Apple Aperture smart album file
File type: Various data file
An APSMARTALBUM file stores a smart album definition for Apple Aperture. It contains the criteria Aperture uses to collect matching photos in a virtual album.
The file belongs to the Apple Aperture photo management and editing application.
File type category:
Various data file
Date updated: September 28, 2026
Apple Aperture was a professional photo management and editing application for Mac OS X and macOS. An APSMARTALBUM file represents a smart album, which organizes photos automatically according to saved search or filtering criteria rather than storing a separate copy of each photo.
The file is associated with Aperture's library-based workflow and is intended to be used by Aperture with the related photo library. It does not serve as a general-purpose image file.
Apple discontinued Aperture, so the format is no longer actively developed and is mainly encountered in older Aperture libraries and archives.
Open an APSMARTALBUM file with Apple Aperture on a Mac. Aperture is discontinued and may require an older compatible version of Mac OS X or macOS; the file may also depend on the Aperture library with which it was created.
It is not normally useful to open this file in a text editor or an image viewer because it stores smart album information rather than a viewable photograph.
There is no useful standalone conversion for an APSMARTALBUM file. It stores smart album criteria, not image data, so general file converters cannot turn it into a standard image or album format.
When Aperture can open the associated library, export the required photos from Aperture and recreate the corresponding album or search in another photo application.
Software applications that handle other tasks involving apsmartalbum files:
Apple macOS / Mac OS X
Apple Aperture
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