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What Is an MYB File in Mylio Photos?

When you import photos from Apple Photos or directly from an iPhone, you may notice that some items—especially those captured with special iPhone camera modes—include a .myb file. This is normal and expected behavior.

What MYB Files Are

An MYB file is a special file used by Mylio Photos to package and manage media that contains multiple internal components. While most commonly associated with iOS Live Photos, MYB files are also used for other special-mode iPhone media, such as:

  • Live Photos
  • Portrait mode photos
  • Other images that contain additional depth, motion, or camera-generated data

These formats include multiple underlying elements (such as HEIC stills, MOV clips, depth maps, or metadata), and Mylio uses MYB files to keep those components organized as a single item.

You may see an MYB file appear alongside other file types such as:

  • HEIC
  • JPG
  • MOV
  • XMP

This does not indicate duplicate photos—it simply reflects how Mylio groups and manages special-mode media internally.

How MYB Files Work

MYB files function as packetized containers—similar to a ZIP archive, but without data compression. Their purpose is to bundle all related media components so that Mylio can display and sync the item as a cohesive photo.

For example, depending on the type of media, an MYB file may contain:

  • The motion clip from a Live Photo
  • The depth map from a Portrait mode image
  • Additional iOS-generated metadata or supporting files

This allows Mylio to maintain full functionality and consistent behavior across devices.

Can I open an MYB file?

Technically, yes. If you rename .myb to .zip, you can view the internal contents (such as MOV or HEIC files).

However,⚠️ Mylio strongly recommends that you do not modify, rename, extract, or repackage MYB files. Altering these files may break special-mode photo functionality or cause sync issues.

Do I need to manage MYB files myself?

No.
MYB files are created and maintained automatically by Mylio Photos. Users should not edit or move them manually. Mylio handles all packaging, syncing, and display of special-mode media behind the scenes.