Preserve file Creation Dates(and other metadata) in mobile app versions

I would really like also to find a solution to this problem. I don't understand why it has changed. What can we do to put pressure on Dropbox?!? 

I wonder if it's not a problem coming from somewhere else. Because now when I download my pictures from my Iphone to my computer it's the same, I loose the metadata of their creation date. 

I first started using Dropbox sometime between 2018 - 2019 and the creation dates were definitely preserved at that time. I don’t know exactly when they removed this basic feature but if it existed before, there’s absolutely no reason why it can’t be added back. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”… and it certainly wasn’t broken when this feature was working.

I signed up for my paid subscription DURING the time that it was working. Some of the first files I saved were some of my videos that had various creation dates and metadata stored on them from being edited by various video editing software at various dates. I know because I was only able to see some of those creation dates AFTER uploading them to the app. I really liked being able to do this. I still have the folders I created specifically to save various versions of these videos based on what creation dates(or lack of creation date) they had. This is still something that I need to be able to do, not to mention the need to keep track of when exactly a video or photo was taken, or when a document was created, an audio file was created, etc. I’m a musician as well and I need to keep track of these EXACT metadata details.

The only files that I am able to see the date that Dropbox has for them are photo files and video files. Dropbox does not allow me to even view dates or any other information for document files, audio files, etc. There needs to be a fix for that as well.

I don’t have a “desktop” as you mentioned btw. I’ve mentioned on various posts about this topic that I only have my phone, kindle, & a couple of tablets. I cannot view anything on a desktop. This is the only way to keep my data and media backed up so that I can access it whenever I may get a new device. I’ve always ended up losing the data on my devices before because not everything backs up to iCloud or can be transferred from one device to another… specifically media/documents/etc that are stored within various apps. I also use it to keep my devices from getting too full with everything.

But the original date of those files is ALWAYS important. When I first started using Dropbox (on my Kindle Fire) it WAS preserving the original dates. There was even an option to view the file information on any of the files I had uploaded to my Dropbox account. Now, even using the same version of the Dropbox app as I first had on my Kindle, that feature is no longer available. I really don’t understand why something that was clearly working just fine would be broken. 

iarThanks for chiming in. This is still a problem today. See my comment above. To add more detail: creation date is actually displayed correctly on my dropbox app in android (as the date when the photo was taken), but then when I view the very same file on the Web version of Dropbox, or the version that is downloaded locally on my Mac, the creation date is replaced with the upload date. This has changed over time. In the past couple of years, the creation date was not set to match the upload date. Not sure if it's a problem with the latest Mac OS…
Also note that the creation date is not the only metadata that gets lost. The location coordinates of videos are also not recognised by Apple Finder and the Photo app, after being uploaded to Dropbox. I found that the app you use does have an impact, e.g. the Google Files app on Android seems to prevent that from happening (although the creation date is still messed up).

Thanks for posting this! It's also an issue on he desktop app. I don't want the creation date to be replaced when the file gets uploaded to the cloud, it doesn't make sense. Either add a new metadata for that (upload date), or just keep the. original. I had to use third party software to restore the original creation date (luckily still in the EXIF metadata) do match what Finder shows me on Mac OS. 

I agreed with the importance if preserving file creation date. Dropbox used to do this, as my company has been using Dropbox to upload files. photos and videos at least monthly for that last 10+ years. We've been running a specific procedure "export unmodified original" from an iphone for the sole purpose of preserving original meta data and file creation dates (date&time photo/video were captured). We are noticing that some time last year-ish, Dropbox has LOST 10+ years of file creation data and now "date created" has been changed to match "last modified" or date/time uploaded. This is over ten years of important business data lost. I double-checked this looking at an old backup drive (clone of my laptop) from over 5 years ago, and that confirms this change with the Dropbox app. File creation dates were preserved in the past. I'm now exploring other solutions like Box/One Drive/Google Drive for an alternative. Seeing Dropbox Staff comments on similar posts/complaints about this issue claiming "all cloud-based systems should be expected to use upload time as creation time" which I find not only inaccurate and misleading but also dodging responsibility and seriousness of the issue. Very disappointing. I've had a paid account for almost 10 years and all that money I paid now feels like a waste and a rip off. 

I agree preserving Metadata is very important.  It would also be great to preserve that when downloading files.

Hiya, Dropbox iOS engineer here!

Thank you for the detailed feedback! The three issues described (and please let me know if I've missed any) including loss of creation date, inability to view full file metadata on mobile, and inability to sort by creation date are all important. They are also the purviews of three distinct teams (one of which is mine).

I've reached out to my team's PM and designer, as well as members of the other respective teams, to discuss what we can do.

AgentOrange can you please provide more detail around the loss of creation date metadata? I'd like to know more about the types of files that seem to be losing that data, the means by which they're uploaded, and whether the metadata appears missing or incorrect across different platforms. E.g., if you have a .jpg image that was uploaded via Camera Uploads on your iPhone, does the creation date seem incorrect if you view that image when downloaded to your desktop?

Ja det kunne være godt, så kommer billeder på rigtig plads efter oprindelse dato 

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