diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/components/FixCreationTime.tsx b/web/apps/photos/src/components/FixCreationTime.tsx
index 986f0a106b..bee5e78621 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/components/FixCreationTime.tsx
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/components/FixCreationTime.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import { downloadManager } from "ente-gallery/services/download";
 import { extractExifDates } from "ente-gallery/services/exif";
 import { fileLogID, type EnteFile } from "ente-media/file";
 import {
-    decryptPublicMagicMetadata,
     fileCreationPhotoDate,
     fileFileName,
     type ParsedMetadataDate,
@@ -343,10 +342,7 @@ const updateFileDate = async (
 
     if (!newDate) return;
 
-    const existingDate = fileCreationPhotoDate(
-        file,
-        await decryptPublicMagicMetadata(file),
-    );
+    const existingDate = fileCreationPhotoDate(file);
     if (newDate.timestamp == existingDate.getTime()) return;
 
     await updateFilePublicMagicMetadata(file, {
diff --git a/web/packages/gallery/components/FileInfo.tsx b/web/packages/gallery/components/FileInfo.tsx
index 1d891e0b81..5d272738bb 100644
--- a/web/packages/gallery/components/FileInfo.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/gallery/components/FileInfo.tsx
@@ -58,11 +58,9 @@ import { tagNumericValue, type RawExifTags } from "ente-gallery/services/exif";
 import { formattedByteSize } from "ente-gallery/utils/units";
 import { type EnteFile } from "ente-media/file";
 import {
-    fileCaption,
     fileCreationPhotoDate,
     fileFileName,
     fileLocation,
-    filePublicMagicMetadata,
     type ParsedMetadata,
     type ParsedMetadataDate,
 } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
@@ -260,7 +258,7 @@ export const FileInfo: React.FC<FileInfoProps> = ({
         onSelectPerson?.(personID);
     };
 
-    const uploaderName = filePublicMagicMetadata(file)?.uploaderName;
+    const uploaderName = file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.uploaderName;
 
     return (
         <FileInfoSidebar {...{ open, onClose }}>
@@ -582,7 +580,7 @@ const Caption: React.FC<CaptionProps> = ({
 }) => {
     const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
 
-    const caption = fileCaption(file) ?? "";
+    const caption = file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.caption ?? "";
 
     const formik = useFormik<{ caption: string }>({
         initialValues: { caption },
@@ -675,10 +673,7 @@ const CreationTime: React.FC<CreationTimeProps> = ({
     const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(false);
     const [isSaving, setIsSaving] = useState(false);
 
-    const originalDate = fileCreationPhotoDate(
-        file,
-        filePublicMagicMetadata(file),
-    );
+    const originalDate = fileCreationPhotoDate(file);
 
     const saveEdits = async (pickedTime: ParsedMetadataDate) => {
         setIsEditing(false);
diff --git a/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/FileViewer.tsx b/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/FileViewer.tsx
index baa10f24d5..90323618fc 100644
--- a/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/FileViewer.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/FileViewer.tsx
@@ -37,11 +37,7 @@ import {
     type FileInfoProps,
 } from "ente-gallery/components/FileInfo";
 import type { Collection } from "ente-media/collection";
-import {
-    fileFileName,
-    fileVisibility,
-    ItemVisibility,
-} from "ente-media/file-metadata";
+import { fileFileName, ItemVisibility } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import { FileType } from "ente-media/file-type";
 import type { EnteFile } from "ente-media/file.js";
 import { isHEICExtension, needsJPEGConversion } from "ente-media/formats";
@@ -670,7 +666,7 @@ export const FileViewer: React.FC<FileViewerProps> = ({
                 file &&
                 activeAnnotatedFile.annotation.showArchive
             ) {
-                switch (fileVisibility(file)) {
+                switch (file.magicMetadata?.data.visibility) {
                     case undefined:
                     case ItemVisibility.visible:
                         isArchived = false;
diff --git a/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/data-source.ts b/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/data-source.ts
index 1611c9e41f..f13df294b4 100644
--- a/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/data-source.ts
+++ b/web/packages/gallery/components/viewer/data-source.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import {
     type HLSPlaylistDataForFile,
 } from "ente-gallery/services/video";
 import type { EnteFile } from "ente-media/file";
-import { fileCaption, filePublicMagicMetadata } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import { FileType } from "ente-media/file-type";
 import { ensureString } from "ente-utils/ensure";
 
