Apple Photos app corrupts images

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Import corruption & evidence

  • The issue appears when importing from SD cards/cameras into macOS Photos, especially with Olympus/OM System RAW (ORF), but some report corruption with iPhone/iCloud-only workflows too.
  • Checksums differ between source and imported files; binary diffs show large contiguous blocks (multiples of 512 bytes) being replaced, not just single-bit flips.
  • The author says they swapped essentially all hardware (laptop, camera, etc.) and still reproduced the problem, pointing strongly at Photos/import software rather than hardware failure.
  • Several users report milder artifacts (e.g., green lines, flipped images) but visually intact files; others have completely unreadable or partially overwritten images.

Suspected root cause

  • Many commenters think it’s an import-pipeline bug in Photos: a concurrency or buffering issue in the extra work done on import (merging RAW+JPEG, previews, database writes, optional delete-on-import).
  • The 512-byte granularity points some to a storage or filesystem-level corruption path; others still recommend RAM/disk tests and checking APFS block sizes.
  • A minority argue it could be OM’s USB implementation or SD cards, but counterexamples from non-OM cameras and iPhones weaken that explanation.

Workflows, mitigation & backups

  • Strong consensus: never use “delete after import” from the card/camera; only erase cards in-camera after verified backups.
  • Recommended workflows:
    • Copy from SD to local disk first, then import into Photos/Lightroom/Darktable.
    • Keep multiple copies (local + NAS + cloud), keep SD cards until off-device backups exist, sometimes even treat SDs as write-once archives.
  • Tools mentioned: Image Capture, Darktable, Lightroom, Digikam, PhotoSync, Immich, PhotoPrism, Landrop/LocalSend, osxphotos, PhotoRec/DiskDrill for recovery.

Apple software quality & bug handling

  • Multiple anecdotes of data or metadata integrity issues across Apple apps (Photos, Image Capture, Music/iTunes, Notes, Reminders, iCloud Drive, Maps).
  • Several describe iCloud Photos corrupting previously good images or making them unexportable.
  • Reporting bugs via Feedback Assistant/Radar is widely described as frustrating: demands for “example projects,” long silences, low priority for long-shipped bugs, and triage overwhelmed by volume.
  • Some ex-insiders and QA engineers note systemic underinvestment in testing and a culture that tolerates long-lived bugs unless they generate public backlash.

Trust, lock-in & alternatives

  • Many no longer trust Apple Photos/iCloud as the sole repository for irreplaceable images, despite paying for iCloud tiers; they emphasize owning flat files and independent backups.
  • Some keep Photos only as a front-end viewer and manage masters with open-source tools on local or self-hosted storage.
  • A few downplay risk, noting years of trouble-free imports from other brands, suggesting the bug might be rare or source-specific.

Miscellaneous

  • Several commenters find the “tenderlovemaking.com” domain amusing or problematic for work filters, sparking a side discussion about quirky tech-site names.