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

[GZ5]

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?

[GZ5]

@Coltsinohio  I am glad to see I wasn't imagining this. Please let me know if you find a solution. I'm losing my mind without the dates.  

[GZ5]

@Megan Thank you

[Megan]

No problem at all, @GZ5! 

And be certain that I'll update this thread if and when we have any news about this. 😊

If you need anything else, give me a shout. 

[ebyunge]

+1. Need this back! 

[Slacasse]

Hi
I can’t believe we loose a file creation date when importing them in Dropbox. It renders Dropbox completely useless for organizing and searching files. As a university professor I’m amazed of this fundamental caveat.

[Megan]

Hey @Slacasse, thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to our Community!

In regards to the creation date of your content, how did you upload it in the first place? 

I am assuming you used our mobile app, correct? Was it through camera uploads, or manually using the "+" sign? Do the files show the correct metadata when you access their properties after downloading it locally on your computer?

Any additional information is more than welcome!

[Slacasse]

No. All files were uploaded on my MacBook Pro through airdrop from my iPhone. None of the exif data seem to have been transfered in the process, the creation date being replaced with the date of the transfer. I noted that this problem is being discussed on this forum for years. Each time, Dropbox reps reply that they will submit the problem to superior levels. This seems to be going on since at least 2015…

[neongreen]

I have just uploaded several videos to dropbox.  The original dates, camera info etc. are now gone.  Sadly, I deleted the videos as I was putting them on dropbox to free up space.  Is there a way to see the original data or is it just stripped away when uploading to dropbox?

[Megan]

Hi @Slacasse, just to make sure we're on the same page here: did you Airdrop the content from your iPhone to your Mac? 

Because if this is the case, I'm trying to see how Dropbox is involved in the process, and the steps you followed. Have you checked the properties of these files? If so, what do you see there? 

Hello @neongreen, I hope you're doing well! 

How did you upload your content? Did you use our desktop app, mobile app, or website? 

If you download the content locally to your device, and check an example file's properties, what do you see there? If the metadata wasn't uploaded for whatever reason, and since the original content was deleted, there wouldn't be much left for us to do.

[Slacasse]

Hi,

as I said, yes I did airdrop the files from my iPhone to my MacBook Pro, and yes, the Dropbox app is installed on my computer, and yes, I can see the files information, but the date of creation has been changed to the date of the transfer. Other info, such as the file weight, format, etc. have been preserved, but NOT the actual creation date, and yes, I have compared the info data on both my computer and on the Dropbox website: nowhere does the actual creation date appears. I may add that the actual creation date DOES appear on the original files (exif metadata), but is modified when transferred in Dropbox.