Shared Album Photo with Correct Capture Date

Question

Level 1

13 points

Shared Album Photo with Correct Capture Date

I am working to put scanned photos into a Share album and it is unable to keep the correct original date I assign it in Apple Photos. The goal is to post photos in chronological order according to the original date.

Here are the steps I have taken after reading many threads.

1) import scanned photo into Apple Photos on Mac connected to iCloud account

2) modified date using Apple photo to the correct capture date and save

3) moved photo to the shared album using the share option with the up arrow

After the share the dates are incorrect and reflect a more recent date, which I don't understand. I have re-tried to save the capture date again in Photos and it still does not work.

Is there a workflow anyone can suggest to get a scanned photo into a shared album that will allow the capture date to be retained?

Side note: the capture date modifications done in Apple Photos work if I share the same photos on Google Photos or Lightroom. I prefer to use Apple shared albums and looking for a solution.

Mac mini, macOS 15.6

Posted on Oct 17, 2025 12:40 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

sab2624 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 19, 2025 10:54 AM in response to léonie

Thank you for this suggestion. I have date captured in the correct sequential order by upgrading my Mac OS from 15.6.1 to 26.0.1. This also includes the native Apple Photos update. Not sure which one of these fixed the issue, but happy to see it fixed when viewing the Shared Album on iOS 18.x and 16.x devices.

Reply

Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,196 points

Oct 17, 2025 2:33 PM in response to sab2624

The Apple Shared Albums can only be sorted online by the order they are added to the album.

The Shared Album on your Mac can be sorted like a regular album.

Photos are not necessarily added by the order in groups as they may be added by size or orientation first. So to get them in a Shared Album online in the order you want they must be added, one at a time, in the order you want.

That's because most of the metadata is stripped from the files, including capture date, when added to a Shared Album as part of Apple's privacy policy.

Tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored or new features added in Photos via Feedback - Photos - Apple

Reply

Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,495 points

Oct 18, 2025 7:35 AM in response to sab2624

It is only recently that photos in Shared albums are keeping the original capture date, since iOS 18 and macOS 15 Sequoia.

Is the system version shown below your question correct? Perhaps you need to install the most recent update. I just tested again to share photos with a modified date to a shared album, and the modified date is visible, when I am viewing the shared album as a public website. The modified date is shown below the photo, when clicking it and viewing it enlarged. Even dates before 1970 are working well, which is perfect for old family scans.

In the overview list of the Shared album the "Date added" is shown, not the capture date. How are you viewing the Shared album? In Photos for Mac, or in a browser as a public webpage?

I am currently using macOS 26 Tahoe.

Reply

Answer 4

sab2624 Author

Level 1

13 points

Oct 17, 2025 4:00 PM in response to Old Toad

Thank you. I tried the suggestion. Adding one photo at a time from a Mac Apple Photo Library to a shared library does not allow the sort to be in the preferred order (oldest to newest original date) when viewed in an iPad or iPhone Apple Photo app. It does on a Mac. Apple's own documentation says that Original Date is maintained if using the Shared icon, so can't tell if this is a bug. In addition on iPad and iPhone the only way to sort by newest, oldest, or date added. That functionality does not even work based on adding one photo at a time or original date. Any other ideas?

Reply