P: Lightroom is changing creation dates when exporting photos

[n_adia]

So, Lightroom is changing the creation dates when exporting photos to the date I am exporting that photo. The new file will have this new date, and before, by unchecked "Automatically write changes into XMP" on the Catalog Settings, when exporting an image, the file created would keep the creation date of the photo.

It would help in terms of organizing photos and files. This new way, to access metadata and therefore the creation date, I need to check individullay each photo on LR. It is time consuming.

Anyone else dealing with this also?

[JP Hess]

When a file is exported from Lightroom a new file is created. As such, it must be dated at the time it is created. That is why it has a new date.

[mek]

While it's true that exporting a file from Lightroom creates a new file, the notion that it "MUST" be dated at the time of creation is not accurate. Ideally, there should be an option during the export process to choose whether the new file retains the original image creation date, adopts the export date, or uses another specified date.
This flexibility would better accommodate various user needs and workflows.

[Jim Wilde]

Can you clarify what you mean when you refer to "the creation date"? Do you mean the date/time that the image was taken using a digital camera (called the capture date/time) or do you mean the date/time that the exported file was created by the OS file system?

[n_adia]

Thank you Jim for taking the time to reply to me. 
I mean that it changes the metadata of that exported file. Once exported, when I check the metadata of the file, the creation date (when photo was taken, edit date and exported date are all the same: the date when it was exported (when checking the info of the file but it is still correct when checking inside LR). 

Before this week update, by unchecking  "Automatically write changes into XMP" on the Catalog Settings, I was able to keep all metadata - date of creation, edit, etc on file intact when exporting on the info of the file (not only in LR) but also when exporting a file, the date you would see on the file (on a desktop for example) would also be the creation date. This detail was helpful when organizing photos by dates on folders on a drive, for example, in my opinion. 

I hope I managed to describe the issue clearly to you. 
thank you Jim! 

[L5CCD]

I am have the same problem with dates.

[Jao vdL]

Since you talk about the option of "autmatically writing metadata into XMP" you are referring to Lightroom Classic which is a different program than this forum is for. Adobe made the naming of their programs very confusing. Anyway, as already said, you need to realize that the file creation date is NOT the same as the capture time metadata. The file creation date is simply when you created the exported file. That HAS to be the exact time you hit export. However the internal metadata in the file will show you that the capture date and time in the exported file is still exactly when you originally shot the image. You are just looking at the wrong metadata. You can not see the image capture date in Finder unfortunately (which is an Apple problem, not a Adobe issue) so you can't sort a folder in Finder on the image capture date metadata. In Lightroom Classic however, it is completely trivial to organize images on capture date. So this is more a question of your wokflow and how you organize your images. If you just use Lightroom Classic to organize images this all doesn't matter as you can ssort on capture date. However if you want to organize your exported images in Finder, you need to do something else as Apple finder simply doesn't have this possibility. ot of us simply do not use finder to organize images and just use Lightroom Classic itself and just export new copies if you need an image. If you really need to organize the exported files outside of Lightroom, you should look into Bridge which should come with your Classic subscription. Bridge is a great content browser. Contrary to finder, the date created column in Bridge is actually taken from the capture date metadata and not from the file creation date.

[J_MacDonald]

Jao,

I think you may be mistaken on this one.
I am running into the same problem on my end.
Lightroom Classic USED to maintain the original capture date and time in the exif data, but now it changes even capture time. 
Below are two screenshots from an exif viewer that show what I am referring to.
I think this is also what the OP was facing. 

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I just found it while searching for a solution to this myself.

[Guest]

Hi,

Lightoom on my iPhone has started to export the photos based on the day I edit and save them to my camera roll as opposed to the actual date the photo was takem. How do I change this setting? This issue didn't have until the last two weeks.

Thanks,

Harsihta 

[selondon]

I cannot replicate this using a four year old photo, the photo appears in my Camera Rill as the most recent, but checking the EXIF data it shows as 2018.

Which version of Lightroom Mobile are you running?

[Guest]

I'm on version 7.3.0

Let me better explain 🙂 Image 1 was taken on 9 October, 2021 and I edited it a few days later. When i expported it back to my camera roll on my phone, it continued to show the same date as seen in image 2. However, today when I imported the same picture into Lightroom and exported it back to the camera roll, it saved it with today's date instead of the original date as seen in Image 3. This started happening a few weeks ago. Any idea how to fix it? Basically, if I edit a pictuires a few days later after I took it, I'd like it to show the date it was taken/created when I edit and export it back to my camera roll.

[melissapiccone]

Where are you editing the photos? It sounds like if where you are making the edits is changing the metadata to the date you edit. You said you export from LR, edit and import back in. Why are you not editing in LR? If I send an image back to my camera roll, it's already edited in LR and I don't reimport it, the original still lives in LR. 

[Guest]

Here's my process flow: Import from camera to iPhone camera roll > import from camera roll into Lr > edit in Lr > Export back to camera roll and delete unedited photos from camera roll. I checked and do have the metadata option turned on so unsure what changed between two weeks ago and now besides any app updates 

[Jim Wilde]

Check your export settings in Lightroom Mobile. It sounds as though the export option to "Include Metadata" has been unchecked, in which case none of the original EXIF data (which include capture date/time) would be included.

[Guest]

Hi Jim,

I do see the metadata option turned on so not sure what's casing the issue.

[Guest]

Hi Jim - Curious to see if you have any other thoughts?

[MUNSU]

I'm in the same situation. Have you found a solution?

[MUNSU]

I found a solution.

[saeedakd]

Can you elaborate please? I'm in a similar situation and looking for a solution. Thanks!

[Dukai]

Can you explain? Same problem here on Android...

[Ivan32047626bsou]

On iOS 18, when exporting a photo, the capture date of the original pre-edited photo is not perserved. Instead, the capture date gets filled with the date/time of export.

[Jao vdL]

I just tested and it works correctly on iOS 18. Make sure that you select the option when you are exporting to include camera info in the metadata so that the capture date metadata gets filled. This is not checked by default when you're exporting from iOS mobile. If this field is not filled, a lot of software just assumes it is the file creation date of the exported file. 

 

[henrikd21517719]

When exporting pictures to my iOS camera roll, the picture's date is changed to date/time of the export whereas a while ago Lightroom used to apply the date the picture has been taken. Is there a switch where I can change this behaviour of Lightroom?

thanks

[eddiew65130227]

I'd like to know this too. 

[Jarno30274279ju0a]

Yes there is. If you connect the camera to your iPad and then in the Lightroom select Import from camera device.