Google Takeout guide
Why exported photos show the download date.
A wrong date in Explorer, Finder, Apple Photos, or a NAS can come from different metadata fields. Repair starts by identifying which field the destination actually reads.
The original is not always stripped
Camera photos commonly retain an embedded capture date. Files from messaging apps, scans, edited dates, captions, and location changes may depend on the supplemental JSON exported by Google Photos.
ZIP extraction also gives files a new filesystem creation time. That does not necessarily mean the embedded capture date was lost.
Use every ZIP and keep the JSON
Large exports are split across numbered archives, and a media file and its matching sidecar may not be in the same part. Select all parts together and do not delete JSON files before the audit.
Write local time without changing the instant
A Unix timestamp is an absolute instant. For a photo with GPS, the correct EXIF display value is the wall time in the timezone at that location plus its UTC offset. A safe repair preserves the instant while changing only its representation.