OneDrive File Issues

How to Preserve Screenshot Dates When Moving Photos to OneDrive

Algirdas Jasaitis Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to retain the original capture dates of screenshots when transferring them from an iPhone/iCloud to OneDrive via an Android device.

How to Preserve Screenshot Dates When Moving Photos to OneDrive

Product: OneDrive
Device & OS: iOS, Android
Scenario: Transferring screenshots from an iPhone to a Samsung device, and subsequently syncing them to OneDrive.
Observed behavior: Samsung Gallery retains the original screenshot dates, but the OneDrive Android app alters them to the synchronization date. Uploading directly via the iOS app preserves the dates but stores files in a different location.

Before you start

Ensure you still have access to the original screenshots on your iPhone before attempting to re-upload them, as files that have already had their dates changed by Android synchronization cannot be automatically reverted.

Solution 1Recommended

Upload Screenshots Directly Using the OneDrive iOS App

Bypass the Android synchronization process entirely by uploading your screenshots straight from your iPhone to preserve the original metadata.

Because the OneDrive for Android application frequently relies on file creation or upload dates for screenshots rather than original EXIF data, transferring them directly through iOS prevents the date from being overwritten.

Open OneDrive on iOS

Launch the OneDrive application on your iPhone and log in to your Microsoft account.

Initiate an Upload

Tap the '+' icon located at the top right or bottom of the screen, then select 'Upload'.

Select and Upload Screenshots

Choose 'Photos and Videos', navigate to your screenshots album, select the desired images, and tap 'Done' to upload them with their original capture dates preserved.

Upload Screenshots Directly Using the OneDrive iOS App

File Storage Differences: Uploading manually through the iPhone app may place your screenshots in a different OneDrive folder compared to the automatic camera roll backup on Android.

Solution 2

Submit Feedback for the Android Sync Issue

Report the metadata loss behavior directly to the OneDrive development team to request a fix for future updates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does OneDrive change the date on my screenshots but not my camera photos?

Camera photos contain standard EXIF data (which includes 'Date Taken') that OneDrive reliably reads during synchronization. Screenshots usually lack robust EXIF data, so OneDrive for Android defaults to the date the file was created on the local device or synchronized to the cloud.

Can I restore the original dates for screenshots already uploaded to OneDrive via Android?

Unfortunately, no. Once the Android OneDrive app overrides the metadata during the sync process, the original dates are lost in the cloud version. You must delete the affected files and re-upload the originals directly from your iPhone.

Does Samsung Gallery modify the screenshot dates when transferring from iPhone?

No, Samsung Gallery is typically capable of reading the original creation metadata of the transferred files and displaying the correct dates. The alteration happens exclusively during the upload process from the Android device to the OneDrive servers.

Document & File Issues