Rename photos by the date inside them
Use the capture date written inside the photo instead of the camera counter.
IMG_4471.HEIC tells you nothing and sorts by nothing useful. The photo itself knows when it was taken, on what, and at what settings. This reads that and renames the whole folder into names that sort chronologically on any system.
What you can build a name from
- Capture date and time, from EXIF rather than the file system.
- Camera and lens model.
- A sequence number, zero-padded so it sorts correctly.
- The original name, if you want to keep a trace of it.
Why the file date is the wrong date
- Copying a photo resets its file date to today.
- Cloud sync rewrites it again on every device.
- The EXIF date is written once, by the camera, and never changes.
What the plan shows before anything runs
- Every old name beside the new one it would get.
- Any two files that would collide, resolved with a counter rather than an overwrite.
- Which files have no EXIF and are falling back to their modification date.
- Nothing is renamed until you approve the whole list.
What it does not do
- It does not move files between folders — the rename happens in place.
- It does not copy, so a folder of five thousand renames as fast as one of five.
- It does not change a single byte inside any file.
Questions
How do I rename photos by the date they were taken?
Read the date from inside the photo rather than the file system. EXIF stores the exact capture time, which survives copying and syncing.
Will it overwrite my photos?
It renames in place, and shows you the full before and after list first. Nothing runs until you approve the plan.
What if two photos have the same timestamp?
A zero-padded sequence number is appended, so burst shots stay in order and no name collides.