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How to Sort Photos by Date Taken in Windows 11

Elise Williams Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to arrange image files based on the actual date they were captured instead of the date the files were copied or created on the computer.

How to Sort Photos by Date Taken in Windows 11

Product: Windows 11 File Explorer
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Organizing a large collection of photos transferred from a camera or phone to a Windows 11 PC.
Observed behavior: By default, Windows sorts files by Date or Date created, which often reflects when the file was copied or modified rather than when the photo was originally snapped.

Before you start

Ensure that your photo files contain EXIF metadata. Screenshots, downloaded images from social media, or heavily edited photos often have this original capture data stripped out.

Solution 1Recommended

Sort Photos by Date Taken Using Windows 11 File Explorer

Use the built-in Details view in File Explorer to reveal and sort by the hidden Date Taken column.

Windows 11 File Explorer allows you to view file metadata through its Details view. By enabling the specific column for original capture dates, you can arrange your photos chronologically regardless of when they were transferred to your PC.

Open the photo folder

Press Windows Key + E to open File Explorer and navigate to the folder containing your photos.

Switch to Details view

Click on the View button at the top menu bar, select Show, and then click Details to view file attributes in a column format.

Add the Date taken column

Right-click on any existing column heading (like Name or Date), click on More... from the context menu, check the box next to Date taken, and click OK.

Sort by Date taken

Click on the newly added Date taken column header to sort your photos chronologically. Click it again to toggle between ascending and descending order.

Sort Photos by Date Taken Using Windows 11 File Explorer

Missing Date Taken Data: If the Date taken column is blank for some files, those images do not have the required EXIF metadata embedded.

Solution 2

Automate Photo Organization Using ExifTool

If you need to rename or move files based on their capture date across multiple folders, a third-party command-line utility like ExifTool is highly effective.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 'Date taken' column blank for some of my photos?

The 'Date taken' information relies on EXIF metadata embedded by the camera. If a photo was downloaded from social media (like WhatsApp or Facebook), edited with certain software, or taken as a screenshot, this metadata is often stripped or never existed.

What is the difference between 'Date created' and 'Date taken'?

'Date created' refers to the exact time the file was generated or copied onto your computer's hard drive. 'Date taken' is the metadata recorded by your camera hardware when the actual photograph was captured.

Can I manually edit or add the Date taken to a photo?

Yes. Right-click the photo, select Properties, go to the Details tab, and click next to 'Date taken' under the Origin section to manually enter or change the date and time. Click Apply to save.

How do I group photos by month or year based on Date taken?

In File Explorer, after enabling the 'Date taken' column, right-click an empty space in the folder, select Group by, and choose 'Date taken'. Windows 11 will automatically organize your photos into collapsible time-based groups.

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