How to use this image tool
- Select a supported image.
- Set the available options and review their limits.
- Choose Read photo date, inspect the result, then download the newly created file.
#091 · Metadata & Privacy Tool
Photo Date Taken Viewer
Check when a photo was captured by reading its EXIF date fields locally. The viewer distinguishes the original capture date from digitized and modified dates.
Image Tool
One imageThe report checks embedded EXIF date tags first and uses the file modified date only as a clearly labeled fallback.
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What this tool does
The viewer scans common EXIF containers for DateTimeOriginal, DateTimeDigitized, and DateTime. It does not upload the photo or change it.
Priority: DateTimeOriginal → DateTimeDigitized → DateTime → file last-modified date
A file-system date is shown only as a fallback and is not proof of when the camera captured the scene.
Supported formats
JPEG metadata is the most consistently available. PNG and WebP dates depend on whether the browser can expose embedded text or EXIF data.
| Input | image/jpeg,image/png,image/webp |
|---|---|
| Processing | Local browser session |
| Safety limit | 40 megapixels per raster operation |
Tips for better results
- Use the original camera file when possible.
- Messaging apps often remove EXIF before delivery.
- Compare the reported source instead of assuming every date is a capture date.
FAQ
Why does my photo have no Date Taken value?
The camera, editor, or sharing service may not have written the field, or may have removed it during export.
Is the file modified date the same as the camera date?
No. It records a file-system event and can change when a file is copied, downloaded, or restored.
Can this viewer read dates from screenshots?
Only if the screenshot software wrote a date field. Most screenshots have no camera EXIF date.
Does opening a photo here change its metadata?
No. The tool reads the selected file and creates a separate JSON report.
Are photo dates adjusted for my time zone?
EXIF dates often contain no time-zone offset, so the viewer displays the stored value without inventing one.
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Processing details
| Privacy | Local processing |
|---|---|
| Output | New downloadable Blob |
| Reset | Clears files and object URLs |
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