P: Content Credentials-signed images will create an XMP file for JPEG images

[lukasb79690852]

I recently come across the following Issue:

I have a bunch of jpg files I have post-processed in Photoshop that I want to add geo locations to using the Lightroom Classic map module. After adding the locations I mark all images and do right click - metadata - save metadata to file. For some jpg files the data is written into the jpg file (desired behavior and how I know it from LR Classic for the past 6 years), while for others LR creates a seperate xml file (same location same name as the jpg) containing all metadata including the location.

Since this is a recent thing for me I suspected LR 14 to be the issue so I downgraded back to 13 but the issue persists.

I already cleared out my complete LR catalog and only importet a hand full of jpg files to test but the issues persists.

The issue can be reproduced, it is always the same jpgs causing the issue.

When I open one of the not functioning jpg files in Photoshop and save it again in a new location the issue persists. When I open it, create a new document of the same dimensions, mark all in the original, copy across to the new document and then save the new document as jpg I can then add gps locations to the new jpg in LR as expected.

I can also copy the gps data from a working jpg to one of the ones LR refuses to add gps data to using exiftools so the jpg file does not seem to be inherently broken in some way.

There is no different between the jpg files LR can write to and the ones where it insists on writing a xml file. They were taken using the same camera and have gone through the same workflow.

Any help would be appreciated since as of right now I am resorting to using a dummy image I assign the desired location to in LR and then use command line + exiftools to copy the gps tag across to the non functioning jpg which is extremely cumbersome.

[Robert Ripps]

I disabled CC for an image I am working on, and when I saved as a jpeg it, no longer gave me a c2paws file. When I add that image, and a few other jpegs to LR, changed the dates, then saved, I am no longer getting XMP files created. So I guess I will just keep CC disabled for a while until they work the bugs out.

[Lightboxx]

in my photoshop i have content credentials disabled in the settings (both option are set to NONE).

i also checked  in lightroom export settings, that feature is also disabled.

some of the images affected where never exported by LIGHTROOM, just imported and keyworded.

it also only affects JPG files.

why would TIFF files are not affected when it is about content credentials?

if LR can not write to files with content credentials as a "safety reason" (to protect the integrity) it should affect all files with content credentials, not just JPG files.

or content credentials are not stored in TIFF files? i have no idea because i don´t use that feature.

my main concern is that LR does not write the metadata into the file.
if it would write the data into the file and make an ADDITIONAL XMP file it would not be such a serious issue for me. it would still be annoying behavior but not potentially harmful.

but i can´t trust LR when it works this way. 

[John1957]

 I am unable to save tags to photos I have taken on my new Pixel 10 pro. I download the photos onto my Pc, but when trying to save tags using Lightroom Classic, the tags are not saved. I had no problems with photos from a Pixel 9 pro.

However, looking at the "Properties" tab on Windows, for each photo, the tags are being saved for the DNG file, but not for the corresponding JPEG file?

Does anyone know why and what I have to do to get over this problem? Is it a Lightroom issue or a Google issue?

[johnrellis]

Attach one of the problem JPEGs here and we can see in detail what might be going wrong.

[John1957]

I cannot save tags to this JPG

[johnrellis]

The sample photo shows what's going on, thanks.

The camera app attached Content Credentials to the photo. When you gave the Metadata > Save Metadata To File command, LR saw that the JPEG contained content credentials, so it wrote the updated metadata to a .xmp sidecar (PXL_20250902_094119876.RAW-01~2.xmp), to avoid invalidating the digital signatures in the content credentials:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/p-content-credentials-signed-images-wil...

Windows File Explorer doesn't understand .xmp sidecars.

To get the metadata written back to the JPEG itself, a couple options:

1. Use the free Exiftool utility to remove the content credentials before importing the JPEGs. You could also use the EXIF To Capture Time plugin to do this after import (it uses Exiftool).

2. Use the Metadata Wrangler plugin to add the keywords and other metadata files to the JPEG itself when you export the photo. 

[johnrellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this thread:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/p-content-credentials-signed-images-wil...

[John1957]

Ok, thanks for your help!