Have you ever encountered a situation where you urgently need to know when a particular photo was taken on a smartphone? Perhaps it's important evidence, a memory from a trip, or just curiosity - the reason is not as important as the result. Fortunately, Android stores metadata about each image, and they can be extracted in several ways.

In this article we will look at all possible methods - from built-in tools to specialized applications. You'll learn how to view EXIF data (hidden information about a file), where to look for the date in Google Photos, and what to do if metadata suddenly disappears. And also why sometimes the file creation date in Explorer does not coincide with the real date of shooting, and how to fix it.

It doesn’t matter whether you use Samsung Galaxy with a proprietary shell One UI, clean Android 14 on Pixel, or budget Xiaomi —the instructions below are suitable for any device. Let's start with the simplest method, which works without installing additional apps.

📊 How often do you check photo metadata?
I have never heard of EXIF
Sometimes, when necessary
Regularly, for work/hobbies
Only if the photo is important

1. Viewing the date through a standard file manager

The fastest way is to look into the file properties through the built-in explorer. On most smartphones it takes less than a minute:

  1. Open the application "Files" (or My file on Samsung, File manager on Xiaomi).
  2. Go to the folder DCIM → Camera (or Pictures, if the photo is saved there).
  3. Find the desired photo, click on it and hold for 1-2 seconds, then select Information or Properties (icon with the letter "i").
  4. In the window that opens, look for fields Creation date, Change date or Shooting date.

⚠️ Attention: The date in the explorer may differ from the actual shooting date! This happens if the photo has been copied, edited or resaved. In this case, it is better to use the methods from the following sections.

- Created date (not always accurate)

- Modified date (last edited)

- File size (suspiciously small = possibly compressed)

- Resolution (original or reduced)-->

Field in properties What does it mean Reliability
Date of shooting Real date and time of photo creation (from EXIF) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date of creation When the file was created on the device (can change when copied) ⭐⭐⭐
Date modified Last edited or resaved ⭐⭐
Size File weight (will tell you if the photo is compressed) ⭐⭐⭐

2. Using Google Photos to view metadata

If you use Google Photos for backup, the shooting date can be found directly in the application - even if the original file was deleted from the phone. Here's how:

  1. Open Google Photos and find the photo you want.
  2. Tap on the photo, then swipe up on the screen (or tap on the icon i in the bottom menu).
  3. In the section Information you will see exact date and timeas well as the camera model, geolocation (if enabled) and other data.

Google Photos retains the original EXIF data even after storage optimization (when photos are compressed to save space). This means that the shooting date will remain correct, even if the image itself has been reduced.

🔹 Bonus: You can sort photos by date, location, or even objects in the photo (for example, find all photos with a dog). To do this: Google Photos you can sort photos by date, location, or even objects in the photo (for example, find all the photos with a dog). To do this:

  • 📅 Click on Search → select a date in the calendar.
  • 📍 Enter the name of the place (for example, "Paris").
  • 🐕 Write the object ("cat", "car", "sunset").
💡

If the photo was uploaded from another device (for example, a camera), Google Photos may show the upload date instead of the date it was taken. In this case, use the EXIF ​​viewer method from section 4.

Many manufacturers add to the standard Gallery ability to view metadata. The interface may differ depending on the brand, but the general logic is the same:

For Samsung (One UI):

  • Open Gallery → select a photo.
  • Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner → Details.
  • Scroll down to the block File information.

For Xiaomi (MIUI). information

  • Open photo in Gallery.
  • Swipe up on the screen (or tap the "i" icon).
  • The date and time will be in the section Basic information.

For Google Pixel (pure Android):

  • Open Google Photos (standard gallery on Pixel).
  • Click on the three dots → Information.

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (especially low-end ones), the built-in gallery may not show full metadata. If you see only the date of creation of the file, and not the shooting date, proceed to the next section.

Why may there be no shooting date in the gallery?

If the photo was edited in a third-party application (for example, in Snapseed or Lightroom), some galleries reset the original EXIF data. To avoid this, save edited versions as copies rather than overwriting the original.

4. EXIF viewers: accurate metadata analysis

If the previous methods did not work, it’s time to use specialized reading applications EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format). This is the standard by which the following are stored in each photo:

  • 📸 Camera and smartphone model
  • ⏱ Date and time of shooting (accurate to the second)
  • 📍 GPS coordinates (if geotags are enabled)
  • ⚙ Camera settings (shutter speed, ISO, aperture)

Best free applications for Android:

Application Features Link (Play Market)
EXIF Viewer Simple interface, shows all metadata, supports batch view com.exifviewer
Photo EXIF Editor Allows not only viewing, but also editing EXIF com.vivavideo.exifeditor
Metadata Viewer Supports video and RAW files, exporting data to a file com.metadata.viewer

Instructions for use EXIF Viewer:

  1. Install the application from Play Market.
  2. Open it and provide access to the files.
  3. Select the desired photo - all metadata will be displayed in the form of a list.
  4. Look for the lines Date/Time Original or Create Date.

