Importing GoPro Hero 10 videos to Apple Photos loses metadata

Importing GoPro Hero 10 videos to Apple Photos make the video lose metadata, specifically Camera model and GPS location.


If I review the GoPro footage I can check that the GPS points are there and there is information about the camera, but when it gets imported to Apple Photos it loses those two fields.


I can go and extract the GPS and Geo Tag them manually, tedious but doable.

But the Camera information I cannot add, and Smart Albums functionality that filter by camera model don't work and don't show all the results I expect.


I have tried adding the metadata to the video file using ExifTool, and that also doesn't work, even thou I can see the metadata of the video on other software.


Has anyone come by with something similar and how can to solve this?

MacBook, macOS 12.5

Posted on Aug 17, 2022 12:50 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 27, 2022 12:10 AM

'Composite:GPSPosition' is not a real tag but a composite generated from other tags (i.e. datetime, sub second and offset can be in three tags but they all are generated in the composite tag, for example). So you might want to look for those other tags with either of these commands (their output should be about the same):


exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee '-*GPS*' movie.mp4

exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee -Location:all movie.mp4


Then copy GPS from it to 'Keys:GPSCoordinates'.


That said, later exiftool versions added the ability to use that 'Composite' tag as an input, too. So check that you are using the latest exiftool 12.44:


exiftool -ver


Then also this should work:


exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place '-Keys:GPSCoordinates<Composite:GPSPosition' '-Keys:Model<GoPro:Model' movie.mp4

Similar questions

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 27, 2022 12:10 AM in response to nishchayshah

'Composite:GPSPosition' is not a real tag but a composite generated from other tags (i.e. datetime, sub second and offset can be in three tags but they all are generated in the composite tag, for example). So you might want to look for those other tags with either of these commands (their output should be about the same):


exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee '-*GPS*' movie.mp4

exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee -Location:all movie.mp4


Then copy GPS from it to 'Keys:GPSCoordinates'.


That said, later exiftool versions added the ability to use that 'Composite' tag as an input, too. So check that you are using the latest exiftool 12.44:


exiftool -ver


Then also this should work:


exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place '-Keys:GPSCoordinates<Composite:GPSPosition' '-Keys:Model<GoPro:Model' movie.mp4

Aug 17, 2022 6:14 AM in response to vicente274

I don't have GoPro but I happened to have a sample clip that starts like this:


exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee '-*GPS*' GX010385.MP4 
[UserData]      GPSCoordinates                  : -27.9994 153.4291
[Track4]        GPSMeasureMode                  : 0
[Track4]        GPSDateTime                     : 2022:03:01 12:53:21.935
[Track4]        GPSHPositioningError            : 99.99
[Track4]        GPSLatitude                     : -27.9994232
[Track4]        GPSLongitude                    : 153.429114
[Track4]        GPSAltitude                     : 2836.463
[Track4]        GPSSpeed                        : 0.733
[Track4]        GPSSpeed3D                      : 0.73
[Track4]        GPSLatitude                     : -27.9994228
[Track4]        GPSLongitude                    : 153.4291141
[Track4]        GPSAltitude                     : 2836.463
[Track4]        GPSSpeed                        : 0.733
[Track4]        GPSSpeed3D                      : 0.73
[...]


macOS 12.5 Monterey QuickTime Player or Photos.app do not read any of those GPS tags. But I can copy that UserData tag (and 'GoPro:Model') to Keys which can then be displayed:


exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place '-Keys:GPSCoordinates<UserData:GPSCoordinates' '-Keys:Model<GoPro:Model' .


Then there is that Track4 with lots of varying GPS but you'd better ask exiftool forum what to do with them.

Aug 17, 2022 8:59 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks Matti, I tried this and it worked correctly, also managed to set the Model this way:


exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place '-Keys:Model<GoPro:Model' source/GX01038.MP4


It did not show the Make in any metadata field so I created it directly:

exiftool -Keys:Make=GoPro source/GX01038.MP4


Take in mind this is using a GoPro Hero 10, so some metadata location may vary.


Now I can hack a script to bulk update all the files.


Really appreciate it!

Aug 17, 2022 11:03 AM in response to vicente274

I am glad you sorted it out.


Movie metadata is a mess. Different devices insert different metadata and different software display it to their own liking.


Apple devices and software currently seem to favor 'Keys' like:


exiftool -a -G1 -s -n -ee -Keys:all 2022-0612-1923-17.mov
[Keys]          LocationAccuracyHorizontal      : 4.691263
[Keys]          GPSCoordinates                  : -36.6101 -66.91515 119.9
[Keys]          Make                            : Apple
[Keys]          Model                           : iPhone 13 Pro
[Keys]          Software                        : 15.5
[Keys]          CreationDate                    : 2022:06:12 19:23:17+03:00
[Keys]          Author                          : Author
[Keys]          Description                     : Description
[Keys]          DisplayName                     : Title_primary
[Keys]          Keywords                        : Keyword1,Keyword2
[Keys]          Title                           : Title_secondary [displayed if the primary does not exist]



Aug 26, 2022 10:45 PM in response to nishchayshah

My gopro hero 10 doesn't have GPS composite in userdata key. This is what I have from Gopro


[Composite] GPSPosition : 46.677268 7.7683133


So I tried this:


% exiftool -m -P -overwrite_original_in_place '-Keys:GPSCoordinates<Composite:GPSPosition' TEST.MP4


Warning: No writable tags set from TEST.MP4

0 image files updated

1 image files unchanged


But its saying "No writable tags set"

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Importing GoPro Hero 10 videos to Apple Photos loses metadata

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.