iCloud Photos Library photo taken date metadata problem?

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Level 1

14 points

iCloud Photos Library photo taken date metadata problem?

Today I have met a very strange behavior on iCloud Photos upload. The date time displayed on the uploaded photo is showing the modify date time instead of the exif date taken. This is not happening even last week but it happens today.

Here is my workflow (which has been followed for years):

I have taken some RAW photos using my DSLR, imported to Adobe Lightroom, doing some touchup, exported to jpeg files.

Then I upload the jpeg files to iCloud Photos Library using the iCloud.com (for some reason the iCloud App on my PC doesn't upload anything).

Once it appears on the Photos on the iCloud.com, check the date time on top of the photo, it will show the modified date of the file instead of the Date Taken that in the exif.

Called Apple Support, they said they can replicate the issue on Mac. So I tried again using Mac + Safari and upload using iCloud.com. The same issue happens.

My suspect is that something went wrong with Apple's iCloud.com upload process, it seems cannot extract the correct metadata of Date Taken the photo and instead just read the modified date. Because if I use the Photos App on iOS to upload, the Date taken if correctly shown. (I did this by email the photo and using iOS's Mail app download the photo to Photos library, and the Date taken is correctly shown on top of the photo)

also for the problematic photo that uploaded using iCloud.com, if I use a third party app on iPhone to view it, it also can show the correct date taken. so I think both Photos App and iCloud.com's Photos online are reading from a library DB instead of reading the actual photo's metadata.

Anyone else facing the same issue?

Posted on Mar 3, 2018 5:32 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 3, 2018 12:00 PM in response to springf

I’m having almost word for word the same issue (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8304481?answerId=33106491022#33106491022).

I managed to upload some photos to iCloud via the web UI last weekend without issue so whatever has changed it probably did within the last seven days.

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Answer 2

springf Author

Level 1

14 points

Mar 3, 2018 2:14 PM in response to springf

I didn't find a way to edit the original post.

but one correction need to be made, when I called Apple Support, the senior support said he tried and can NOT re-produce the issue. (my post was writing can re-produce).

He said he will be escalating to the engineering team.

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Answer 3

Mar 31, 2018 7:14 AM in response to springf

I have the same problem. Something has definitely changed within the last 30 days approx. since I successfully uploaded several hundred photos into iCloud Photo Library which all retained original date taken and location information. I have tried to add more photos today but the photos are given today's date with no location information. I look forward to this problem being resolved.

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