Photoshop Elements 2025 Photo Downloader Photo Order

[lieslr57387095]

How do I get the Photo Downloader to order my photos by Date Taken?  I read somewhere this is how the Photo Downloader is supposed to be but, sadly it is not the case for me.  I have an SD card with photos that I would like to import into Photoshop Elements 2025.  When I view the contents of the SD card in File Explorer (Win11), I can sort the photos by Date Taken, Ascending or Descending.  This is not the order that the Photoshop Elements 2025 Photo Downloader presents using the same SD file contents.  It makes importing a huge time committment.  In previous versions I've owned the file order was as expected so I remember a time when this actually worked well.  Any ideas?  I am super frustrated with this broken feature.  Thank you.

[Greg_S.]

What order are you seeing in the APD? 

AFAIK, the APD has always displayed the most recent date taken at the top of the dialog (and it can't be changed).

What is your workflow for importing from the card?

[lieslr57387095]

Hi Greg, Thank you for your reply.  I have two workflows.  One is take the card out of the camera, put in the computer, and import into Elements Organizer.  In the APD, the files appear in random date order.  For example, five photos taken on the same day are scattered throughout the list of files to import.  The second workflow is gathering photos from iCloud, downloading, unzipping and copying to an SD card to put into the computer and then importing into Elements Organizer.  In the APD, these files also appear in random date order with the same date scattered throughout the list.  I used to see files in date order as you said, but I have not since I purchased Elements 2022 and again for this purchase of Elements 2025.  I have 15 years in this catalog but I'm ready to jump ship it's so frustrating.  Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

[lieslr57387095]

Hold the press - I am wrong.  The first workflow is fine, camera card to computer, files are in order.  It's when I download from iCloud and place the images on the SC card and place that card in the computer.  I can view the images copied from iCloud on the SC Card in File Explorer in Date Taken order just fine, but they are in random order in the APD.  Sorry for the confusion.

[Greg_S.]

OK.  I think I may have been wrong about the dates too.  It may be that the files are being imported by file name as the primary sort order.  Files are usually recorded to a camera's card in a folder structure that will have consecutive file names in chronological order.  Files stored in iCloud can have totally random names, particularly if the files have been sent to you via a social media app.  So when you copy them to an SD card for importing into the catalog, the dates will be in random order.  I have also been experiencing random issues with files from an iPhone being placed in the wrong Date Taken folder when copied to my computer via the APD.  The correct Date Taken is usually available in the file's metadata so corrections can be made.

Based on what you are seeing, does my theory have any validity?

[lieslr57387095]

The files on the SD card that came from an iPhone are not in name order either in the APD.  I can sort them in File Explorer in name order or date order but the APD is completely random for these iPhone images.  I was wondering how the APD is actually ordering the files.

[lieslr57387095]

This is sill a issue, the SD card photos from an iPhone are not in name order or date taken order in the APD.  How can I request a fix for this issue?  I can't find how to submit a request, the links are sending me in a circle.  Super frustrated with this product that I've loved for so long, so sad.

[lieslr57387095]

I think the ADP is sorting by Date Modified, not Date Taken.  Too bad, Date Taken is so much more useful.

[Greg_S. · Accepted solution]

Here is an old article written by an Adobe employee about how the Organizer uses date/time fields.

Have you tried contacting Adobe support to resolve this issue for you?  You can start a chat session by going to the Contact Adobe Support page. (https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen) Make sure you are signed into your Adobe account and try typing Agent when the chat window opens to avoid the robochat. (If you use my link, the chat window should open automatically.)

I guess, my big question is why are you not connecting your phone to a USB port and importing from there rather than taking the other steps of downloading from iCloud and then copying to an SD card before importing?  (I have also done this in the past because of connection losses between the Organizer and my iPhone, but have not experienced those problems recently with Elements 2025.)  Also, since File Explorer displays the files in correct order, why not use Import>From Files and Folders?

[lieslr57387095]

Hi Greg,

Thank you for your reply and for the very informative link.

I tried chat and after 30 minutes the person finally told me I can’t order the ADP.   

I liked the ADP’s feature of renaming the files while importing from an SD card.  I now realize that this works only from a camera.  As for the phone, it was easier to get to iCloud on my computer than to plug in my phone and deal with iTunes (I haven’t tried this in a while obviously).  This method seemed to work except with larger amounts of photos.  Today was gathering images from a family reunion.  Photos were on my phone, in an iCloud share album and a Google Photos share album.  What a crazy exercise in renaming one file at a time.  Nothing appeared in any semblance of a date order in the ADP.  I’ll have to find a better way to rename my photos (old habit) and use as you say the Import>From Files and Folders.  That works well for things I’ve scanned.  Time to rework my workflow.

Thanks so much for all your insight and ideas, I truly appreciate it.

[Greg_S.]

I'm glad you found my post helpful.  If you give us more specific details about your workflow and goals, I might be able to offer some other suggestions to speed up the process. 

You said:

I liked the ADP’s feature of renaming the files while importing from an SD card. I now realize that this works only from a camera.

AFAIK, you should be able to do this with an SD card.  What is happening when you try this?  Is the rename option greyed out?  Are you using an SD card with a card reader or do you mean a USB thumb drive?

You can batch rename files in File Explorer.

[lieslr57387095]

Hi Greg,

Thank you for your suggestions!  I found a few batch renaming solutions that will work in File Explorer and then I can use the Import from Files and Folders option.

The renaming option is always available.  My apologies for the confusion.  What made the ADP's renaming feature great was keeping files in order so the numbering was sequential and made sense.  When I put a collection of photos from various media sources on an SD card to import using ADP, yes, the renaming is there, BUT, the files are out of order.  If I want to keep them in order, I have a second window with File Explorer open and check the files in ADP to include with a rename and in their order.  I have to hope I see them all, some are at the beginning, some at the end, some in the middle of the file list.  It's quite frustrating becuase the photos are in such a random order that I'm importing one or two at a time to keep the sequential order I want.  Renaming was never the issue, only the order of the files in the ADP.

Thanks agian for all your help.  Perhaps this will be fixed in next version of Photoshop Elements?  If not, fingers crossed I have a work around for my next back of collected photos.