How to add a timestamp to photos on iPhone
Your iPhone already knows when and where every photo was taken. It just doesn't show it on the picture. Here's how to read that information, correct it, and stamp it onto the photos you send.
The iPhone Camera app has no timestamp setting. The date, time and location are saved in the photo's metadata, which you can see by swiping up on a photo. To print them on the image, you need Markup (by hand, one photo at a time) or an app that stamps photos for you.
Check when and where a photo was taken
- Open the photo in the Photos app.
- Swipe up, or tap the ⓘ button.
- The date and time are at the top. If Location Services was on for the Camera, a map shows where it was taken.
No location? Go to Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Camera and choose While Using the App. It only affects photos taken from then on.
Fix a wrong date or location
In the same info panel, tap Adjust next to the date to change the date, time or time zone, or tap the location to pick a different place. This changes the metadata only — nothing appears on the image.
Write a date on one photo with Markup
For a one-off, Markup works without installing anything:
- Open the photo and tap Edit.
- Tap the Markup (pen) button.
- Tap + › Add Text, type the date and time, and drag it into a corner.
- Tap Done.
It's manual: you type the date yourself, it's easy to make a typo, and it takes a minute per photo. Fine for one picture, painful for forty.
Stamp date, time and location automatically
If you take photos for work, the stamp should come from the photo's own data, look the same on every image, and never touch your original. That's how the watermark in Shotfile works:
1428 Elm St, Austin TX
Smith Kitchen · No.0012
- In Shotfile, open Settings › Watermark and turn it on.
- Choose the lines you want: time, location, project name and photo number. Add your own lines too, like your company name or license number.
- Pick a corner (bottom left, bottom right or top left) and set the background opacity.
- Share, export or build a report. The stamp is drawn on the copies that leave the app.
- Your original stays clean. The stamp is applied to exported copies, so you can always send an unstamped version.
- Location is opt-in. Shotfile only asks for location access when you turn the location line on. If a photo has no location, it can use the project's address instead.
- Watermarks are off by default, so nothing gets stamped until you decide it should.
Shotfile: Rename Work Photos
Date, time, location and project stamps on every exported work photo. Free to try on iPhone.
Download on the App StoreWhen a visible timestamp matters
- Before and after work. A client can see at a glance that the "before" really came first.
- Progress updates. Weekly photos with dates make a timeline without extra explanation.
- Insurance and damage claims. Adjusters often ask when a photo was taken. A stamp answers that on the image itself.
- Inspections. A date and location on each photo ties it to the right visit.
A stamp is a clear record, not tamper-proof evidence. Keep the original files — they hold the metadata — in case a date is ever questioned.
FAQ
Does the iPhone camera have a timestamp setting?
No. The Camera app saves the date, time and location in the photo's metadata, but it has no option to print them on the image.
Where can I see when an iPhone photo was taken?
Open the photo in Photos and swipe up or tap the info button. The date, time and, if Location Services was on, the place are shown there.
Is a printed timestamp proof of when a photo was taken?
It's a clear visual record for clients and reports, but any stamp can be edited by someone determined. Keep the original files with their metadata if the date might ever be disputed.