EXIF Date and Time Taken
The exact moment the shutter fired, down to the second. It is one of the most revealing tags on a photo and one of the most frequently leaked.
Quick facts
| Tag ID | 0x9003 DateTimeOriginal, 0x9004 DateTimeDigitized, 0x0132 DateTime |
|---|---|
| Stored in | ExifIFD / IFD0 |
| Example value | 2026:03:14 09:41:07 |
| Also known as | DateTimeOriginal, DateTimeDigitized, DateTime, timestamp, capture time |
| Privacy risk | High risk. A precise timestamp can place you at an event, a routine, or a location at a specific moment. |
What the Date and Time Taken tag actually means
DateTimeOriginal is the moment the photo was captured, DateTimeDigitized is when it was written to the file, and DateTime is a general modification timestamp. Cameras record the time using the local timezone offset at the moment of capture, and the timezone itself is not stored in the EXIF block — the value is stored as local wall-clock time.
Why it matters
A timestamp says where you were and when. Published alongside a photo, it lets anyone reconstruct your routine, confirm or deny your presence at a place, or prove that a photo was taken at a claimed time. Many photo-leak stories in the press turn on exactly this tag.
What to do about it
Remove it. Almost every "strip metadata" action should include the three date tags. This is the highest-value single tag to delete after GPS.
Who writes this tag
Cameras and phones, from the device clock.
Sources and how this was verified
Tag IDs and encodings are taken from the CIPA DC-007-Translation (Exif 3.0) and ISO/IEC 21222-1 specifications. The privacy rating is our own editorial judgement, based on what each field can uniquely identify. Every entry in this reference is checked against real files produced by the cameras, phones and editors we test with.
- CIPA DC-007-Translation 2019 (Exif 3.0) — tag identifiers and IFD structure
- ISO/IEC 21222-1:2015 — data element registration
- Adobe XMP Specification (2024) — XMP packet properties
- IPTC IIM 4.2 — news/photo metadata field numbers
See our editorial and review policyfor how we test, rate and correct these entries. Found an error? Tell us.
Related EXIF tags
The exact latitude, longitude and altitude where the photo was taken. The single most dangerous tag in any photo, and the reason most people want a metadata remover.
The UTC date and time the GPS receiver obtained its position fix, stored separately from the photo timestamp and in UTC rather than local time.
The application that last wrote the file — a camera firmware, a phone, or an editor such as Lightroom or Photoshop. It can reveal your editing workflow.
A unique serial number for the exact camera body. It identifies one specific physical device in the world and is the strongest non-location identifier in a photo.
Date and Time Taken FAQ
Common questions about the EXIF date and time taken tag, its values and its privacy implications.
Does DateTimeOriginal include the timezone?
No. EXIF stores the local wall-clock time at the moment of capture with no timezone or UTC offset attached. That means the same file is ambiguous across the web, and it also means the timezone has to be inferred separately.
Why should I remove the timestamp from my photos?
Because it establishes when and where the photo was taken. Combined with any other evidence it can place you somewhere you did not intend to be documented, or prove a photo was taken at a specific time.
Does removing EXIF change the photo?
No. The image pixels are untouched. A proper metadata removal only deletes the hidden data blocks, so the photo looks exactly the same.
Cite this reference
If you are writing about the EXIF date and time taken tag, you are welcome to link to this entry. It is maintained, versioned and reviewed on a published schedule.
“EXIF Date and Time Taken (0x9003 DateTimeOriginal), freexifdata.com EXIF Tag Reference, reviewed October 20, 2026.”