How does iPhone sort photos synced to it? (WinXP)

I have the same exact problem. I changed both the "date modified" and "date made" dates on my computer to alphabetical order on my over 1000 pictures (it took hours and hours), and when I synced it, much to my frustration, the pictures were in the same exact order. I removed them and put them back on and they were still in the wrong order. If I knew how it sorted the pictures, I could get them sorted how I wanted (with a few hours of work). It would be much easier if Apple could just have it sort alphabetically in the next software update.

Somebody Please HELP!

I'm having the exact same problem. I can't believe there isn't an answer for this. How on earth is the iphone deciding to sort the photos?

Syncing from iPhoto on a Mac, mine are sorted chronologically, beyond a doubt. The Photo Library skims through my life.

I'm just guessing here, but chronology is probably not based on the created/modified date, but rather on the date saved in the EXIF data assigned by the camera when the photo is taken. (I have usually managed to keep the clock in my camera set within a few hours of reality).

The modified date certainly can't be the key, because the photos are downsized and optimized for the iphone when they are synced, so they would all have the same modified date (and possibly created date---they are new files, after all).

I know on the Mac, the Finder (equivalent of Windows Explorer) doesn't show EXIF information. You might need a graphics program to show or edit EXIF info.

Perhaps try testing 20 or so pictures, editing the EXIF info, and see if that controls the sort order when synced?

My iPhone definitely does not sort by the file date or the camera date contained in the EXIF date. I just verified with several pictures in the same album and taken from the same camera.

sorts alphabetical left to right if you don't add zeros to the front of file then the number's from 1 to 12 sort like this 1,10,11,12,2,3,4..etc you can see the number 11 comes before 2 because 11 starts with a #1. You need to rename your dates like this 001,002-012. Have fun with that

Message was edited by: jcvr1

Another great theory, but it just doesn't work that way -- at least on my iPhone!

Solution from within Aperture:
1. By manually moving just a single image in Aperture project, the sort order will automatically become "Custom". Custom will appear in a drop down in the upper left hand corner of the Aperture Browser window.
2. Re-sync and the iPhone order will match the Aperture order.

So seriously, how screwed up is this? NO ONE can answer the question as to how the iPhone decides to sort photos?

I am SO glad I'm not the only one with this problem! I have tried everything! Nothing works!

Well, I'm not sure how the iPhone decides how to sort the pictures, but your comments made me take a look at mine. I've noticed it seems like there is some difference in how they are sorted and I always wondered why, but it caused me to look closer and I have some ideas.
In the photo section of the phone, I have 3 choices, Camera Roll, Photo Library and then the folder that I sync from my PC. If I select the folder I sync from my PC, the photos are in alphabetical order by filename. However, if I look at Photo Library, which would be all the photos if you had multiple folders (which I don't) there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason for the way they are sorted. I know this doesn't necessarily answer your question. However, I think for a Windows machine, if you put the pics in a folder and sort them by file name and are satisfied by the sort, and then sync them to the phone by that folder, it could solve your problem. Just my 2 cents.

I was looking in my phone (3G S), I can't seem to find the choices "Camera Roll, Photo Library and then the folder". Is this on your iphone or your Mac?
I called apple, no help. Only thing I know will work is in itunes check "selected albums" then drag them into alphabetical order.

From the Home screen if you touch Photos, it brings me to Photo Albums and I see what I described. I have a 3G so I'm not sure if it is different on the 3GS, however I wouldn't think so.

The iPhone does it in alphabetical order. Try naming your photo A, B, C, AA, AB, AC...... you get the idea. Do this in your computer before you sync your photos to your phone. You have to do this in each folder.

The iPhone does NOT sort photos alphabetically. I have my photos named alphabetically and with numbers at the end (i.e. cat 1, dog 1, dog 2, dog 3, etc.), and they are in a random order. When I add new photos, named alphabetically, they are added to the end (and even then, some are placed in totally random spots without rhyme or reason). Even if I delete all of the photos from my iPhone and put them back on, they are still in the haphazard order. It sure would be nice if Apple could just have an option in iTunes for sort order.

sorry... but it works for me.