@@ -439,7 +438,7 @@ const enqueueUpdates = async (
     const update = (itemData: Partial<ItemData>, validTill?: Date) => {
         // Use the file's caption as its alt text (in addition to using it as
         // the visible caption).
-        const alt = fileCaption(file);
+        const alt = file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.caption;
 
         _state.itemDataByFileID.set(file.id, {
             ...itemData,
@@ -647,8 +646,7 @@ const thumbnailDimensions = (
     { width: thumbnailWidth, height: thumbnailHeight }: Partial<ItemData>,
     file: EnteFile,
 ) => {
-    const { w: imageWidth, h: imageHeight } =
-        filePublicMagicMetadata(file) ?? {};
+    const { w: imageWidth, h: imageHeight } = file.pubMagicMetadata?.data ?? {};
     if (thumbnailWidth && thumbnailHeight && imageWidth && imageHeight) {
         const arThumb = thumbnailWidth / thumbnailHeight;
         const arImage = imageWidth / imageHeight;
diff --git a/web/packages/gallery/services/upload/upload-service.ts b/web/packages/gallery/services/upload/upload-service.ts
index 6a0cb9ba31..b6c89e9a58 100644
--- a/web/packages/gallery/services/upload/upload-service.ts
+++ b/web/packages/gallery/services/upload/upload-service.ts
@@ -33,14 +33,13 @@ import type {
     EncryptedMagicMetadata,
     EnteFile,
     FilePublicMagicMetadata,
-    FilePublicMagicMetadataProps,
 } from "ente-media/file";
 import {
     fileFileName,
     metadataHash,
     type FileMetadata,
+    type FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
     type ParsedMetadata,
-    type PublicMagicMetadata,
 } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import { FileType, type FileTypeInfo } from "ente-media/file-type";
 import { encodeLivePhoto } from "ente-media/live-photo";
@@ -1047,7 +1046,7 @@ const readEntireStream = async (stream: ReadableStream) =>
 
 interface ExtractAssetMetadataResult {
     metadata: FileMetadata;
-    publicMagicMetadata: FilePublicMagicMetadataProps;
+    publicMagicMetadata: FilePublicMagicMetadataData;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1171,7 +1170,7 @@ const extractImageOrVideoMetadata = async (
         parsedMetadataJSONMap,
     );
 
-    const publicMagicMetadata: PublicMagicMetadata = {};
+    const publicMagicMetadata: FilePublicMagicMetadataData = {};
 
     const modificationTime =
         parsedMetadataJSON?.modificationTime ?? lastModifiedMs * 1000;
@@ -1490,7 +1489,7 @@ const augmentWithThumbnail = async (
 };
 
 const constructPublicMagicMetadata = async (
-    publicMagicMetadataProps: FilePublicMagicMetadataProps,
+    publicMagicMetadataProps: FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
 ): Promise<FilePublicMagicMetadata> => {
     const nonEmptyPublicMagicMetadataProps = getNonEmptyMagicMetadataProps(
         publicMagicMetadataProps,
diff --git a/web/packages/gallery/services/video.ts b/web/packages/gallery/services/video.ts
index ebdfb362f2..02a0b93c36 100644
--- a/web/packages/gallery/services/video.ts
+++ b/web/packages/gallery/services/video.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import log from "ente-base/log";
 import { apiURL } from "ente-base/origins";
 import { ensureAuthToken } from "ente-base/token";
 import { fileLogID, type EnteFile } from "ente-media/file";
-import { filePublicMagicMetadata } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import { FileType } from "ente-media/file-type";
 import { updateFilePublicMagicMetadata } from "ente-new/photos/services/file";
 import {
@@ -336,7 +335,7 @@ export const hlsPlaylistDataForFile = async (
 ): Promise<HLSPlaylistDataForFile> => {
     ensurePrecondition(file.metadata.fileType == FileType.video);
 
