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Airdrop multiple Photos from iPhone to Mac - each photo is in it's own folder

Since updating to macOS Monterrey 12.4 on my MacBook pro, when I select multiple photos on my iPhone and want to Air Drop them to my Mac into the Downloads folder, each picture ends up in separate folders (I select 'all data' in the options to transfer as I require that info in the finished files, it doesn't happen if you don't select 'all data').


It appears others have had this problem and the response (from Feb) was that it was a bug and would be fixed. Do we know when this might happen?

iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 15

Posted on Jul 3, 2022 2:51 AM

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Posted on Jul 3, 2022 11:28 AM

Thank you for posting those screenshots. I did not know about this.

I am away from my mac and so cannot test how it is received; by I do see that option in my iPhone. From what I can tell, it seems perfectly correct. That folder may have extra metadata files, like those you get with cinematic clips in iPhone 13. I imagine that for most pictures you capture there is no other files so you end up with a folder with just your npeg or heif file in it. If that is the case, just don’t turn on that all data switch, since you are not losing anything, anyway.


I will test later with files to which some filters were applied, and see what is transferred in each case.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 3, 2022 11:28 AM in response to Soundman277

Thank you for posting those screenshots. I did not know about this.

I am away from my mac and so cannot test how it is received; by I do see that option in my iPhone. From what I can tell, it seems perfectly correct. That folder may have extra metadata files, like those you get with cinematic clips in iPhone 13. I imagine that for most pictures you capture there is no other files so you end up with a folder with just your npeg or heif file in it. If that is the case, just don’t turn on that all data switch, since you are not losing anything, anyway.


I will test later with files to which some filters were applied, and see what is transferred in each case.

Jul 3, 2022 11:51 AM in response to Soundman277

I have done two transfers with All Data selected.


1) In the first the files had not been edited in any way on the iPhone. I just got the image files, and they were not in folders.


2) I edited a file on the iPhone. This time, I got a folder, including the original file and the modified file; I also got, in this folder, a file with extension .AAE, which contains metadata about the transformation applied to the file (I was able to open it in a text editor, and despite the file extension, it is an xml file.

Jul 3, 2022 12:58 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks and very interesting. It also makes sense as i always make basic edits on the iPhone first hence why they end up in folders once transferred with all data selected. As you say the important info is transferred even if you don't select all data. The only time i will need to select all data is when transferring from iPhone to iPhone/iPad as the date and time shown on the picture on the received device is that of the date and time of transfer, irrespective of whether the picture was edited.

All good though and thanks for your help.

Airdrop multiple Photos from iPhone to Mac - each photo is in it's own folder

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