Local by design
Your ITHMB files stay on your computer. The browser reads them directly and never uploads the photo data.
ITHMBConverter
Open converterPrivate photo recovery
ITHMB
Converter
Use this free ITHMB converter to turn old iPhone, iPad and iPod photo caches into JPG or PNG—privately, in your browser.
Convert ITHMB files Free preview · No upload
Local recovery workspace
NO UPLOADS · READ ONLY
Files never leave your browser
Recovery settings
Detected format
Unknown ITHMB variant
PER-FILE AUTO DETECTION
FILES
—
FRAMES FOUND
—
MODE
Auto
Recovery essentials
Why use this ITHMB converter?
Real frame decoding
Reconstruct raw RGB565, RGB555, reordered RGB555, UYVY and YCbCr frames instead of treating ITHMB as a normal image.
Batch recovery
Extract multiple cached photos, review the results, then save individual images or download one convenient ZIP.
How to convert ITHMB to JPG
How this ITHMB converter opens an obscure cache.
An ITHMB file is usually a thumbnail or artwork cache, not a conventional image. The converter reads the format ID from Fxxxx filenames, separates frames without loading a whole large cache into memory, and rebuilds each frame as a standard image.
Choose the cache
Drop an FXXXX.ithmb file from an iPod, iPhone backup or iPod Photo Cache folder.
Decode the frames
Each file gets its own profile. Large multi-frame caches are read one frame at a time to keep memory use predictable.
Export cached images
Preview reconstructed frames and export them as familiar JPEG or PNG files.
Find the right cache
Not every ITHMB file is built the same way.
Apple used the ITHMB extension for several thumbnail systems. A reliable ITHMB converter must use the filename and folder as format clues, so copy the cache without renaming it. An F-prefix file and a T-prefix file need different extraction paths even though both end in .ithmb.
ON THE DEVICE
F1055_1.ithmb
Many images, one fixed size.
F-prefix caches commonly store hundreds of consecutive raw frames. The number identifies the geometry and pixel layout; the suffix increments when a cache is split into another file.
iPod_Control / Photos / Thumbs / Fxxxx_y.ithmb
ON THE COMPUTER
T149.ithmb
One source photo, cached variants.
T-prefix files appear inside an iTunes-created iPod Photo Cache. They can contain representations of one source image; this converter scans the binary for a complete embedded JPEG stream.
iPod Photo Cache / F00–F50 / Txxx.ithmb
Found a Photo Database, ArtworkDB or Photos.sqlite too?
Keep it with the cache. Index files may preserve offsets, order, source paths or dates even though they do not contain the missing full-resolution pixels.
Format support
What this ITHMB converter actually reads.
Support labels describe the current browser implementation—not a promise based only on a file extension.
Fxxxx_y.ithmb
Raw multi-frame cache
Auto-detect 54 profiles
SUPPORTEDTxxx.ithmb
Computer-side iPod Photo Cache
Embedded JPEG extraction
SUPPORTED.dat / .ipm
Legacy camera or cache data
Manual profile available
MANUALPhoto Database / ArtworkDB
Frame order, offsets and names
Keep beside the ITHMB files
PLANNEDPhotos.sqlite
Later iOS photo-library metadata
Metadata import is not available yet
PLANNEDInside the decoder
A frame is decoded, not merely renamed.
SOURCE BYTES STAY LOCAL THROUGH EVERY STEP
01
Identify
Read F/T filename and select a profile
02
Slice
Read one frame with Blob.slice()
03
Decode
Rebuild RGB or YUV pixels
04
Export
Encode browser-native JPG or PNG
ITHMB troubleshooting
When a converted image looks wrong.
Do not assume the cache is damaged. Wrong colors and horizontal seams usually mean the decoder needs a different profile.
The image is colorful noise
The wrong pixel encoding is being used.
WHAT TO TRY
Keep the original Fxxxx filename or choose its device profile manually.
Rows look split or woven
The cache may store even and odd fields separately.
WHAT TO TRY
Use the matching interlaced UYVY profile instead of a progressive layout.
Colors are close, but wrong
RGB565, RGB555, byte order or red/blue order differs.
WHAT TO TRY
Try the exact F-prefix profile before changing dimensions.
The file produces zero frames
The filename was renamed or the frame size does not divide the file.
WHAT TO TRY
Restore the original filename or enter width, height and encoding in Advanced settings.
Recovery quality
The best available cache—not an invented original.
An ITHMB converter can reconstruct every pixel that remains in the cache. It cannot recreate detail that Apple discarded when generating a 55×55, 320×320 or 720×480 device copy.
What can survive
- Cached pixels and frame order
- Several device-sized versions
- Some names or dates when an index exists
What cannot be inferred
- Missing full-resolution detail
- EXIF data absent from both cache and database
- A deleted original file that was never cached
Supported ITHMB files
Made for Apple's forgotten photo caches.
ITHMB layouts changed across Apple device generations. This ITHMB converter recognizes 54 known F-prefix profiles, while manual controls help with renamed or unusual caches. Converted images retain the resolution stored in the cache; they are not reconstructed originals.
F1019
iPod TV-size photos
720 × 480
F1024
iPod fullscreen photos
320 × 240
F1055 / F1060
Album artwork caches
128–320 px
F1067
iPod Nano photo cache
YCbCr 4:2:0
F3001–F3011
Early iPhone caches
RGB555 / reordered RGB555
Manual
Unknown ITHMB variants
Custom settings
Privacy promise
A private workspace for personal memories.
No file uploads
No source file modification
No filenames recorded
No account needed to preview
ITHMB converter FAQ
Questions from the archive.
An ITHMB file is a thumbnail cache created by older Apple devices and iTunes. It can contain many raw image frames in one file, often without a normal JPEG or PNG header.
Choose one or more .ithmb files above. The converter reads the Fxxxx format ID from each filename, separates the frames locally, and lets you download the cached images as JPEG or PNG.
No. File reading, pixel decoding and image export happen inside your browser. The source file is never sent to our server and is never modified.
ITHMB layouts vary between device generations, and renamed files lose an important format clue. Keep the original Fxxxx filename when possible. Otherwise open Advanced settings and choose a known profile or enter the raw dimensions and encoding manually.
Usually not. ITHMB files store device-sized cache images rather than the original photo. The converter recovers the best frame that remains in the cache, which may still be large enough for viewing and sharing.
The decoder includes 54 known cache profiles covering iPod Photo, iPod Video, iPod Classic, iPod Nano, early iPhone and iPod Touch families. Some uncommon firmware variants may still require manual settings.
On older iPods, look under iPod_Control/Photos/Thumbs for Fxxxx_y.ithmb files. A computer-side iPod Photo Cache commonly contains F00–F50 folders with Txxx.ithmb files. Early iPhone backups may contain Photos/Thumbs, while later libraries use PhotoData/Thumbnails.
F-prefix files usually store many raw images with one fixed size and encoding. T-prefix files belong to an iTunes-created iPod Photo Cache and can hold cached variants of one source photo, including embedded JPEG data.
Yes. Copy index files together with the ITHMB files and do not rename them. They may contain offsets, order, names or dates. They cannot recreate missing full-resolution pixels, and metadata import is not available in this browser version yet.
Yes. Conversion runs in a modern browser, so the same local workflow works on current Windows, macOS and Linux systems without installing an old desktop decoder.