Extract text from AppleDouble metadata files (APPLE)
To convert APPLE Metadata files to another format, you need macOS or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "macOS Metadata File" file type, you need software like macOS or a similar tool.
The .apple file format is an AppleDouble metadata container generated automatically by macOS. It stores system-specific file attributes, resource forks, and custom icons when a Mac user copies files to a non-Mac file system, such as a Windows PC, a FAT32-formatted USB drive, or a network attached storage device like a Synology NAS.
These files are essentially a proprietary workaround created by Apple to preserve Mac-specific data on unsupported file systems. The main disadvantage of the .apple format is that it creates immense directory clutter. On a non-Mac system, these files appear as annoying, unopenable "duplicate" files that confuse users and clutter search results. They are not meant to be interacted with directly. You cannot open an .apple file with standard document or image editors, and it requires no software subscription to manage - you simply ignore or delete them using a basic file explorer.
Standard online converters fail to process it because it does not contain standard media or readable text; it is purely a binary metadata blob. You cannot convert this file into a PDF or JPG because there is no visual or document data to translate.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because it is a closed, system-level architecture designed exclusively for macOS. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your APPLE file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PAGES, NUMBERS, M4P, KEY, TXT, MP3, PDF, TGA, JP2, JPX, JPG and MP4 files.
If you want to convert APPLE file to MP3, JPG, MP4, PDF, TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW or PART, you can use macOS or similar software from the "macOS Extended Metadata Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to APPLE, try macOS or another comparable tool in the "macOS Extended Metadata Storage" 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 APPLE converter.