-    if (filePublicMagicMetadata(file)?.sv == 1) {
+    if (file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.sv == 1) {
         return "skip";
     }
 
@@ -901,7 +900,7 @@ const backfillQueue = async (
                 // Not in trash.
                 !localTrashFileIDs.has(f.id) &&
                 // See: [Note: Marking files which do not need video processing]
-                filePublicMagicMetadata(f)?.sv != 1,
+                f.pubMagicMetadata?.data.sv != 1,
         ),
     );
 
diff --git a/web/packages/media/file-metadata.ts b/web/packages/media/file-metadata.ts
index e75e6be8e2..73540f7ea8 100644
--- a/web/packages/media/file-metadata.ts
+++ b/web/packages/media/file-metadata.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,15 @@
-import { decryptMetadataJSON, encryptMetadataJSON } from "ente-base/crypto";
+import { encryptMetadataJSON } from "ente-base/crypto";
 import { authenticatedRequestHeaders, ensureOk } from "ente-base/http";
 import { apiURL } from "ente-base/origins";
 import { type Location } from "ente-base/types";
 import {
-    fileLogID,
     type EnteFile,
     type EnteFile2,
     type FileMagicMetadata,
     type FilePrivateMagicMetadata,
-    type FilePublicMagicMetadata,
 } from "ente-media/file";
 import { nullToUndefined } from "ente-utils/transform";
 import { z } from "zod/v4";
-import { mergeMetadata1 } from "./file";
 import { FileType } from "./file-type";
 import type { RemoteMagicMetadata } from "./magic-metadata";
 
@@ -293,7 +290,7 @@ export type ItemVisibility =
  *
  * Also see: [Note: Zod doesn't work with `exactOptionalPropertyTypes` yet].
  */
-export interface PublicMagicMetadata {
+export interface FilePublicMagicMetadataData {
     /**
      * A ISO 8601 date time string without a timezone, indicating the local time
      * where the photo (or video) was taken.
@@ -358,6 +355,20 @@ export interface PublicMagicMetadata {
      * (The owner of such files will be the owner of the collection)
      */
     uploaderName?: string;
+    /**
+     * Edited latitude of the file
+     *
+     * If the user edits the location (latitude and longitude) of a file within
+     * Ente, then the edits will be stored as the {@link lat} and {@link long}
+     * properties in the file's public magic metadata.
+     */
+    lat?: number;
+    /**
+     * Edited longitude of the file.
+     *
+     * See {@link long}.
+     */
+    long?: number;
     /**
      * An arbitrary integer set to indicate that this file should be skipped for
      * the purpose of HLS generation.
@@ -402,7 +413,8 @@ export interface PublicMagicMetadata {
  * might be other, newer, clients out there adding fields that the current
  * client might not we aware of, and we don't want to overwrite them.
  */
-const PublicMagicMetadata = z.looseObject({
+// TODO(RE): Use me
+export const PublicMagicMetadata = z.looseObject({
     // [Note: Zod doesn't work with `exactOptionalPropertyTypes` yet]
     //
     // Using `optional` is not accurate here. The key is optional, but the
@@ -416,46 +428,6 @@ const PublicMagicMetadata = z.looseObject({
     editedTime: z.number().optional(),
 });
 
