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Sharing images from other apps removes EXIF location on Android > 10 #6248
Description
Steps to reproduce
- Take a picture with a camera app which writes also GPS data into the picture
- Ensure GPS data is written into the picture with different apps like file browser or gallery app
- Upload this picture with the Nextcloud Android app version 3.11.1 via the share menu from gallery app
- Download picture from Nextcloud instance with a browser and look at the GPS data of the file
- See that the GPS data is missing or more likely set to zero
Expected behaviour
- Pictures shouldn't lose their GPS data while uploaded through the app
Actual behaviour
- Pictures are missing GPS data after upload
Can you reproduce this problem on https://try.nextcloud.com?
- Upload through the browser to Nextcloud works fine, just app removes the informations
Environment data
Android version: 10 (OxygenOS 10.3.3)
Device model: OnePlus 6T
Stock or customized system: Stock
Nextcloud app version: 3.11.1
Nextcloud server version: 18.0.5
Reverse proxy: Nginx
Logs
Web server error log
Nothing worth to mention
Nextcloud log (data/nextcloud.log)
Only related to "Maps" app while trying to analyze the image since the GPS data is wrong.
Nothing worth to mention
I faced this issue since I saw that the pictures weren't showing up in the Maps app of Nextcloud. So this is not a new issue. Also I can surely say that the problem started before 20th of April, so also with a prior version. I can share pictures in a PM.
Appreciate any ideas for solving this issue.
Thank you for your great work!
Activity
strugee commentedon Jun 9, 2020
How are you uploading the picture? Auto Upload? The "Upload files" button? The "Upload content from other apps" button?
Does this mean you have a stock system? (I.e. the version of Android that came with your phone)
I believe this question is asking what web server you access Nextcloud through.
AykutCevik commentedon Jun 9, 2020
@strugee updated the issue.
Trying several other uploads, I found out that the issue may not be related to the Nextcloud app itself.
I've uploaded pictures through the share menu from both apps:
Both uploads resulted in setting the GPS data to zero.
Upload through a file browser like "Amaze" or through the Nextcloud app itself didn't change the GPS data.
Tricky one! I will contact the app maintainers and reference to this issue here.
AykutCevik commentedon Jun 9, 2020
I have to reopen it again since I'm not quite sure how to debug this issue without brainstorming/information from here.
The "simple gallery" app provider said that they don't change the image beforehand. What could be the problem?
InfamousUser commentedon Jun 10, 2020
I think it is usual for sharing application to remove metadata, it used to be a huge privacy leak sending images over IMs that turned out to contain user's exact coordinates.
Not sure if cloud backup tools should do it, they should not IMO, but it could be normal, somebody will know more about this.
AykutCevik commentedon Jun 11, 2020
Also to reference a comment which describes exactly the same thing: nextcloud/maps#361 (comment)
strugee commentedon Jun 11, 2020
How exactly did you upload in all of these apps? Did you use the "Share" button in Amaze? In Simple Gallery? In the stock gallery? In general the more information and specifics contained in a bug report, the better.
AykutCevik commentedon Jun 11, 2020
@strugee as I said in point 3:
via the share menu from gallery appThis was the approach for all of the apps. The gallery app is stock, yes.
tobiasKaminsky commentedon Jul 1, 2020
NC is not changing any metadata.
You should easily find the causing app via uploading with different apps.
If you can really reproduce it via NC please re-open.
AykutCevik commentedon May 10, 2022
Sorry, but I have to reopen this. It is still an issue, if I share a picture through the gallery or files app, nextcloud removes/nulls the GPS data all the time:
I tested this on a OnePlus 6T with Android 11 as well as on Samsung S21 Ultra with Android 12. On Samsung, I was even able to tick a checkbox prior sharing to keep the GPS data. Nextcloud itself removes them unfortunately.
AykutCevik commentedon May 31, 2022
@tobiasKaminsky can we reopen this issue please? It prevents me from uploading images through gallery apps which is way more convenient than doing it through the Nextcloud app.
