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Is there an automatic date change to current date when uploading?

Why this automatic change of date to current date when upload files to Dropbox -- no other cloud type storage system does this date change? I use both Safari & Windows (depending which laptop I use at time) to do these file uploads. Its a pain in butt that it changes date so I have to upload then go in and modify to date I want. -- I've read about some synching option but not relevant.

I see others have raised this issue but no real ownership by DropBox to fix it seems? Has anyone found a way to turn off this auto date change function?

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Jay

We appreciate the feedback on this matter. We take all comments into consideration when improving the Dropbox site and services.

All comments

Jay

Hi @gcn2234 , thanks for contacting us!

It sounds like you're referring to the modification date of new files when they're uploaded to the site. Since the file is technically created as new on the site, the current date and time is used.

If the Dropbox desktop application is installed, files synced from the local Dropbox folder will have their original modification dates.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

gcn2234

Yes this is exactly what I am talking about - and I note you do not supply any solution 😞

This annoyance does NOT happen when uploading files to other cloud storage (eg Sync or Google Drive and other similar) ONLY Dropbox - there is no need for Dropbox to modify date as far as user is concerned, Many people have complained yet Dropbox does nothing to rectify - very disappointing.

Jay

We appreciate the feedback on this matter. We take all comments into consideration when improving the Dropbox site and services.

gcn2234

yes i hope Dropbox fixes this soon i will then consider buying a premium package when fixed

bella33

Today 9 May 2024 I used iphone Dropbox app to upload 95 photos from Mar 2024 , 43 photos out of the 95 photos Dropbox changed the date of the photo (file name) to today's date. What is going on ? I'm getting tired of all the changes made to Dropbox that don't work as they previously did.

Hannah

Sorry to hear that, @bella33.

Can you send us a couple of example original names and what they changed to?

bella33

Hi Hanna,

1. I was uploading photos from my iphone so I don't know the actual filename Apple assigns
I created an iphone album with 400 photos as this the new limit for an upload to Dropbox and these photos were all created during March 2024

2. 95 of the 400 (nearly 25%) ended up in dropbox with the wrong file name and I could easily identify them because they ended up as < Photo 9-5-2024, 12 43 03 (2).jpg>
prefixed with 1,2,3 ,...... because it was the upload date not the photo creation date

3. I could easily identify the wrong file names as the affected file names appeared in Dropbox with the date of the upload and not the original creation date of the photo.

expected Dropbox file name 17-3-2024, 12 43 03.jpg
result Dropbox file name 9-5-2024, 12 43 03 (2).jpg

I have been using Dropbox for a very long time and this is the first time I noticed that using the Dopbox Apple App didn't creation a file in Dropbox using the photos creation date

To simplify the issue, if today I was to upload all my photos from my iphone using the Dropbox app , 10,000 photos put into albums that had 400 photos then in Dropbox every photos file name potentially could have the same date as the filename.

To simplify my issue , if I took a photo of my child in Jan 2015 then when I upload the photo to Dropbox
I want the file name to appear as 1-01-2015, 12 30 00.jpg
NOT 9-5-2024, 12 43 03 (259).jpg

Please don't go and change any of my dropbox file names.

bella33

Walter

Hi @bella33 - thanks for the additional information and your feedback on this. It's been noted in our system and you can let us know if you have anything else to add.

In the meantime, perhaps you'd be interested in the naming conventions feature?

bella33

Hi Walter, I looked at the naming conventions feature article and I can see the uploaded photos / files that had been viewed / modified on my phone were saved to DB with the modified date.

I have a folder where I did set the rule to capture date, this folder has multiple folders and it didn't work because I did a test of the rule in a sub folder .

Looks like I have to set these rules for each folder. This is so tedious why would I have 1 rule for one folder and another rule elsewhere for something basic like media file names, I like to have consistent rules across all my files so I don't confuse myself or others. This ability to set a rule to use capture date should be set at the my account level.

Mai

Eric M.13

I don't have a solution for stopping this when "uploading photos" but I found that Dropbox doesn't rename my pictures if I say to upload file instead. What I mean is that on my Android app when I click on the "Add to Dropbox" icon it gives me a menu of options.

Two of those options are:
* Upload photos or videos

* Create or upload file

If I choose "upload photos or videos" then Dropbox messes with the filenames, _however_, if I choose "create or upload file" I can just go to my Camera folder and select the photos I want to upload and it _does not_ change the filenames.

AgentOrange

@gcn2234 @bella33 @Eric M.13

I have a suggestion post for people to vote on the issue of the preservation of creation dates and other metadata. It’s difficult to get everyone to all find it because there are so many posts about the same thing across this forum. But they require a certain number of people to vote on a single suggestion post so I’m trying to unite the people posting about this problem as best as I possibly can.

Here’s the link…

https://www.dropboxforum.com/idea/101002013/preserve-file-creation-datesand-other-metadata-in-mobile-app-versions/691539