-/**
- * Return the private magic metadata for an {@link EnteFile}.
- *
- * We are not expected to be in a scenario where the file gets to the UI without
- * having its private magic metadata decrypted, so this function is a sanity
- * check and should be a no-op in usually. It'll throw if it finds its
- * assumptions broken. Once the types have been refactored this entire
- * check/cast shouldn't be needed, and this should become a trivial accessor.
- */
-export const filePrivateMagicMetadata = (file: EnteFile) => {
-    if (!file.magicMetadata) return undefined;
-    if (typeof file.magicMetadata.data == "string") {
-        throw new Error(
-            `Private magic metadata for ${fileLogID(file)} had not been decrypted even when the file reached the UI layer`,
-        );
-    }
-    return file.magicMetadata.data;
-};
-
-/**
- * Return the public magic metadata for an {@link EnteFile}.
- *
- * We are not expected to be in a scenario where the file gets to the UI without
- * having its public magic metadata decrypted, so this function is a sanity
- * check and should be a no-op in usually. It'll throw if it finds its
- * assumptions broken. Once the types have been refactored this entire
- * check/cast shouldn't be needed, and this should become a trivial accessor.
- */
-export const filePublicMagicMetadata = (file: EnteFile) => {
-    if (!file.pubMagicMetadata) return undefined;
-    if (typeof file.pubMagicMetadata.data == "string") {
-        throw new Error(
-            `Public magic metadata for ${fileLogID(file)} had not been decrypted even when the file reached the UI layer`,
-        );
-    }
-    // This cast is unavoidable in the current setup. We need to refactor the
-    // types so that this cast in not needed.
-    return file.pubMagicMetadata.data as PublicMagicMetadata;
-};
-
 /**
  * Return the hash of the file by reading it from its metadata.
  *
@@ -483,59 +455,11 @@ export const metadataHash = (metadata: FileMetadata) => {
 };
 
 /**
- * Return the public magic metadata for the given {@link file}.
- *
- * The file we persist in our local db has the metadata in the encrypted form
- * that we get it from remote. We decrypt when we read it, and also hang the
- * decrypted version to the in-memory {@link EnteFile} as a cache.
- *
- * If the file doesn't have any public magic metadata attached to it, return
- * `undefined`.
+ * Return `true` if the {@link ItemVisibility} of the given {@link file} is
+ * archived.
  */
-export const decryptPublicMagicMetadata = async (
-    file: EnteFile,
-): Promise<PublicMagicMetadata | undefined> => {
-    const envelope = file.pubMagicMetadata;
-    if (!envelope) return undefined;
-
-    // TODO: This function can be optimized to directly return the cached value
-    // instead of reparsing it using Zod. But that requires us (a) first fix the
-    // types, and (b) guarantee that we're the only ones putting that parsed
-    // data there, so that it is in a known good state (currently we exist in
-    // parallel with other functions that do the similar things).
-
-    const jsonValue =
-        typeof envelope.data == "string"
-            ? await decryptMetadataJSON(
-                  {
-                      encryptedData: envelope.data,
-                      decryptionHeader: envelope.header,
-                  },
-                  file.key,
-              )
-            : envelope.data;
-    const result = PublicMagicMetadata.parse(
-        // TODO: Can we avoid this cast?
-        withoutNullAndUndefinedValues(jsonValue as object),
-    );
-
-    // -@ts-expect-error [Note: Zod doesn't work with `exactOptionalPropertyTypes` yet]
-    // We can't use -@ts-expect-error since this code is also included in the
-    // packages which don't have strict mode enabled (and thus don't error).
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-    // @ts-ignore
-    envelope.data = result;
-
-    // -@ts-expect-error [Note: Zod doesn't work with `exactOptionalPropertyTypes` yet]
-    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment
-    // @ts-ignore
-    return result;
-};
-
-const withoutNullAndUndefinedValues = (o: object) =>
-    Object.fromEntries(
-        Object.entries(o).filter(([, v]) => v !== null && v !== undefined),
-    );
+export const isArchivedFile = (file: EnteFile) =>
+    file.magicMetadata?.data.visibility == ItemVisibility.archived;
 