72 remaining items
Defenso-QTH commentedon Jan 16, 2025
Since we cannot control Google's policies on the Play Store, I think the best workaround would be:
Moving to Immich is not currently an acceptable solution for FreeBSD users like myself since they do not provide a raw installer, only a docker-based setup, which is not currently supported under FreeBSD.
Ra72xx commentedon Jan 16, 2025
As I see it the problem also occurs when using the Nextcloud app's auto upload feature. At least that was the reason I discovered this bug report.
While I have some understanding that "sharing" does some stuff to the pictures according to the demands of the recipient service, "uploading" for me implies exact 1:1 copies, everything else is nothing else but data loss.
So is it possible that the Nextcloud app uses the wrong Android mechanism for its uploading? Standard WebDAV e. g. should never ever mess with the content it transports.
vb0 commentedon Jan 16, 2025
No, this is not the problem, the OS is presenting a zeroed out file to NC. It doesn't matter what it does with it afterwards, the damage is done.
Ra72xx commentedon Jan 16, 2025
Really? This would be deliberately destroying a file, which is IMHO unacceptable. This doesn't happen when copying the pictures as files with other options, e. g. FolderSync or any file explorer (at least I hope so). So I assumed that the Nextcloud app should simply access the pictures as files and not as media.
vb0 commentedon Jan 16, 2025
Everyone is in the same boat, hanging for dear life on the discussed permission. Sure, a file manager might have a lower chance to have it randomly yanked, doubly so if it's the default OS file manager, but there's nothing fundamentally different.
andreaskoelsch commentedon Feb 10, 2025
cooper2k4 commentedon Mar 21, 2025
As far as I can see, the problem seems to be fixed now. A message appeared saying that I needed to check and grant full access permission, which I couldn't do, but it still works.
Nextcloud Android App 3.31.0 (from Google Play Store) on Pixel 7a
andreaskoelsch commentedon Mar 21, 2025
@cooper2k4 did you download the app from Play store or f-droid,
cooper2k4 commentedon Mar 21, 2025
It is installed from Google Play Store.
AykutCevik commentedon Mar 21, 2025
I can confirm that it works now on Android with version
3.31.0.matezoltanfarkas commentedon Aug 21, 2025
I was having the same issue on my Pixel 8 Pro.
Downloading the F-Droid version fixed my issue.
weird indeed
IT-Bob commentedon Sep 2, 2026
I've had the same problem for a few months now; I first noticed this issue in June 2026, both with auto-upload and manual uploads. I didn't have this problem before, and now I'm losing my location data.
I have a Pixel 7, on GrapheneOS (Android 16 then Android 17), Nextcloud from F-Droid.
IT-Bob commentedon Sep 3, 2026
It seems the problem isn't actually related to Nextcloud after all. The only way I've found to preserve the GPS data is to connect my phone to my computer and copy the files. I lose this EXIF data if:
vb0 commentedon Sep 3, 2026
@IT-Bob you are using an app for all the examples below, and the app doesn't have the "all files" permission mentioned multiple times in this long issue, for example like here: #6248 (comment)
"copy them to an external hard drive connected to my phone" is a bit weird if using the default file manager, as I'd guess it will get the permission to manage your files ... but nobody knows nowadays. Unfortunately this is a very "shifty" permission, that goes away sometimes randomly, or can't even be enabled, all depending on countless factors like the phone's manufacturer special tweaks, Android version, app version, where it's coming from (Play Store/F-Droid/etc.) and so on. It's kind of an ongoing battle just to be able to get your complete files from your own phone. The (few) ones that you can actually see in the regular shared storage, like the most basic camera pictures.
There are multiple ways to get the files via computer, like MTP, adb pull, probably Link to Windows. I'd say adb pull is most likely the safest for now.
IT-Bob commentedon Sep 3, 2026
@vb0 Thanks, I missed those comments because they were hidden...
I had just granted the missing permissions Photos and videos (I think it is this one, because KDEConnect do not have this option at all) and Nearby devices and it works.
https://community.e.foundation/t/preserving-exif-data-when-exporting-pictures/68434/2