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Help I need help with a very complicated timestamp problem

frusciante54

frusciante54

Member
Hello. This is a very complicated issue but I'm going to try my best to explain this.

(General Mobile GM5 Plus - Android Nougat 7.0 - Stock Android/Android One)

I'm a bit of a control maniac when it comes to memories. I need everything to stay exactly the same. That includes the file itself and the created time. So that the gallery will work fine. When I scroll to the end of the gallery, I need to be able to know the first photo that I've taken. That's called timestamps I guess. When you take a photo or a screenshot, it sends some info inside the file.

And my new device, which I've been experiencing lots of software problems with, is changing that timestamp. Let me give you an example.

There is a photo that I've taken in 2014. When I copy it to my older phone, it doesn't change anything. It just copies the exact same, original file with the original timestamps.
But when I copy that file to my new device, it changes the created time for some reason. It changes the created time to the date when I copy that file (in this case, 2016).
So the photo that I've taken in 2014 says that I've taken this picture just now. Weird. Right?

Your reaction may be "Is this a real problem, really? Is it really that important?" but it is to me. If I've taken that photo on 2014, it has to contain that information.
Fortunetly I have a backup which contains those original files with the original timestamps on them. So if you know a way to stop this timestamp changing... I would really appriciate it.
Thank you!
 
frusciante54 said:
There is a photo that I've taken in 2014. When I copy it to my older phone, it doesn't change anything. It just copies the exact same, original file with the original timestamps.
But when I copy that file to my new device, it changes the created time for some reason. It changes the created time to the date when I copy that file (in this case, 2016).
So the photo that I've taken in 2014 says that I've taken this picture just now. Weird. Right?
Click to expand...

It appears, from this description, that the phone is interpreting the file EXIF metadata incorrectly.

Digital cameras embed a multitude of different parameters to each image as metadata. This includes the date taken, which is included under "Origin". This remains (or at least should remain) inviolate as this information is used for copyright purposes.

The EXIF also contains a "File" section, which maintains historic information about the image. This includes "date created" (which may differ from "date taken" if the image file was imported via software) and "date modified" (which will change whenever the image is edited in any way).

One way to check is to copy an image file to a Windows PC. then right-click on the file, select "Properties", then "Details". This will allow you to view the EXIF information directly and compare the various dates.
 
The timestamp issue is a messy one as different operating systems rely on different file systems so the metadata that gets embedded in something like a jpg is often interpreted differently. Android uses ext4 (with microSD cards using the archaic FAT/FAT32/exFAT), Windows uses NTFS, and Macs use HFS/HFS+ so transferring files around between them is complicated as far as retaining, or not, metadata. And that's just a fundamental issue involving compatibilty that would involve changing established standards, there's also the matter of camera manufacturers, along with photo management and editing application developers, all needing to follow common metadata requirements (not likely to happen).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_metadata_editors
 
Slug said:
It appears, from this description, that the phone is interpreting the file EXIF metadata incorrectly.

Digital cameras embed a multitude of different parameters to each image as metadata. This includes the date taken, which is included under "Origin". This remains (or at least should remain) inviolate as this information is used for copyright purposes.

The EXIF also contains a "File" section, which maintains historic information about the image. This includes "date created" (which may differ from "date taken" if the image file was imported via software) and "date modified" (which will change whenever the image is edited in any way).

One way to check is to copy an image file to a Windows PC. then right-click on the file, select "Properties", then "Details". This will allow you to view the EXIF information directly and compare the various dates.
Click to expand...

Yes that's what I did but there was no EXIF info on the files.

AL AMIN KOUSER said:
yes its an app . by the way from which device you are copying file from .
Click to expand...
From General Mobile GM5 PLUS to a Fujitsu computer

svim said:
The timestamp issue is a messy one as different operating systems rely on different file systems so the metadata that gets embedded in something like a jpg is often interpreted differently. Android uses ext4 (with microSD cards using the archaic FAT/FAT32/exFAT), Windows uses NTFS, and Macs use HFS/HFS+ so transferring files around between them is complicated as far as retaining, or not, metadata. And that's just a fundamental issue involving compatibilty that would involve changing established standards, there's also the matter of camera manufacturers, along with photo management and editing application developers, all needing to follow common metadata requirements (not likely to happen).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_metadata_editors
Click to expand...
So we can say that this is a compatibility issue, right?
 
if your computer has an internet connection than upload all your photoes in google drive and download in your new phone . i think this will not change time in your photoes . try this method
 
AL AMIN KOUSER said:
if your computer has an internet connection than upload all your photoes in google drive and download in your new phone . i think this will not change time in your photoes . try this method
Click to expand...
Actually Google Drive itself changes the timestamps. I've tried it before. And that happens actually twice. When you upload to Drive it changes the date to that day's date, and when you download it, it changes the time to the day you download your file.
Why... Why the hell do they change the created time?
 
I'm no photographer but all my pictures since 2009 have been categorized in the order in which they were taken on Google Photos. I don't know how you feel about the cloud but that app is a nice help. And I transfer phone to phone with ease. Just log in and they are there. And they look great on my desktop which is an iMac and my Windows 10 laptops
 
tube517 said:
I'm no photographer but all my pictures since 2009 have been categorized in the order in which they were taken on Google Photos. I don't know how you feel about the cloud but that app is a nice help. And I transfer phone to phone with ease. Just log in and they are there. And they look great on my desktop which is an iMac and my Windows 10 laptops
Click to expand...

Yes but I think they designed Google Photos to work that way, I've tried that too. It keeps the original date when it's in the Google Photos. But when you download that photo, for some reason, it changes it...

Edit : Hold on, I just realized something. When you download from Google Photos it changes the created and the modified time - but it keeps the "photo taken" date the same.
So... It will only work on the photos that you take with your camera. Well, what about screenshots? :/
 
frusciante54 said:
Yes but I think they designed Google Photos to work that way, I've tried that too. It keeps the original date when it's in the Google Photos. But when you download that photo, for some reason, it changes it...

Edit : Hold on, I just realized something. When you download from Google Photos it changes the created and the modified time - but it keeps the "photo taken" date the same.
So... It will only work on the photos that you take with your camera. Well, what about screenshots? :/
Click to expand...

Like I said, I'm not a photographer or a great archivist. I don't use a digital camera so I don't download my photos. They stay in Google Photos. It may or may not work the way you want it but it has kept things in order for me.

Screenshots are created in their own folder and you can still backup and sync those.
 
tube517 said:
Like I said, I'm not a photographer or a great archivist. I don't use a digital camera so I don't download my photos. They stay in Google Photos. It may or may not work the way you want it but it has kept things in order for me.

Screenshots are created in their own folder and you can still backup and sync those.
Click to expand...

Well the app itself suggests that i's meant for the photos that you take by camera because the main screen only shows the camera folder :D But I can manually synch the screenshots, I know that. But they don't have a "photo taken date" so when I download them to my computer, then don't have the right timestamps on them.
 
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