Mac OS Photos JPEG vs jpeg (Live Photos)

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Level 1

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Mac OS Photos JPEG vs jpeg (Live Photos)

Hi,

I've just discovered something odd in the Mac OS Photos app. I have some older (from 2019) photos which show up twice in the Photos app with different filenames. For example IMG_1036.JPEG vs IMG8626.jpeg, are exactly the same (identical size, time stamp), where the .JPEG file is the still picture and the .jpeg file is the live picture (you can play the live video from the picture).

What I find very strange is that a Live Photo has a .jpeg extension and contains the live video.

Does anyone has seen this before and can explain this? Also is it safe to delete the .JPEG file and only keep the .jpeg file to avoid duplicates?

In the past I always had photo stream set to on so maybe this also played a role in this story.

Thanks

MacBook Pro (2020 and later)

Posted on Aug 31, 2021 12:41 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

TonyCollinet

Level 7

24,044 points

Aug 31, 2021 1:38 PM in response to Brampiec

It is almost certainly a result of different import methods. Many (including photostream) cannot transfer a live photo, so if you've used one of these, and then later used iCloud, you'll get both versions in the library.

And yes - if you are deleting from the all photos view, you can delete either of them without impacting the other.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Aug 31, 2021 1:43 PM in response to Brampiec

A live photo consists of a 2 second video and a jpg image. It's only viewable as a live photo in a Photos library. If you export it you'll get two files, one a move the other a jpeg. You could delete the movie file from outside the library and then reimport the jpeg.

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Answer 3

Brampiec Author

Level 1

14 points

Sep 1, 2021 5:20 AM in response to Old Toad

In the past I always used photo stream and sometimes direct connect of my iPhone to my Mac.

So the same picture can be available in .JPEG as the normal still picture, and as .jpeg which contains the live data.

So the .jpeg file in my story is under the hood the conjunction of the normal still picture and the live video file.

I still find it strange that it's displayed as a .jpeg file. Today the live pictures are show as one .heic file.

Thanks

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Answer 4

Sep 2, 2021 12:21 AM in response to Brampiec

Depending on the version of IOS, and or the phone settings, the photos may have been created in jpg format or HEIC format.

Further there is a setting "Transfer to PC" for the phone photos app, that can cause HEIC images to be converted to jpg when being transferred to the mac via (non iCloud) transfer. (when that setting is set to "most compatible").

So I guess in the past your phone was creating jpg images, or converting them on transfer.

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Mac OS Photos JPEG vs jpeg (Live Photos)

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