Update creation date to actual creation date?

Like others, I am using Photos 7 and even when I export "unmodified original" it changes the creation date of the file to the current date (and I understand that the actual create date is hidden and can be found in inspector). However, is there a program that can be used to update the file creation date to match the actual creation date? I need to have videos appear chronologically for a client so that I can make a "year-in-review" video of her children.


The weird thing is, in Photos 3 (which I kept a copy on an old computer) did this just fine...when the "unmodified original" was exported, it kept the actual creation date which made for easy sorting in Finder. Thanks!

Posted on Dec 9, 2022 07:10 AM

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Dec 9, 2022 07:37 AM in response to DrMarsha

Even if you are exporting the original file, the file creation of the original in Photos may be different from the date the photo has been taken, for several reasons, for example:

  • If the file has been synced with iCloud to your Mac, the file creation date may have been changed to the day the file has been downloaded from iCloud
  • If you are exporting to a different volume, the file creation date can change.
  • Photos may have replaced the original in iCloud by a different original, if two files synced to iCloud are recognised as duplicates.

Are you using iCloud Photos?


Dec 9, 2022 07:37 AM in response to DrMarsha

It's odd, but when I (using Monterey and Photos 7) export original, the Finder shows the original creation date. It shows the export date when exporting edited images.


But what you need is an Exif editor. There are several listed in the App store, but I use a more versatile program, GraphicConverter ($40), that I've kept current for 30 years! In its browser, you can manipulate Exif data, IPTC data, and even stuff you see in the Mac Info window. It also lets you do batch name changing of files. And, while it works for all kinds of files, it has only limited video editing.


This shows me selecting some images and choosing the Date manipulation. You can see that you can set the "Creation Date" for finder to the Exif Date, which is what you would like.



You can hunt around for other Exif editors at the App store or with Google-- this is just the one I have had good experience with. Also, I email the creator of the program when I run into something confusing, and he always answers quickly. (Again, for 30 years.)

Dec 9, 2022 07:39 AM in response to Richard.Taylor

Thank you...I will try this. Should I be using something other than "export unmodified original"? Seems odd that we are both using the same systems and getting different results. All of my videos reflected today's date as the creation date in Finder (but still retains the content creation date as the actual date). My issue is that I need to sort all of the video files (~500) chronologically based on date/time. If I export them all, the creation date for all of them is today and no way to sort. I need a way to sort based on the content create of the videos...

Dec 9, 2022 08:53 AM in response to léonie

Drat-- I wasn't thinking of videos. Videos don't always have Exif data. Nonetheless, when I export unmodified videos, it presents the creation date (or maybe the upload date-- but definitely not today's date) in the Finder.


I just tried exporting a not original video file-- the finder shows today's date. I then used the Exif editing in GraphicConverter, saying set creation date using Exif, and it correctly fixed the date.


Maybe the problem is the video format-- I've been looking at MP4s.

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Update creation date to actual creation date?

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