 /**
  * Return the file name of the file (including both the name and the extension).
@@ -555,15 +479,13 @@ export const fileFileName = (file: EnteFile | EnteFile2) =>
  * Return the file's creation date as a Date in the hypothetical "timezone of
  * the photo".
  *
- * For all the details and nuance, see {@link createPhotoDate}.
+ * This function handles files with edited dates. For all the details and
+ * nuance, see {@link createPhotoDate}.
  */
-export const fileCreationPhotoDate = (
-    file: EnteFile,
-    publicMagicMetadata: PublicMagicMetadata | undefined,
-) =>
+export const fileCreationPhotoDate = (file: EnteFile) =>
     createPhotoDate(
-        publicMagicMetadata?.dateTime ??
-            publicMagicMetadata?.editedTime ??
+        file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.dateTime ??
+            file.pubMagicMetadata?.data.editedTime ??
             file.metadata.creationTime,
     );
 
@@ -617,7 +539,7 @@ export const updateRemotePrivateMagicMetadata = async (
     file: EnteFile,
     metadataUpdates: Partial<FilePrivateMagicMetadataData>,
 ): Promise<FilePrivateMagicMetadata> => {
-    const existingMetadata = filePrivateMagicMetadata(file);
+    const existingMetadata = file.magicMetadata?.data;
 
     const updatedMetadata = { ...(existingMetadata ?? {}), ...metadataUpdates };
 
@@ -647,50 +569,6 @@ export const updateRemotePrivateMagicMetadata = async (
     return updatedMagicMetadata;
 };
 
-/**
- * Update the public magic metadata associated with a file on remote.
- *
- * See: [Note: Interactive updates to file metadata]
- *
- * @param file The {@link EnteFile} whose public magic metadata we want to
- * update.
- *
- * @param metadataUpdates A subset of {@link PublicMagicMetadata} containing the
- * fields that we want to add or update.
- */
-export const updateRemotePublicMagicMetadata = async (
-    file: EnteFile,
-    metadataUpdates: Partial<PublicMagicMetadata>,
-) => {
-    const existingMetadata = await decryptPublicMagicMetadata(file);
-
-    const updatedMetadata = { ...(existingMetadata ?? {}), ...metadataUpdates };
-
-    const metadataVersion = file.pubMagicMetadata?.version ?? 1;
-
-    const updateRequest = await updateMagicMetadataRequest(
-        file,
-        updatedMetadata,
-        metadataVersion,
-    );
-
-    const updatedEnvelope = updateRequest.metadataList[0]!.magicMetadata;
-
-    await putFilesPublicMagicMetadata(updateRequest);
-
-    // Modify the in-memory object to use the updated envelope. This steps are
-    // quite ad-hoc, as is the concept of updating the object in place.
-    file.pubMagicMetadata = updatedEnvelope as FilePublicMagicMetadata;
-    // The correct version will come in the updated EnteFile we get in the
-    // response of the /diff. Temporarily bump it for the in place edits.
-    file.pubMagicMetadata.version = file.pubMagicMetadata.version + 1;
-    // Re-read the data.
-    await decryptPublicMagicMetadata(file);
-    // Re-jig the other bits of EnteFile that depend on its public magic
-    // metadata.
-    mergeMetadata1(file);
-};
-
 /**
  * The shape of the JSON body payload expected by the APIs that update the
  * public and private magic metadata fields associated with a file.
@@ -712,7 +590,7 @@ interface UpdateMagicMetadataRequest {
  */
 const updateMagicMetadataRequest = async (
     file: EnteFile,
-    metadata: FilePrivateMagicMetadataData | PublicMagicMetadata,
+    metadata: FilePrivateMagicMetadataData | FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
     metadataVersion: number,
 ): Promise<UpdateMagicMetadataRequest> => {
     // Drop all null or undefined values to obtain the syncable entries.
@@ -760,36 +638,6 @@ const putFilesPrivateMagicMetadata = async (
         }),
     );
 
-/**
- * Update the public magic metadata for a list of files.
- *
- * @param request The list of file ids and the updated encrypted magic metadata
- * associated with each of them.
- */
-const putFilesPublicMagicMetadata = async (
-    request: UpdateMagicMetadataRequest,
-) =>
-    ensureOk(
-        await fetch(await apiURL("/files/public-magic-metadata"), {
-            method: "PUT",
-            headers: await authenticatedRequestHeaders(),
-            body: JSON.stringify(request),
-        }),
-    );
-
-/**
- * Return the {@link ItemVisibility} for the given {@link file}.
- */
-export const fileVisibility = (file: EnteFile) =>
-    filePrivateMagicMetadata(file)?.visibility;
-
-/**
- * Return `true` if the {@link ItemVisibility} of the given {@link file} is
- * archived.
- */
-export const isArchivedFile = (item: EnteFile) =>
-    fileVisibility(item) === ItemVisibility.archived;
-
 /**
  * Return the GPS coordinates (if any) present in the given {@link EnteFile}.
  */
@@ -848,13 +696,6 @@ export const fileDurationString = (file: EnteFile): string | undefined => {
     }
 };
 
-/**
- * Return the caption, aka "description", (if any) attached to the given
- * {@link EnteFile}.
- */
-export const fileCaption = (file: EnteFile): string | undefined =>
-    filePublicMagicMetadata(file)?.caption;
-
 /**
  * Metadata about a file extracted from various sources (like Exif) when
  * uploading it into Ente.
diff --git a/web/packages/media/file.ts b/web/packages/media/file.ts
index e07c2645ea..11938fc429 100644
--- a/web/packages/media/file.ts
+++ b/web/packages/media/file.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
     fileFileName,
     FileMetadata,
     type FilePrivateMagicMetadataData,
+    type FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
 } from "./file-metadata";
 import { FileType } from "./file-type";
 import { decryptMagicMetadata, RemoteMagicMetadata } from "./magic-metadata";
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ export interface EnteFile
      *
      * See: [Note: Metadatum]
      */
-    pubMagicMetadata?: FilePublicMagicMetadata;
+    pubMagicMetadata?: MagicMetadataCore<FilePublicMagicMetadataData>;
     /**
      * `true` if this file is in trash (i.e. it has been deleted by the user,
      * and will be permanently deleted after 30 days of being moved to trash).
@@ -492,56 +493,8 @@ export type FileMagicMetadata = MagicMetadataCore<FilePrivateMagicMetadataData>;
 export type FilePrivateMagicMetadata =
     MagicMetadataCore<FilePrivateMagicMetadataData>;
 
-export interface FilePublicMagicMetadataProps {
-    /**
-     * Modified value of the date time associated with an {@link EnteFile}.
-     *
-     * Epoch microseconds.
-     */
-    editedTime?: number;
-    /** See {@link PublicMagicMetadata} in file-metadata.ts */
-    dateTime?: string;
-    /** See {@link PublicMagicMetadata} in file-metadata.ts */
-    offsetTime?: string;
-    /**
-     * Edited name of the {@link EnteFile}.
-     *
-     * If the user edits the name of the file within Ente, then the edits are
-     * saved in this field.
-     */
-    editedName?: string;
-    /**
-     * A arbitrary textual caption / description that the user has attached to
-     * the {@link EnteFile}.
-     */
-    caption?: string;
-    uploaderName?: string;
-    /**
-     * Width of the image / video, in pixels.
-     */
-    w?: number;
-    /**
-     * Height of the image / video, in pixels.
-     */
-    h?: number;
-    /**
-     * Edited latitude for the {@link EnteFile}.
-     *
-     * If the user edits the location (latitude and longitude) of a file within
-     * Ente, then the edits will be stored as the {@link lat} and {@link long}
-     * properties in the file's public magic metadata.
-     */
-    lat?: number;
-    /**
-     * Edited longitude for the {@link EnteFile}.
-     *
-     * See {@link long}.
-     */
-    long?: number;
-}
-
 export type FilePublicMagicMetadata =
-    MagicMetadataCore<FilePublicMagicMetadataProps>;
+    MagicMetadataCore<FilePublicMagicMetadataData>;
 
