How to Change the Date in a Photo in a Xiaomi Phone: All Ways (2026)

Have you ever encountered a situation where photos on your Xiaomi or Redmi display the wrong date? This can happen after a reset, battery change, firmware update, or even a GPS module malfunction. Incorrect timestamps not only spoil the chronology in the gallery, but also make it difficult to find the right pictures. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to fix the date on the photo, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party applications that work even on older models.

It’s important to understand that the date of a photo is stored in its metadata (EXIF) – it’s hidden information that can be edited. However, not all methods are equally safe: some applications can damage files, and changing the system time on the phone can cause messaging and banking applications to malfunction, and we will tell you how to avoid typical errors and choose the best way for your model – whether it’s the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 12.

Why is the photo in Xiaomi wrong?

Before you fix a problem, you need to figure out why, and most often, the wrong date in the photos is because:

• 🔋 Resetting the battery – if the phone is completely discharged and lay for a long time without recharging, the system time could be lost.
• ⚙️ Updates MIUI — After installing a new version of the firmware, the time and date settings are sometimes reset.
• 📡 No network – without a mobile internet connection or Wi-Fi, the phone cannot synchronize time with servers NTP.
• 📱 Manual time change – if you manually set an incorrect date (for example, to bypass gaming restrictions).
• 🔄 Transferring photos from other devices – when copying photos from a camera or an old phone, metadata may not be saved.

On some Xiaomi models, for example, POCO X5 Pro or Redmi 10C) Date bug shows up after using Professional Shooting mode, in which case the problem lies in the Conflict with the camera module. If the date is only lost in individual photos, the application that you processed them is to blame (for example, Snapseed or Lightroom sometimes resets the data). EXIF-data).

⚠️ Warning: If all photos in the gallery are wrong, check the system time in the phone settings first.

Method 1: Correcting the date through the standard MIUI gallery

The easiest method is to use the built-in tools of the MIUI gallery. It is suitable for most models of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO on MIUI 12-14 firmware. The main advantage of this method is that you do not need to install third-party applications, and the risk of damaging files is minimal.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app (a icon with multi-colored squares).
2. Find a photo with the wrong date and tap it to open in full screen mode.
3. Click on three dots in the upper right corner (⋮) and select Information or Details (the title may vary depending on the version) MIUI).
4. Scroll down to the Date and Time block and tap it.
5. Enter the correct date and time, then click Save.

Note that this method only works for individual photos. If you want to fix a date on a hundred pictures, you have to use other methods. Also, in some versions of MIUI, the date editing option may be hidden, in which case resetting the gallery settings (Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage → Clear data) will help.

Photo is not protected from editing (no icon) 🔒)

The gallery includes rights to change metadata

Phone connected to charging (for large packets photo)

Backup of important photos taken-->

Method 2: Massive date change via Google Photos

If you have Google Photos installed, you can fix the date on multiple photos at once, a method that is convenient for Xiaomi owners who sync their images to the cloud, and the main advantage is that the changes apply to all devices where you are logged in with the same Google account.

How it works:

• 📱 Open Google Photos and select an album or folder with problematic photos.
• 🖱️ Hold your finger in one picture and highlight the others (you can tap each or use the function to highlight all of them).
• ✏️ Click on the three dots at the top and select Change date and time.
• 📅 Enter the correct data and confirm the changes.

Google Photos changes the date only in its interface, but does not edit EXIF-This means that when you view a photo through other applications (for example, Files or other files). VLC) The old date may show up. To fix this, after editing in Google Photos, download the photo back to your phone, and it will be saved with the new date.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI 13/14 Smart grouping in the gallery, massive date change through Google Photos can disrupt the sorting of albums.

MIUI Standard Gallery

Google Photo

Other Annex (specify in the comments)

I don't know which one I'm using.-->

Method 3: Third-party applications for editing EXIF

If the built-in tools don't work, specialized apps will come to the rescue, allowing you to edit the metadata of photos, including date, geolocation and even the camera model.

We recommend EXIF Editor - it is free and does not require root rights.

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and allow access to the files.
3. Select a photo or folder with a photo.
4. Slip on the Date/Time field and enter new values.
5. Save the changes (the app will prompt you to make a copy or re-write the original).

On Xiaomi models with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 12C or POCO M5) some EXIF-Editors may not properly process files in format HEIC. In this case, convert the photo to JPEG via the "Files" or "Gallery" application".

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Before mass editing, back up your photos on your computer or in the cloud. Some applications can damage files if saved incorrectly.

Method 4: Change of system time (extreme case)

If the date gets lost in all new photos, the problem may lie in the system settings of the phone, in which case forced time synchronization will help, but this method should be used carefully - it can affect the work of instant messengers (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram), banking applications and even some games.

How to synchronize time:

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
2. Turn off the option Automatically (network).
3. Manually set the correct date and time.
4. Return to the menu and turn on Automatically (network).
5. Reboot the phone.

After this, take a test photo and check if the correct date is still there, if the problem persists, the settings of the camera module may have gone wrong, in which case resetting the camera settings will help:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Camera → Storage → Clear data

⚠️ Note: On phones with unlocked bootloader or custom firmware (such as Xiaomi.eu), manual time change can lead to errors in the operation of Google services. EXIF.

Method 5: Date correction on a computer (for advanced users)

If the phone doesn't work, you can transfer the photo to your computer and edit the metadata there, which is true for Xiaomi owners who store large archives of photos. Windows and macOS have free programs for mass editing EXIF:

• 🖥️ ExifTool – console utility for advanced users (supports batch processing).
• 📷 XnView MP — Graphic editor with date change function.
• 🌐 Online EXIF Editor – Web services like verexif.com (do not require installation).

Example of ExifTool (for Windows):

1. Download ExifTool and unpack the archive.
2. Place the photo in the same folder with the exiftool.exe file.
3. Open the Command Prompt (Win + R → cmd) and go to the folder with the photo:
4. Follow the command to change the date (for example, January 1, 2026):

For a massive date change with the originals saved, add the -o key.:

exiftool -AllDates="2026:01:01 12:00:00" -o . *.jpg

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you change the date on the photo, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

Another common mistake is trying to change the date in screenshots. MIUI Screenshots are saved by default without EXIF-In this case, no application will help, you will have to add the date manually through graphic editors (for example, Photoshop Express or Photoshop Express). PIXLR).

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Before mass editing, always check the result on 1-2 files. Some applications can convert photos to another format (for example, from HEIC to JPEG), which will lead to loss of quality.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions