How to view embedded 'favourite' data in a JPEG pic taken via iOS device (in Windows)
When going through my pics on my iPhone, I'm able to mark them as a 'favourite'. I use a Windows PC primarily, and want to be able to view this data via some means on that OS, once the pictures are copied across. I would have assumed that Apple used a custom data field within the JPEGs EXIF data or the like, but all viewers I've used don't seem to show a difference with the data fields and entries on files I've marked as favourites versus ones I haven't. However, I do notice that when I mark a picture as a favourite under iOS, the modification time stamp on the file is updated.
I suspect Apple are doing something non-standard here (wouldn't be the first time!) but does anyone have insite as to where the 'favourite' field is set, and how I might be able to view that data (better still, do searches on the basis of it) on the MS Windows 10 platform.
Many thanks! :-)
I suspect Apple are doing something non-standard here (wouldn't be the first time!) but does anyone have insite as to where the 'favourite' field is set, and how I might be able to view that data (better still, do searches on the basis of it) on the MS Windows 10 platform.
Many thanks! :-)
SOLUTION
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You could go to https://www.icloud.com/ and see your favorites there, and download them to your desktop. (Assuming you have your devices synced to the cloud.)
ASKER
Hi Darbid73.
That is exactly what I wondered. What I found interesting (having run a couple of little tests), is if I mark an image as a favourite on my iPhone, it updates the modified date / time on the actual file with that moment in time. So I vainly hoped that (even though I anticipated there would be such a DB) iOS would double up in some way, putting something in the meta data for the actual JPEG file. I can only therefore assume that it is doing this file mod for some other reason (perhaps the DB itself updates the modified date when the entry is written to the DB).
Do you know of other apps that are capable of reading the photos DB and perhaps making a list of all images that have been 'favourited'? The problem is, my storage is full on my iPhone, and I need to remove old pics - but it would be nice to retain some kind of record of the pics marked as favourite, even if just a list to refer to.
Thanks for your suggestions, Joe. The first one I've already used some time back, and remember it being a great tool. Looks like the best EXIF viewer in the world isn't going to help out on this one though :-(
Interesting suggestion Kyle - I'm going to check that out. At present, I just use iCloud for the Image State type backups and Photo Stream. I might see if I can roll with something along these lines to sync just my favourites to iCloud, then download from there. That would be good enough!
Cheers all :-)
That is exactly what I wondered. What I found interesting (having run a couple of little tests), is if I mark an image as a favourite on my iPhone, it updates the modified date / time on the actual file with that moment in time. So I vainly hoped that (even though I anticipated there would be such a DB) iOS would double up in some way, putting something in the meta data for the actual JPEG file. I can only therefore assume that it is doing this file mod for some other reason (perhaps the DB itself updates the modified date when the entry is written to the DB).
Do you know of other apps that are capable of reading the photos DB and perhaps making a list of all images that have been 'favourited'? The problem is, my storage is full on my iPhone, and I need to remove old pics - but it would be nice to retain some kind of record of the pics marked as favourite, even if just a list to refer to.
Thanks for your suggestions, Joe. The first one I've already used some time back, and remember it being a great tool. Looks like the best EXIF viewer in the world isn't going to help out on this one though :-(
Interesting suggestion Kyle - I'm going to check that out. At present, I just use iCloud for the Image State type backups and Photo Stream. I might see if I can roll with something along these lines to sync just my favourites to iCloud, then download from there. That would be good enough!
Cheers all :-)
> sync just my favourites to iCloud, then download from there
If you can do that, you can then add a custom tag using ExifTool. Should be fairly easy to write a script that would loop through all of them, making it an automated process to add the custom tag to all of your favs.
If you can do that, you can then add a custom tag using ExifTool. Should be fairly easy to write a script that would loop through all of them, making it an automated process to add the custom tag to all of your favs.
ASKER
Sounds great Joe, I was thinking of doing something along those lines :-)
Cheers for the thought!
Cheers for the thought!
On my iPhone 7 with the native photo app I can view all my favorites. I can then Select all of these favorites. After Selected I can choose "Add to" at the bottom and then add them to a new Album. Once you've done that does windows now see that Album so you can now just copy them or make your own list from what you see in windows explorer?
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You're welcome. Happy to help. And thanks to you for sharing your solution. Regards, Joe
ASKER
Ultimately worked out a heath robinson solution utilising the deleted folder in the iOS app in a leapfrog approach, but Darbid73 answered my initial question (and suspicion) that the meta data concerning whether a picture is a favourite or not is stored in the iOS photo DB, and not in the EXIF data of the image files themselves. Thanks a lot!
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/
http://www.impulseadventure.com/photo/jpeg-snoop.html
Perhaps one of them will show something that the viewers you've tried so far have not shown. Regards, Joe