iOS: upload the unedited original (e.g. ProRAW DNG) next to the edited render, stacked

[pietervanstee]

Problem

On iOS, the app uploads the current version of a photo. When a ProRAW shot was edited in
the Photos app before the first backup (colour, light, crop, or a 16:9 / 1:1 capture, which
iOS stores as a 4:3 DNG plus a crop edit), the server only ever receives the rendered JPEG.
The DNG never leaves the phone. PR #31082 (3.3.0) stacks a later edit over an
already-backed-up original, but it cannot recover an original that was edited before the
upload. Issue #5818 covers the same resource question for Portrait/Cinematic data.

On our server (3.3.1, 3 iPhones) all 70 lowercase .jpeg uploads from the Pro Max phones
since 2026-08 are such cases; 270 real DNGs are all unedited 4:3 shots.

Why it is technically possible

PhotoKit keeps the original capture of an edited asset:

• PHAssetResource.assetResources(for:) returns .photo (original capture),
  .fullSizePhoto (edited render) and .adjustmentData (the edit recipe) for an edited
  asset (Apple docs: PHAssetResource, PHAssetResourceType).
• Today the app fetches the current resource: StorageRepository.getFileForAsset calls
  entity.originFile. In photo_manager 3.9.0 (the pin in mobile/pubspec.yaml at
  v3.3.1) that reaches PMManager.m fetchOriginImageFile → getCurrentResource.
  The native hash path mobile/ios/Runner/Sync/PHAssetExtensions.swift getResource()
  (lines 54-76) uses the same order: the resource with isCurrent, else the full-size one.
  Checked at tag v3.3.1.
• photo_manager 3.10.0 adds asset.darwin.hasAdjustments, asset.darwin.getBaseFile()
  (isOrigin defaults to true) and asset.darwin.getAdjustmentData(), which expose the
  original and the recipe (3.10.0 changelog, lib/src/types/darwin.dart).

Proposed behaviour

1. When hasAdjustments is true, upload the edited render as today, then upload the base
   file (asset.darwin.getBaseFile()) as a second asset with the original file name
   (IMG_xxxx.DNG), deduplicated by its own checksum.
2. Stack the two with the existing stack call (render as cover), the same way feat(mobile): stack edited photos over the original on upload #31082
   stacks a later edit.
3. Optional: attach .aae adjustment data as a sidecar (links to [BUG] In the iOS app, the metadata of the backed up file is different.  #5818).
4. A setting "Also back up unedited originals" (default on for RAW, off for HEIC) keeps
   bandwidth under control.

Caveats to handle

• iCloud Optimised Storage: .photo may need a network fetch (the app already handles this
  for the current resource).
• HEIF + RAW pairs expose .alternatePhoto; pick the DNG by UTI.
• Limited library access: only selected assets are visible.
• Live Photos and video need .video / .fullSizeVideo handling, out of scope here.

Workaround today

Let the app back up the DNG first, then edit. For an already-edited photo: Photos → Edit →
Revert (loses the edit) or Mac Photos → File → Export → Export Unmodified Original, then
upload with the web or CLI.

I am happy to test a build on 3 iPhones (16 Pro Max, iOS 26) with ProRAW.

[github-actions[bot]]

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