THE SHORT ANSWERS
Good questions.
Clear dates.
Understand the fields, the exports, and the limits before changing a photo file.
Photo date basics
Why does my photo show the date I downloaded it?
The filesystem creation date may reflect when this copy was made on the device. It is different from embedded EXIF capture metadata, which usually records when the picture was taken. A photo app may choose either field for display or sorting.
Does copying a photo change its “Date Taken”?
A copy can receive a new filesystem creation date while preserving the embedded EXIF capture date. Export tools and file systems vary, so compare both fields on a sample image after transfer.
Will changing Date Created fix every photo app timeline?
No. It helps only when the app or view sorts by the filesystem creation date. Apps that use embedded EXIF capture time may ignore it. Check the target app's sort field and correct that field.
What's the difference between Date Created and Date Modified?
Date Created is when this file copy appeared on the current drive. Date Modified represents the file's modification timestamp. A copy or edit may affect them differently; neither is automatically the camera capture time.
Exports & repair
Can Fix My Photo Dates edit Apple Photos directly?
No. The app runs on Windows and works with local image files. It cannot connect to or modify the Apple Photos library. You can check exported files on Windows before you import or transfer them again.
How can I fix Google Takeout photos with JSON sidecars?
Keep each JSON sidecar beside its corresponding image, scan the extracted folder, and enable Google Takeout JSON parsing. Review the proposed date and its source before applying a batch repair. See the Takeout guide.
What if no capture date was found?
The app checks supported filename date patterns, Takeout sidecars, chronological sequences, and optional OCR for a date printed on the image. If the evidence is still uncertain, you can manually enter a date or leave that photo alone.
Will editing dates change my photo's pixels?
The app writes selected metadata fields; it does not intentionally alter the image pixels. Because metadata is written to the file, maintain a separate backup of important originals before repair.
Can I roll back the changes?
The app records selected original timestamp values in a local rollback manifest. That record is not a full backup of every original file; keep an independent copy of valuable photos.
App & privacy
Does the app upload my photos?
No. Photo diagnosis and repair run locally on your Windows PC. The app does not upload your photo files.
What image formats can it scan?
It scans common photo formats including JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, TIFF, WebP, AVIF, PNG, and supported camera RAW formats. Available metadata fields and write options vary by format. RAW EXIF writing is off by default.
Is it available for Mac?
No. Fix My Photo Dates is a Windows desktop app for Windows 10 and Windows 11. Exported photos from Apple devices can be analyzed as files on a Windows PC.