buildmyevidence · guide
How to find the date a photo or video was taken on your phone
The short answer: open the photo or video in your phone’s gallery and swipe up on it. On an iPhone, swipe up or tap the ⓘ button; on an Android, swipe up or tap ⋮ then Details. The day, the time, the file name and the length are all there. For a video, pause on the moment that matters and take a screenshot of that details screen — the picture then carries the date with it.
A photograph usually knows when it was taken. A screenshot of a message does not, and nor does a copy that has been sent through a messaging app. Knowing which one you are holding is the difference between a date you can show somebody and a date you are asking them to take your word for.
iPhone: where the date is
- Open the photo or video in Photos.
- For a video, pause on the moment that matters.
- Swipe up on the picture, or tap the ⓘ button. The date, the time, the file name, the length and the size show underneath.
- Take a screenshot: the side button and volume up together.
Android: where the date is
- Open the photo or video in Google Photos.
- For a video, pause on the moment that matters.
- Swipe up on the picture, or tap ⋮ and then Details.
- Take a screenshot: power and volume down together.
Why take a screenshot of it at all?
Because the picture then carries the evidence of its own date. The day, the time, the file name and the length are all in the same shot, so anybody looking at it later can see where the date came from instead of being told.
It matters most for video. A video file cannot be added to a buildmyevidence record, so a still from the details screen is what goes in and what prints — and the length and size on it are what let anyone match that still back to the right clip, even among a dozen from the same night.
Three things that lose the date
- Sending it to yourself. Messaging apps and email often strip the date out on the way. The copy in your photo library still has it, so copy it off the phone directly.
- A screenshot of a message. It records the day you took the screenshot, not the day the message was sent. You have to say when it was sent yourself.
- Editing or re-saving. A crop, a filter or an export can write a new date over the old one.
Two things to be careful about
- Leave the date alone. The details screen lets you change the date and time on a photo. Don’t, on anything that is part of a dispute.
- Keep the map out of the shot. If a map shows under the details, scroll so it is not in the screenshot. Say where it was in words instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does a screenshot know when the message was sent?
No. A screenshot carries the moment you took the screenshot and nothing else. The day the message was sent is something you have to record yourself.
Why does a photo I was sent have the wrong date?
Most messaging apps strip the original date when they send a picture, so the copy you received is dated when it arrived. Ask the person to send the original from their photo library, or work from what you can see on their screen.
Can I add the video itself?
Not to the record. Take a still from the details screen and add that, then use "I have it" to record that the video exists and that you are keeping it.
This guide is about keeping records. It is not legal advice.