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Re: Files creation date

Viewing dates when uploading media (photos & videos) in Dropbox app

GZ5
Helpful | Level 6

Hey, 

So up until today, when I uploaded files such as photos and videos through the Dropbox App on i-phone, the app sorted the files with a date title.

Something happened and the date titles disappear (so when I choose what photos to upload I do not know when they were taken).  

I want to have the option to choose what photos to upload by date. 

OR

Is there a way to automatically name the files with the dates they were taken?


 

30 Replies 30

neongreen
New member | Level 2

Hi @Megan,

I uploaded by dragging my photos on my mac on the web version of Dropbox.  Like @Slacasse, I am seeing that this has been a problem for a long time.  I was able to get my videos back onto my mac by using Time Machine.  I have decided not to use DropBox because of this problem.  It appears that the metadata is never uploaded with any kind of file.  It just changes the "creation date" to the date that the file is uploaded.

 

Jay
Dropbox Staff

Hi @Slacasse, since AirDrop itself seems to generate a new creation date of the file, this wouldn't be related to Dropbox as it is a different process unrelated to Dropbox.

 

The Dropbox site also doesn't store the creation date of files, only the modification date of any file. Whenever a file is uploaded to the site directly, the modification date shows the time at the moment of the upload.


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Slacasse
Helpful | Level 5

Consider Jay's response, I'll check if his method works.

Thanks

s

Jay
Dropbox Staff

If a file is added to the Dropbox folder in Finder, the creation date of the file will remain as the original. If a file is uploaded to the site directly, then the current date and time would be the modification date.


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Slacasse
Helpful | Level 5

Thanks Jay: I'll try it this morning.

s

neongreen
New member | Level 2

Jay,

So you're saying that you have to use the desktop version instead of the web version of Dropbox to keep the original metadata?  How does that help regaining hard drive space on your mac then?

Nancy

Hannah
Dropbox Staff

Hey @neongreen, we do offer features that help you free up space on your Dropbox taken up by Dropbox files.

 

You can take a look at this article for more info.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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neongreen
New member | Level 2

Looks like you have to upgrade to the subscription service to make your files online only.

Hannah
Dropbox Staff

You can also use selective sync, which is available to all our plans, the free Basic one included.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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AgentOrange
Helpful | Level 7
I created a feature request for this exact problem. Please check it out and vote for it so that we can get enough support to fix this frustrating denial of this basic functionality:

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/Preserve-file-Creation-Dates-and-other-metadata-in-mob...
Need more support?