alterations made to an image. Now, how to open .AAE files? Since these are text-based files, you can open them using any text editor, like Notepad (Windows) and Apple TextEdit (Mac). This will show the XML data which cannot be further edited. Also, be aware that AAE files are generated only when you edit an image from the native photo application from Apple.
How to open .AAE files on Windows
If you export the image from an Apple device to a Windows device via mail or any messaging platform, the image along with its corresponding .AAE file will be stored. You will find the AAE file next to the JPG image in your Windows system. To open .AAE files on Windows, follow the below steps.
- Double-click on the corresponding AAE file from the file explorer.
- If the reading software is rightly associated, then you see the file open.
- If not, locate the corresponding JPG image and open it.
- To open the JPG file with the changes that are stored in AAE, locate the Apple device where the file is stored and open it there.
- If you want to view the XML data of the AAE file, then right-click on the AAE file on the Windows device, click on Open With and select a text editor and click on Ok.
How to convert AAE files to other formats
You can easily convert AAE files to JPG formats and others. Let’s take a quick look at the steps for the same.
- Download https://www.nchsoftware.com/imageconverter/pixpsetup.exe from your browser. This software converts files to different formats.
- Once the software is installed, open it, and click on the Add Files button.
- You can then select the AAE file or drag and drop it.
- Now, locate the destination folder, where you want the converted image to be saved.
- In the next window, select the output format from the available formats.
- Now, click on convert. The AAE file will now be converted to the selected format.
Final thoughts
AAE files can be of great use if you want access to the original file even after the modifications. However, if you do not require these files to be generated, then you can edit the image using any third-party software rather than Apple’s default photo application. AAE files are native to iOS and thus, if you edit the image using other software, wouldn’t generate these files. AAE files do not cause any harm to your device. It occupies as little as 5 kb. Also, keeping these files on Windows will not serve any purpose. Therefore, you can safely delete them from your Windows device. Both the AAE file and the original image will be present in the same folder and with the same name. If you rename the original file, there will be a connection mismatch and the corresponding AAE file will be lost. Also, if you’re looking out to find about factory reset iPhone without passcode, please stay connected with us.
