Extract text from photo edit files (AAE)
To convert AAE edit files to another format, you need Apple Photos or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "XML Sidecar File" file type, you need software like Apple Photos or a similar tool.
The .AAE file is an XML-based sidecar file created by Apple iOS and macOS devices. Its primary purpose is to store non-destructive photo edits - such as crop, exposure, or filter adjustments - made in the Apple Photos app. When a user modifies a picture on an iPhone, the original HEIC or JPG remains untouched, and a tiny .AAE file is generated in the same directory to record the exact changes.
The main disadvantage of the .AAE format is its proprietary lock-in. Outside the Apple ecosystem, these files are completely useless. When users transfer photos to a Windows PC or an Android device via USB, the operating system cannot interpret the .AAE file. This results in the images reverting to their unedited originals, while confusing .AAE files clutter the file explorer. Furthermore, because they are just XML text, you cannot open them in standard image viewers.
Converting an .AAE file directly into a picture is physically impossible because it contains zero image data. However, for debugging or data extraction, you can convert the .AAE file to XML or TXT. If your goal is to view the edited image on a PC, you must export the finalized photo directly from the iOS device. Drag and drop your file here to analyze and convert it - free, online, and without installing software.
Convert.Guru analyzes your AAE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted AEE, JPG, MOV, HEIC, PDF, PNG, AAA, ENC, ZIP, CRDOWNLOAD, MP4, XML and SPV files.
If you want to convert AAE file to JPG, MP4, MOV, PNG, CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI or CFG, you can use Apple Photos or similar software from the "Photo Edit Sidecar Data" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to AAE, try Apple Photos or another comparable tool in the "Photo Edit Sidecar Data" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AAE converter.