 export interface TrashItem extends Omit<EncryptedTrashItem, "file"> {
     file: EnteFile;
@@ -741,7 +694,7 @@ export const decryptRemoteFile = async (
             key,
         );
         // TODO(RE):
-        const data = genericMM.data as FilePublicMagicMetadataProps;
+        const data = genericMM.data as FilePublicMagicMetadataData;
         // TODO(RE):
         pubMagicMetadata = { ...genericMM, header: "", data };
     }
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/dedup.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/dedup.ts
index d86c9abaf7..0965c184b6 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/dedup.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/dedup.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,7 @@ import { ensureLocalUser } from "ente-accounts/services/user";
 import { assertionFailed } from "ente-base/assert";
 import { newID } from "ente-base/id";
 import type { EnteFile } from "ente-media/file";
-import {
-    filePublicMagicMetadata,
-    metadataHash,
-} from "ente-media/file-metadata";
+import { metadataHash } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import {
     addToCollection,
     createCollectionNameByID,
@@ -312,7 +309,7 @@ const duplicateGroupItemToRetain = (duplicateGroup: DuplicateGroup) => {
     const itemsWithCaption: DuplicateGroup["items"] = [];
     const itemsWithOtherEdits: DuplicateGroup["items"] = [];
     for (const item of duplicateGroup.items) {
-        const pubMM = filePublicMagicMetadata(item.file);
+        const pubMM = item.file.pubMagicMetadata?.data;
         if (!pubMM) continue;
         if (pubMM.caption) itemsWithCaption.push(item);
         if (pubMM.editedName ?? pubMM.editedTime)
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/file.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/file.ts
index 4716054e5c..e187d5c709 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/file.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/file.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import { apiURL } from "ente-base/origins";
 import type { EnteFile, EnteFile2 } from "ente-media/file";
 import type {
     FilePrivateMagicMetadataData,
+    FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
     ItemVisibility,
-    PublicMagicMetadata,
 } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import {
     createMagicMetadata,
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ export const updateFileCaption = (file: EnteFile2, caption: string) =>
  */
 export const updateFilePublicMagicMetadata = async (
     file: EnteFile2,
-    updates: PublicMagicMetadata,
+    updates: FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
 ) => updateFilesPublicMagicMetadata([file], updates);
 
 /**
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export const updateFilePublicMagicMetadata = async (
  */
 const updateFilesPublicMagicMetadata = async (
     files: EnteFile2[],
-    updates: PublicMagicMetadata,
+    updates: FilePublicMagicMetadataData,
 ) =>
     putFilesPublicMagicMetadata({
         metadataList: await Promise.all(
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/search/worker.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/search/worker.ts
index 5223e0b547..b088eef50f 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/search/worker.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/search/worker.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
     fileCreationPhotoDate,
     fileFileName,
     fileLocation,
-    filePublicMagicMetadata,
 } from "ente-media/file-metadata";
 import { nullToUndefined } from "ente-utils/transform";
 import { z } from "zod/v4";
@@ -385,7 +384,7 @@ const isMatchingFile = (file: EnteFile, suggestion: SearchSuggestion) => {
         case "date":
             return isDateComponentsMatch(
                 suggestion.dateComponents,
-                fileCreationPhotoDate(file, filePublicMagicMetadata(file)),
+                fileCreationPhotoDate(file),
             );
 
         case "location": {