Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

26 points

What's the purpose of the IMG_Exxxx.jpg files on my iPhone?

If I take a photo without Live fomat activated it results in 2 files, ie IMG_1111.jpg and IMG_E1111.jpg (as well as 2 AIEE files), the latter being smaller in file size.

When you open them from their folder when the phone is attached to my PC I can see that the IMG_1111.jpg has a larger format, while the IMG_E1111.jpg has the same format as I saw on my iPhone 14 screen when it was taken. But is only the IMG_E1111.jpg picture that is visible when looking on my phone in the Camera roll.

If I do the same thing with Live activated the same thing happens but I am also left with a .mov file which I am guessing is from the Live function.

So, what is the purpose of the 2 different files? Why does the phone take/keep 2 files of the same image which obviously takes up space on my phone? I am not doing any editing of the images on the phone. I export them to my PC and edit them in Photoshop. I also noticed that if I delete the IMG_E1111.jpg image from the camera roll both files disappear.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 14

Posted on Jan 26, 2024 5:19 AM

Reply

Top-ranking reply

Level 10

198,565 points

Posted on Jan 28, 2024 4:17 AM

The iPhone camera will always take the image in the 4:3 format, as it is the size of the sensor. When you set the Camera to use a different aspect ratio, the Camera will crop the 4:3 image accordingly, and then generate a preview of the cropped version. To save storage, take the images in the 4:3 format and crop only the photos you want to keep and want to see in 16.9 format.The used storage will be the same - for the version cropped by the Camera and the manually cropped version in Photos.

View in context

Similar questions

6 replies

Sort By:

Top-ranking reply

Level 10

198,565 points

Jan 28, 2024 4:17 AM in response to younso

The iPhone camera will always take the image in the 4:3 format, as it is the size of the sensor. When you set the Camera to use a different aspect ratio, the Camera will crop the 4:3 image accordingly, and then generate a preview of the cropped version. To save storage, take the images in the 4:3 format and crop only the photos you want to keep and want to see in 16.9 format.The used storage will be the same - for the version cropped by the Camera and the manually cropped version in Photos.

Reply

Level 1

26 points

Jan 28, 2024 3:46 AM in response to markwmsn

I think you are right Markwmsn :).

I took 4 pictures:

Picture 1 4:3 No live 3.6 MB

Picture 2 16:9 No live 2.6 MB

Picture 3 4:3 Live on 3.6 MB

Picture 4 16:9 Live on 3.3 MB

Upon importing these images through iCloud for Windows I see 4 images with 2 different formats, 4:3 and 16:9 and nothing else.

Upon plugging in my phone to my PC and looking through the Windows explorer I see the following:

Picture 1 4:3

Picture 2 4:3 2 AEE files 1 file named IMG_E….. with format 16:9

Picture 3 4:3 .mov file

Picture 4 4:3 2 AEE files .mov file 2 files named IMG_E… and .mov version

So, I agree using the 16:9 format results in 3 additional files and adding Live on top of that gives me an additional 2 files.

So to summarize, a 4:3 format and no live gives in my case a file of 3.6 MB, a 16:9 format and no live gives me files of a total of 6.2 MB, add on live to these 2 examples gives me 8.7 MB respectively 24 MB! Which means for all of those people who never delete images on their phone that there is a lot of unnecessary space being take on their phone by Photos. Or am I missing something?

Reply

Jan 28, 2024 12:51 AM in response to markwmsn

> non-default aspect ratios can count as editing

Doing 16:9 edit to an image (iPad Air 2022), and then AirDropping with "All Photos Data" option to the Mac exports these files (IMG_E0308 is the 16:9 version and the other is the original):

Reply

Jan 26, 2024 6:44 AM in response to younso

I tested this several months ago. If image or movie pixel data is edited on an iOS device ("Edit" button besides Info "i" button), the edited copies have a filename like IMG_E####.MOV (and there is also *.AAE adjustmentData sidecar file).

The original and edited version can be copied to the Mac via Image Capture. Via default AirDrop settings only the edited version is copied. Via AirDrop "All Photos Data" option it sends the original and pixel-edited version but both without any of those metadata edits.

AirDrop "All Photos Data" option prompts to "Save to Downloads" or "Open in Photos" and they differ at least in that copying straight to Photos preserves the edited location while importing from a folder does not.

I tested this also in Win 10 via VMWare Fusion and File Explorer > Apple iPhone > Internal Storage > DCIM > YYYYMM_ behaves the same as Image Capture in macOS.

Reply

Level 1

26 points

Jan 26, 2024 6:50 AM in response to Matti Haveri

thanks for this, but as I wrote I have not edited anything on my phone and still I have these files. I am also absolutely certain that when I use iCloud for Windows it is not the file IMG_E1111.jpg that shows up on my PC.

Reply

Level 6

15,995 points

Jan 27, 2024 10:08 PM in response to younso

I recall hearing that using non-default aspect ratios can count as editing for this purpose. That seems to match your comment about "larger format" versus "same format" displays and different file sizes; the larger file allows reverting to the full frame version by undoing the "crop" implicit in the non-default aspect ratio.

Reply

What's the purpose of the IMG_Exxxx.jpg files on my iPhone?

Welcome to Apple Support Community

A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.

Learn more Sign up