cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Announcements
Want to learn some quick and useful tips to make your day easier? Check out how Calvin uses Replay to get feedback from other teams at Dropbox here.

View, download, and export

Need support with viewing, downloading, and exporting files and folders from your Dropbox account? Find help from the Dropbox Community.

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

How can I download my files with the original date they were created?

How can I download my files with the original date they were created?

MNSmith
Explorer | Level 4

I moved from Samsung to iPhone and had to use Dropbox to move my pictures between devices. However there doesn’t seem to be a way to download from Dropbox and keep the original date the photo was taken, it defaults to the date of download. Is there any way to keep the original date so I can sort by date on my phone?

11 Replies 11

Walter
Dropbox Staff

Hi @MNSmith; welcome to our Community and happy Friday!

 

It sounds like you're looking at the date when the files were last modified and not the time they were created through the files' EXIF data.

 

If that's not the case, could you forward me a screenshot of where you're spotting this so I can have a better look?

 

Thanks a bunch!


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join

MNSmith
Explorer | Level 4
Hi Walter, I’m afraid you lost me at EXIF file (I also couldn’t find any way to check this on the app).
But in simple terms I uploaded the original picture 5 years ago (when it was taken), but if I download it today, it appears in my camera roll with today’s date rather than the date from 5 years ago. Is there any way round this? Thanks

Walter
Dropbox Staff

Thanks for the quick response @MNSmith.

 

For more info on EXIF data and how to retrieve them, I'd suggest a simple web search on your prefered web browser.

 

To better assist now, could you clarify on what device you're on and where exactly are you previewing your files from? Is it on a computer within your Dropbox folder, within the mobile app or maybe our website? 

 

 


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join

MNSmith
Explorer | Level 4
Thanks Walter. I’m on my iPhone (XR), using the Dropbox app

Walter
Dropbox Staff

Thanks for that piece of information @MNSmith

 

Can you also clarify how did you upload those photos to Dropbox in the first place and, if possible, try to access the same files on a computer and let me know if you can see their properties there? 


Walter
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join

MNSmith
Explorer | Level 4
Hi, I uploaded them from my Samsung phone to the Dropbox app, and still can’t see any properties when I use a computer. Thanks

Rich
Super User II

Walter is correct. You're looking at the Created Date or Modified Date which will often change to the date of download (regardless of the platform). This is because that's the date that the file was created on THAT device. The date the photo was taken is still preserved within the EXIF date (or metadata) for your photo. This is data embedded into the image by the camera at the time it was taken.

 

Take Walter's advice and do a web search for EXIF and read up on it.

MNSmith
Explorer | Level 4
Hi Rich, I understand the logic of the EXIF date and the modification date, but that wasn’t my question.
Is there any way when downloading an old photo from Dropbox to my current device to keep the EXIF date (i.e. 5 years ago), rather than the date of download (i.e. today). Or is that a question for Apple rather than Dropbox? Thanks

rbens
New member | Level 2

Hi

 

I saw several post on that when one wants to download from Dropbox cloud his files back to his computer, he will get a "creation date" of the date the files download and not the date they were created. 

 

Does someone know if this already address by Dropbox?

 

Thanks.

Ronny

Need more support?
Who's talking

Top contributors to this post

  • User avatar
    mpitt22 New member | Level 2
  • User avatar
    Daphne Dropbox Staff
  • User avatar
    rbens New member | Level 2
  • User avatar
    MNSmith Explorer | Level 4
  • User avatar
    Rich Super User II
What do Dropbox user levels mean?