🔹 Tip: If the date in EXIF is missing or incorrect, try restoring it using Photo EXIF Editor. To do this:

  • Open the photo in the application.
  • Click Edit → select Date/Time.
  • Enter the correct date (if you know) or restore from backup copies.
💡

EXIF data is the most reliable source of information about a photo. They are saved even after being sent via instant messengers (if the file is not compressed) and copied to other devices.

5. How to check the date of a photo sent via messenger

When a photo is transmitted via WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber, metadata is often lost due to compression. But there are ways to get around this:

In Telegram:

  • Open a chat with a photo.
  • Click on the image → three dots → Save to gallery.
  • Check EXIF via EXIF Viewer (sometimes the date is saved).

In WhatsApp:

  • 📌 Open the photo in the chat.
  • 📥 Click on the three dots → Export (send to yourself by email or to the cloud).
  • 🔍 Download the original and check the metadata.

⚠️ Attention: In VK, Instagram i Facebook photos are always compressed and EXIF is removed. The only way to save the date is to upload originals via Google Drive or cloud services without compression.

🔹 Lifehack: If you often share important photos, set up automatic uploading of originals to Google Photos in the application settings (Backup → Upload quality → Original).

6. Restoring the shooting date, if it lost

Sometimes the date in the metadata is reset after:

  • 🔄 Transferring a photo to another phone.
  • ⚙ Editing in applications (for example, PicsArt).
  • 📱 Resetting the phone to factory settings.

You can restore it like this:

Method 1: By file name

Many smartphones save photos in the format IMG_20260515_123022.jpg, where:

  • 20260515 is the date (May 15, 2026).
  • 123022 — time (12:30:22).

Method 2: Through Google Photos (if there was a backup)

  1. Open Google Photos on your computer (photos.google.com).
  2. Find a photo, click on it → i → copy the date.
  3. Edit EXIF in Photo EXIF Editor.

Method 3: By accompanying files

Some cameras create additional files (for example, IMG_1234.jpg + IMG_1234.THM for thumbnails). Check the creation date of these files - it may coincide with the date of shooting.

What to do if the date of shooting is critical (for example, for a court)?

In such cases, it is better to contact a digital forensics specialist. They can extract metadata even from damaged files or restore history. changes through system logs (if the phone has not been reset).

7. Alternative methods: from the computer to the command line

If nothing works on the phone, try these options:

On a computer (Windows/macOS):

  • 🖥 Connect your phone to your PC and copy the photo.
  • 📂 On Windows: right-click → Properties → Details.
  • 🍎 On Mac: open the photo in Viewer → Tools → Show Inspector.

Via ADB (for advanced users):

If you have access to ADByou can extract the metadata directly:

adb pull /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/IMG_1234.jpg

exiftool IMG_1234.jpg | grep "Date/Time"

For this you need Platform Tools from Google and the app ExifTool.

Through cloud services:

  • 🌥 Upload the photo to Yandex Disk or Dropbox.
  • 🔍 Open the file in web interface → Properties or Information.

⚠️ Attention: Some cloud services (for example Mail.ru Cloud) overwrite the file creation date with the download date. Before use, check this point in the settings. service.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the date of creation of the photo

🔍 Is it possible to fake the shooting date in EXIF?

Yes, this is done through applications like Photo EXIF Editor. However, experts can identify a fake by inconsistencies in other metadata (for example, the camera model does not match the release date of the smartphone).

📱 Why is the shooting date in the new photos in the future?

This means that the phone is faulty date and time. Correct in the settings: System → Date and time → Autodetection (enable).

🌍 How to find out where it was done photo?

If enabled geotags, the coordinates are saved in EXIF. View them via EXIF Viewer or Google Photo (section "Place").

🔄 What to do if the photo has no date (for example, a screenshot)?

For screenshots, the file creation date = the shooting date. If this is important, take screenshots through standard Android tools (buttons Power + Volume Down), and not through third-party applications.

📁 Where does Android store photos by default?

Main folders:

  • /sdcard/DCIM/Camera/ —photos from the camera.
  • /sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots/ —screenshots.
  • /sdcard/Download/ —downloaded from the Internet.

Now you know all the ways to find out the date of creation of a photo on Android - from the simplest to the professional ones. If none of the methods worked, check whether the photo was edited or oversaved: in this case, the original metadata could be lost forever. For critical images, always save backup copies in Google Photos or on an external drive.