How to export your Google Photos library without losing the metadata

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I exported my Google Photos library recently, unzipped the archive, and opened a photo from 2019. The date said the photo was created yesterday. The GPS coordinates were gone. The album it belonged to was nowhere to be seen.

Nothing was actually lost. Google Takeout did give me everything. It just did not put the metadata where I expected it to be.

If you are planning to export your own library, this is the part most guides skip. Here is what I did to keep the dates, locations, and album structure intact.

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How to export your Google Photos library without losing the metadata