WhatsApp & camera issue

[Cali Pellegrini]

Hi! I'm new to this forum and I'd really like to solve this.

I have WhatsApp on a Samsung Galaxy S3. I use it everyday and I usually send and receive a lot of pictures, and sometimes videos too.

The default phone camera names each new file in a YYYYMMDD_hhmmss format and it also creates EXIF data on the pictures. Pictures on WhatsApp are renamed with the format YYYYMMDD-WA0000x and the program removes ALL EXIF data from the files.

This is VERY annoying. I like transferring all pictures from my phone to my computer from time to time, and I want to keep neat folders with files correctly organized by date and time, but sometimes it's impossible.

It's not much of a problem when I take a picture with the phone camera app, NOT directly inside the WhatsApp app, and then I send it through WhatsApp, since although WhatsApp does create a no-EXIF, renamed duplicate of that picture, the original camera picture is still stored in the phone camera folder with its original filename and EXIF data.

The problem comes when I am on a WhatsApp conversation and I choose "Send photo" directly from the app. The pictures I take that way are NOT stored in the phone camera folder, they're only stored in the WhatsApp image folder, with its annoying filename format and its lack of EXIF data. Naturally, the same happens to any picture or video I receive through WhatsApp, annoying filename and no EXIF data.

I would like to know how I can solve this situation. The ideal would be to find a way for ANY picture I take with the camera, be it from the camera app or WhatsApp or any app, to be stored with its original filename and EXIF data in the phone camera folder; AND a way to automatically rename any picture or video I receive on WhatsApp to reflect AT LEAST the time it was originally sent to me, if EXIF data for original creation date is not available.

I hope to have made myself clear, and I'm looking forward to your help!

Thank you guys very much!

 

[GSDer]

Solutions:
1. Always use the regular camera app
2. Contact WhatsApp support (android-support@whatsapp.com) and ask them to provide the options you prefer
3. Use a different messenger

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Cali Pellegrini]

Thank you, but I've tried those options, to no avail. WhatsApp can't do anything about it and using the regular camera app is not a practical option.

There might be a way, though, to use a different camera app with more options, and to somehow be able to use that camera app on WhatsApp instead of the stock one. What do you think?

EDIT: I tried a different camera app, but the same happens

 

[Anne Bradey]

Thank you, but I've tried those options, to no avail. WhatsApp can't do anything about it and using the regular camera app is not a practical option.

There might be a way, though, to use a different camera app with more options, and to somehow be able to use that camera app on WhatsApp instead of the stock one. What do you think?

EDIT: I tried a different camera app, but the same happens

 

[Anne Bradey]

Hi Cali - I'm new to any forum, although I often read them for help with specific problems on my Samsung S3.

I have exactly the same problem, but with the added drawback that when I saved 150 camera images sent to me by my daughter via WhatsApp during a trip to the US, some of the images were overwritten by images taken at a later date. As a result, some images present in the WhatsApp folder on my S3 are missing when I copy or backup to my PC, and others are duplicated.

For example, an image named 20131029-WA000X appears again on the PC as 20131009-WA000X, and the original image named as 09 October on my phone is missing on the PC - presumably overwritten, although I can't understand why, as the original file names were not the same.

I'm not very techy, but would be grateful for any explanation as to how and why this is happening, and any workaround or solution.

Thank you
Anne

 

[GSDer]

some of the images were overwritten by images taken at a later date

Anne,
Welcome to the forums!

I must be missing something - it seems like there are two possibilities:
1. Pictures that your daughter took via WhatsApp are saved on your phone using the YYYYMMDD_WA0000x unique stamp based on your DAUGHTER'S phone - no conflict can occur unless you also happen to be taking WhatsApp pictures on the same date in the same series.
2. Pictures that your daughter took via WhatsApp are saved on your phone using the YYYYMMDD_WA0000x unique stamp based on YOUR phone (regardless of what they were named on your daughter's phone) - again, no conflict can occur because as you save each picture it gets a unique stamp.

I don't see a scenario where pictures taken on our end date can overwrite pictures taken on another date.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Kelvin Wan]

i'm having similar issues as Anne with my samsung galaxy g2 phone. and i have not transferred any whatsapp files from/to another phone at all, so there should be no filename conflicts.

there are photos in my phone which display correctly (e.g. 20131201_WA0002.jpg ) in my phone's file manager & media browser.... showing the correct photo when opened on my phone.

but when i connect my phone to my PC via a USB cable, when i access the same file on my phone directly (e.g. 20131201_WA0002.jpg), in my PC's window explorer, the content that shows up becomes that of another file with a similar date (e.g. 20131221_WA0002.jpg -- note that it is 20 days later) & that it shows up as a partially loaded photo (e.g. showing half the image with rest being corrupt-like).

then i try to copy the files from my phone to my PC's harddisk through the windows explorer, it copies as if it is ok with both files copied (20131201_WA0002.jpg & 20131221_WA0002.jpg), but the content of the 20131201_WA0002.jpg (on my harddisk now) is the same as 20131221_WA0002.jpg (also on my harddisk) --- showing as a complete photo (with no corruption in the image). so i don't have the 20131201_WA0002.jpg content anymore. this happens to quite a number of photos & the problematic files are always "linked" to another file which is 20 days after (e.g. 20140105_WA0002.jpg showing up as 20140125_WA0002.jpg)

would anyone be able to advise what can be the issue here? and if there is any solution?
i tried to upload some of the problematic files directly from my phone to google drive & it seems to be ok --- but there is no way i can check every file on my phone vs harddisk to make sure they are consistent.

appreciate if anyone can help on this.

 

[Peripera]

i'm having similar issues as Anne with my samsung galaxy g2 phone. and i have not transferred any whatsapp files from/to another phone at all, so there should be no filename conflicts.

there are photos in my phone which display correctly (e.g. 20131201_WA0002.jpg ) in my phone's file manager & media browser.... showing the correct photo when opened on my phone.

but when i connect my phone to my PC via a USB cable, when i access the same file on my phone directly (e.g. 20131201_WA0002.jpg), in my PC's window explorer, the content that shows up becomes that of another file with a similar date (e.g. 20131221_WA0002.jpg -- note that it is 20 days later) & that it shows up as a partially loaded photo (e.g. showing half the image with rest being corrupt-like).

then i try to copy the files from my phone to my PC's harddisk through the windows explorer, it copies as if it is ok with both files copied (20131201_WA0002.jpg & 20131221_WA0002.jpg), but the content of the 20131201_WA0002.jpg (on my harddisk now) is the same as 20131221_WA0002.jpg (also on my harddisk) --- showing as a complete photo (with no corruption in the image). so i don't have the 20131201_WA0002.jpg content anymore. this happens to quite a number of photos & the problematic files are always "linked" to another file which is 20 days after (e.g. 20140105_WA0002.jpg showing up as 20140125_WA0002.jpg)

would anyone be able to advise what can be the issue here? and if there is any solution?
i tried to upload some of the problematic files directly from my phone to google drive & it seems to be ok --- but there is no way i can check every file on my phone vs harddisk to make sure they are consistent.

appreciate if anyone can help on this.

this is a known whatsapp issue, i have encountered this problem too. unfortunately for me since i like saving chat history this is what i do: send all the images from whatsapp folder (sent folder too) to my email address and then download them to my computer.

it will take a while especially if you have over 1k pictures like i do. sorry :<