Add date/time stamps to photos on Android
Android’s stock camera app offers some useful image editing options. However, there’s usually no obvious option or setting for adding a date and time stamp to the photo you’ve taken.
Remark: For clarity and to avoid confusion, this article discusses the options add a date and time stamp “ABOUT” your photosnot to save its date and time data.
On newer Motorola phones, such as the Moto G series, there is an option in the camera settings to add a timestamp to the photo when it is taken. If your smartphone does have the timestamp feature, it’s often easiest to use that.
For most smartphones, you can check your photo’s metadata and then use image-editing software to add the date and time. However, this approach is time consuming and a bit complicated, not to mention that the resulting image can easily be modified by someone else, posing a security risk.
To avoid security or hacking risks on your precious images, you need an option that embeds date and time stamps when you take the photos with your Android device. Since Android’s camera app usually doesn’t offer a date and time stamp option, you need to download a third-party app. There are many free options out there.
This how-to article provides information on adding a timestamp to your photos using built-in options (if available on your phone) or one of several third-party time-stamping apps.
Add timestamps to photos using built-in Android options
Android usually doesn’t have the option to put a timestamp on your captured photos, but some phones do offer it. As mentioned earlier, Motorola G series phones (probably other models as well) allow you to add a timestamp, and some people report that certain Samsung phones do as well. To see if your phone has a photo stamp option, do the following:
- Open your default camera app.
- Find and tap “Institutions.”
- Scroll to a timestamp option. For Motorola G series phones, it’s under “Settings > Watermark.”
- Tap or slide the “timestamp” option to the “Onposition.
- Go back to your camera and take a photo to verify that the timestamp appears.
Using third-party camera apps to add a timestamp
Use Timestamp Camera Free to add date and time to your photos
Timestamp Camera Free is a “FREE” (obviously) application available on the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. You can upgrade the app for a one-time payment that offers more features. For most people, the free option works just fine.
Here’s how to use it.
- Go to Timestamp Camera Free on the Google App Store or Timestamp Camera Basic on the iOS App Store.
- click on “To install.”
- Allow all necessary permissions, especially to the camera (obviously).
- The app launches the “Institutions” menu after all the above permissions are set. If the app doesn’t open the settings menu, tap the compass in the bottom right section (not shown).
- Optional: Some settings require the pro version, such as “font color,” “font size,” “Default font,” and a few other options. jump to “Step 6” if you use the free version.
- Optional: tap “Under Right” to change the default timestamp orientation. Other options include “bottom center,” “Bottom left side,” “Top right,” “top center,” “top left,” And “Centre.” Go to the next step or tap “OK” save.
- Optional: Tap the “date and time” option to adjust the displayed size. Go to the next step or tap “OK” save.
- Tap the “address” option to change it to “No,” unless you want the address to appear over the photos. Go to the next step or tap “OK” save.
- Optional: tap “time stamp margins,” that adjusts the gaps around the timestamp, and then go to the next step. If you don’t want to change the margins, continue with “Step 11.” Go to the next step or tap “OK” save.
- Optional: Change the default margin from “No” Unpleasant “A line” (increases it one row of text and slightly to the left) or to “Printable” (increases it two rows of text and slightly to the left). Go to the next step or tap “OK” save.
- Optional: tap “Time above” or “Time in below” to choose the placement of the time and date around other text. This option is used only when you add another timestamp option, such as location. Select “OK” save.
- While changing timestamp options in previous steps, tap “OK” returns to the camera screen where you can review your changes (see below). You can also access the options again at any time by tapping the “compass” icon.
Timestamp Camera Free is an excellent app for adding detail to the photos you take, but that requires you to give up your native Android camera app. Of course, that’s not a big deal for most people. The standard camera is always there when you need it. Just launch this app!
Use ‘PhotoStamp Camera Free’ for Android to add date and time to your photos
The PhotoStamp Camera Free app is only available on Android devices, but it’s a top choice because it’s easy to use and has a robust feature set, including:
- Add data/time stamps to new and existing photos.
- Drag your time and date stamp GPS location.
- If necessary, change the font, font color, and font size.
- Automatically add location address and GPS coordinates to photos.
- Choose from hundreds of font styles.
- Add your logo as a signature to your photos.
PhotoStamp Camera Free also supports all aspect ratios and resolution settings.
Here’s how to use PhotoStamp Camera Free on Android.
- Open PhotoStamp Camera Free in the Google Play App Store and select “To install.”
- Launch the app.
- Accept the permissions.
- At the bottom right you can see the last photo taken with the app. On the right side of the screen, the white camera icon lets you switch between the front and back cameras on your phone.
- Use the to change the settings “gear” icon in the lower left corner of your screen.
- Turn on “Date and time stamp.”
- Select the desired date layout. Default is the format “MM, dd, yyyy,” followed by the exact time to the second.
- Choose font size and color. You also have more than 800 font styles available.
- Select “Stamp Position” to change the location on the image.
It’s easy to use PhotoStamp Camera Free to date/time stamp photos.
If you’re willing to pay for an ad-free experience, you might like Vignette. This app is quite affordable and comes with several photo editing options.
Camera360 is another good choice for automatic time/date stamping. It is free to use and comes with many filters to enhance your photos. However, this app is a bit more complicated to use.
Date/time stamped photos
Automatic timestamp is essential for many Android users. Fortunately, there is a wide choice of free apps for this. For those lucky enough to have the option built into their phone (rare), as with specific Motorola or Samsung phones, you won’t have to add more apps and take up more space. Of course, you may want additional features that a third-party camera app offers.
PhotoStamp Camera Free is an excellent option if adding accurate time/date stamps to your photos is your only goal. But if you’re looking for filters that can improve image quality, you might want to choose a general-purpose camera app where time/date stamping is just one of many features.
Do you have a favorite application for adding date/time stamps and other metadata to photos?
If you liked this article, you might like to learn more about the best camera apps for Android.