Google Takeout may export JSON metadata files alongside photos. Depending on the export and the individual image, the date shown by a file manager can differ from the photo's capture date. Keep the sidecars until you have checked the exported collection.

What is a Google Photos JSON sidecar?

A sidecar is a separate JSON text file associated with a media item. Takeout may include fields such as photoTakenTime and creationTime. The corresponding image may also have EXIF metadata. These are separate date sources, and the values do not necessarily mean the same thing.

Why matching names and folder structure matters

The image and its JSON companion need to remain identifiable as a pair. Renaming, splitting, or independently reorganizing the export can make matching harder. Keep the Takeout folder structure and JSON files intact while diagnosing the dates.

  1. Export the archiveExtract the Takeout ZIP files to a local folder on Windows.
  2. Keep the JSON files beside the photosDon't delete sidecars before checking whether embedded EXIF dates are sufficient.
  3. Scan the extracted photo folderIn Fix My Photo Dates, enable the option to parse Google Takeout JSON files.
  4. Review the source and targetCompare the sidecar date with the image metadata and your own knowledge before applying a batch repair.
Takeout isn't a universal fix

A JSON timestamp can help when an image has no usable capture date, but metadata can be missing, ambiguous, or inconsistent. Review the app's proposed dates instead of assuming every sidecar value is correct.

What does the app change?

The app works with local image files. It can update selected Windows filesystem timestamps and supported embedded EXIF date fields. It does not rewrite the Google Photos cloud library, and it does not upload the export. The Google sidecar option is for date diagnosis and matching against the extracted files.

Can I delete the sidecars afterward?

Keep a copy of the original Takeout archive or sidecars as part of your backup. After you have verified that the repaired files contain the dates you need and open as expected in your target app, you can decide how to archive the export.

Related: Date Taken vs. Date Created · Apple Photos exports on Windows · Photo date repair FAQ