Make creation dates match when your photos and videos were taken.
Creation Date Fixer is a Mac utility by Zack Thar. It reads the capture date stored inside a photo or video and copies that date to the file’s creation date in Finder. It is useful after downloads, exports and transfers that leave files with a creation date different from when they were captured.
How to use it
- Extract any ZIP downloads first.
- Drag photos and videos into the app, or choose Add photos & videos….
- Compare Current creation date with Taken / recorded date. Uncheck files you want to skip.
- Click Fix creation dates.
The app updates your selected files in place. It does not copy, rename or re-encode them. File contents and embedded metadata stay unchanged, and the modification date is preserved. Changes to creation dates remain after you quit the app or restart your Mac.
Undo a batch
Click Undo last batch to restore the previous creation dates. Undo history is saved locally and can be used after reopening the app. Avoid editing or replacing files before undoing: the app checks their identity, size and modification date before restoring dates.
If access is unavailable, clear the list, add the affected files again to renew permission, then retry Undo. Connect any external drive containing the files first.
Supported files
Common photo formats include JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, PNG and TIFF, plus RAW formats whose metadata macOS can read. Camera RAW support depends on your camera and macOS version. Supported video formats include MOV, MP4, M4V, 3GP and 3G2. The app requires macOS 14 or later.
For Live Photos, add both the image and companion MOV file. Only metadata embedded in the media is read; XMP sidecar files are not currently used.
Why was a file skipped?
- No recorded date: the file has no usable embedded capture date. Some screenshots, exports and shared files do not contain one. The app cannot reconstruct a missing date.
- Already correct: the creation date already matches the capture date.
- Permission or volume error: add the file again, confirm it is writable, and check that its drive supports changing creation dates.
Why does a time look different?
Dates are displayed in your Mac’s current time zone. Embedded time zone offsets are honored when available. Dates without an offset use your Mac’s local time zone. Check the preview for media captured in another time zone or by a camera with an incorrect clock.
Contact support
Email samuraizack@gmail.com with “Creation Date Fixer” in the subject. Include your macOS version, app version, file type and any error message. Please do not send private photos, videos or a full file-path history unless needed and you are comfortable sharing them.
