Setting file creation and modification dates

The file creation and modification dates are the dates the Finder shows in its Date Created and Date Modified columns. They belong to the file system, not to the file’s contents; the file date primer explains the difference from the embedded photo and video dates.

The actions

• Set file creation date
• Set file modification date
• Set file creation and modification dates sets both to the same value

Each offers the same controls:

• Change date with a date field and a Today button. Untick it to leave the date part alone and change only the time.
• Change time with a time field and a Now button. Untick it to change only the date and keep each file’s own time of day.
• Same As… (creation date only) takes the date and time from a file you choose instead of typing it.
• Automatically correct inconsistent dates keeps the two dates in the order macOS requires; see inconsistent file dates.

The file list shows each file’s current dates. Nothing is written until you click Perform Changes; the dates are then updated in the list as the batch is processed.

Removing a date

Remove file creation date and Remove file creation and modification date set the date so that the Finder shows -- in the column. Use them for files that should carry no meaningful date, for example generated files or copies whose dates are misleading.

Where dates cannot be changed

Dates are written through the file system driver of the volume the file is on. Apple’s own formats (APFS, Mac OS Extended) accept everything; network volumes, memory cards and other file systems accept what their driver supports, and some ignore the creation date entirely. Copy the files to your Mac first if a change does not take. Files that are locked, in use by another application or not yours to write are reported as not writable.

Dates before 1970 are fine on APFS (back to 1677); older file systems are unreliable there. See inconsistent file dates for the one remaining quirk.

Related actions

• copy a date from another field, for example the shooting date into the creation date
• add or remove time instead of setting an absolute date
• Advanced date manipulation for dates from file names, other folders or incremented by sort order