Keep the dates when you export Google Photos
A Takeout export can look like a pile of photos with today’s date. The real date is often in a small file next to the photo. Do not delete those files.
What you will see
- A photo, for example IMG_1234.jpg.
- A matching extra file, often IMG_1234.jpg.json or a similar name.
- That extra file can hold the date, the album, and other details the image itself does not show.
What to do
- Export first, using Takeout.
- When you unzip, keep the photo and its matching extra file together.
- Do not “clean up” by deleting every file that is not a jpg or mp4.
- If a photo’s date looks wrong, check for the extra file before you rename or move anything.
Renaming the photo without renaming its extra file can separate them. Move them as a pair.