To export original files from Apple Photos on Mac with a metadata sidecar, select the photos, choose File > Export > Export Unmodified Original, and check Export IPTC as XMP. Photos saves the original image and an XMP sidecar in the destination you choose. Apple describes this option as exporting assigned IPTC metadata and keywords; it is not a complete copy of every detail or edit stored in the Photos library. Apple’s Photos export guide

What the XMP sidecar contains

A sidecar is a separate metadata file stored alongside the image file. Apple’s export control specifically names assigned IPTC metadata and keywords as the information exported to XMP. Use it when you want those fields to travel with the original files into an app that can read XMP sidecars.

Photos also displays other information, including capture date and time, camera details, location, people and pets, captions, and albums. Its Info window shows these details, but Apple does not say that every item shown there is included in the XMP sidecar. Do not assume this checkbox exports the entire Photos library record, album structure, or every Photos-specific attribute. Apple’s guide to photo information

Export original photos with XMP on Mac

  1. Open Photos and select the photos or videos to export. Command-click additional items to add them to the selection. If you want to inspect a photo’s available details first, select it and press Command-I to open the Info window.

  2. Choose File > Export > Export Unmodified Original. This exports items in the original file format in which they were imported into the library.

  3. In the export dialog, check Export IPTC as XMP. This is the control that produces the XMP sidecar. If the checkbox is absent, confirm that you chose Export Unmodified Original, rather than the separate command for exporting photos in a selected format.

  4. Optionally set File Name and Subfolder Format. Photos can name exported files using their Photos titles, original filenames, or sequential numbering, and can group exports into subfolders. Choose settings that make it easy to match each sidecar to its image.

  5. Click Export, choose a destination folder, then click Export Originals. Keep the resulting image and its corresponding .xmp file together when moving or copying the export; the sidecar is separate from the image.

Know what this export does not preserve

Unmodified Original means the source file in its original imported format, rather than a newly rendered copy of the current Photos edit. Apple documents the XMP option as an export of assigned IPTC metadata and keywords. The export control should therefore not be treated as a way to bake Photos adjustments into the image or preserve the full editable Photos library. Keep the library or a separate backup if you need that broader record.

A Live Photo exports as two separate files: a still-image file and a video file. Apple’s documented Live Photo note does not promise a corresponding XMP sidecar for each component, so check the exported files if sidecars for Live Photo assets are important to your workflow. Apple’s Photos export guide

If you need a rendered image that includes edits or want a different output format and size, Photos has a separate File > Export > Export [number] Photos command. That workflow offers format and image settings, but the documented XMP checkbox appears in the Export Unmodified Original flow. Don’t assume the two commands produce identical metadata or files.

Check the exported folder

After export, open the destination in Finder and confirm that the image files and any .xmp files are present. For a small sample, compare filenames and open the XMP files in a metadata-aware app that supports XMP. A missing sidecar may mean no supported IPTC information was assigned, the XMP option was not selected, or that item’s export did not create one; Apple’s guide does not guarantee that every selection produces a sidecar file.

This check confirms the files reached the destination and lets you assess whether your receiving app recognizes the sidecars. For a migration or archive, test a few representative items first, including an edited photo and a Live Photo, and verify the fields in the destination app before relying on the export as a complete transfer.

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