Make & keep
Correct dates and locations on strip scans in Photos for Mac
Repair a scan’s chronology and place metadata without confusing its history with when it was scanned.
A scan made today may depict a photo from decades earlier. Photos for Mac lets you adjust the date and time and add, change, hide, or remove location metadata. Treat those as descriptive library information: record whether a date means the photographed moment or the later scan.
Set the intended capture date
Select one scan or a batch with the same correction, then choose Image > Adjust Date and Time. Enter the date in Adjusted; use the map to choose a time-zone city when needed. For one item, you can double-click its date in Info. A batch applies one adjustment to every selected item, so do not group separate occasions just because they share a scan date.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Add or repair a place
Select the relevant photos and open Info with Command-I. Enter a place in Location, search for another, or drag the map pin. To reuse one place, choose Image > Location > Copy Location, select targets, then Image > Location > Assign Location. This should describe where the picture was taken, not where it was scanned unless that is genuinely known.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Hide or restore location
Choose Image > Location > Hide Location to stop displaying a place, or Revert to Original Location to undo a manual assignment; if none existed, this removes the added location. Before a bulk correction, verify the selection and note whether dates mean exposure or digitisation. That distinction makes later searches easier to interpret.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Apple Photos User Guide for Mac — Titles, captions and metadataApple user guide