Let's clear
that up.

A download, copy, or export can change a file's filesystem creation date. Some services also remove embedded capture dates and provide the original date in a separate metadata file. Fix My Photo Dates checks available clues and shows which source it used.

Date Taken usually comes from capture-date metadata embedded in the image. Date Created is a Windows filesystem timestamp that can change when a file is copied or downloaded. Photo apps do not all sort by the same date field, so the date that needs repair depends on where you view the photos.

Not necessarily. Some photo apps prioritize embedded EXIF capture dates; others may use filesystem dates. When the embedded date is wrong or missing, repairing EXIF is more likely to affect an app's displayed timeline. The app lets you choose whether to update file timestamps, EXIF dates, or both.

No. This is a Windows utility for exported photo files. It does not connect to or edit an Apple Photos library. Export the image files, repair them on Windows, then import or transfer them again if needed. If the exported file already has the correct embedded capture date, changing only its Windows creation date may not change how Apple Photos sorts it.

Yes. The app can match Google Takeout JSON sidecar files to images and use the photoTakenTime value when the image itself has no usable capture date. Keep the exported JSON files beside their matching photos during analysis. Read the Google Takeout date repair guide.

The app checks for other clues: matching Google Takeout sidecars, supported date patterns in filenames, timestamp text printed on the image, and chronological context in a sequence of files. You can also enter a date manually, or leave a file unchanged if you cannot verify its date.

No. Analysis and repair run locally on your Windows device. The app does not upload your photo files.

Repair actions are recorded in a local rollback manifest so saved filesystem timestamps and the EXIF date value recorded by the app can be restored. Because metadata can vary between files, make a separate backup of important photos before changing them.

When EXIF repair is selected, the app writes selected date tags to the image file. It does not intentionally change image pixels. File timestamp options change Windows filesystem metadata. RAW EXIF patching is off by default; updating RAW file timestamps does not edit RAW image metadata.

The app scans common formats including JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, TIFF, WebP, AVIF, PNG, and common camera RAW formats. Available date fields and repair options vary by format.

No. Fix My Photo Dates is a Windows desktop application for Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The file is marked uncertain instead of being presented as a confident automatic match. You can set a date yourself, use chronological spacing for a group of undated files, or exclude the file from repair.