Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: jerry7171
jerry7171 Author
User level: Level 1
21 points

How do I natively edit EXIF data in RAW photos imported to Photos for iOS?

I have a workflow on my Mac when I import raw photos shot with my Sony. I edit the EXIF data adding things like copyright, geotags, keywords, descriptions, etc. Since I frequently shoot with old manual lenses, I need to add lens information to the EXIF as well.


I have an iPad Pro now and am discovering the joy of using it with my photography when I’m away from my Mac at home. Editing is fun. What isn’t so fun is the inability to do any editing to the EXIF data in the raw files after I’ve imported them into Photos for iOS.


I’ve purchased several apps that claimed to be able to edit metadata and EXIF information, but they all couldn’t or wouldn’t do it. The closest workaround I have is to add the important details to a summary field, but it is time-consuming and tedious. When I get home, I still have to return to my original workflow to get all the raw photos properly tagged, etc.


Is there some reason I can’t edit the metadata and EXIF for raw photos in iOS? Will that change in the future?


Thanks!

iPad Pro Wi-Fi + Cellular, iOS 11.2.6

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 10:23 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply
User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
194,549 points

Posted on Mar 13, 2018 6:23 AM

I doubt, it will change in the near future. Even in Photos on the Mac you cannot modify the original image files in any way using the Photos.app. The lossless workflow is at the heart of the design of Photos. Photos on a Mac allows you to add or edit some metadata for the IPTC tags, like titles or location, but the EXIF tags set by the camera (lens, camera make, etc) can also not be modified by Photos, not even with an Apple Script.

One reason, why even photo editing extensions cannot access the originals and write data back to them, may be iCloud Photo Library. The originals may not be on the device, but in iCloud, and modified originals would need to be synced to all devices.

View in context

Similar questions

1 reply
Question marked as Best reply
User profile for user: léonie
léonie
User level: Level 10
194,549 points

Mar 13, 2018 6:23 AM in response to jerry7171

I doubt, it will change in the near future. Even in Photos on the Mac you cannot modify the original image files in any way using the Photos.app. The lossless workflow is at the heart of the design of Photos. Photos on a Mac allows you to add or edit some metadata for the IPTC tags, like titles or location, but the EXIF tags set by the camera (lens, camera make, etc) can also not be modified by Photos, not even with an Apple Script.

One reason, why even photo editing extensions cannot access the originals and write data back to them, may be iCloud Photo Library. The originals may not be on the device, but in iCloud, and modified originals would need to be synced to all devices.

Reply

How do I natively edit EXIF data in RAW photos imported to Photos for iOS?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.
Learn more Sign up