fix(mobile): show the real date for android local photos with no exif (#29193)

* fix(mobile): show the real date for android local photos with no exif

photos with no exif date showed their copy-to-phone date in the "on this device" albums instead of the real date. fall back to the earlier of date_modified/date_added (matches the server + ios), plus a migration to fix the rows already saved wrong.

* persist migration progress when the date backfill fails

* fix local date migration for trash and epoch rows

* cover epoch dates in both local asset tables

* simplify the created date pick and rework the migration test

* heal no-exif dates from mediastore in the v27 migration

* check gallery access from dart and skip dates that do not parse

* let the date heal run once and never block the version

* read the trashed assets through the same cast the sync uses

mobile/android/app/src/main/kotlin/app/alextran/immich/sync/MessagesImpl30.kt

@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ class NativeSyncApiImpl30(context: Context) : NativeSyncApiImplBase(context), Na
         putInt(MediaStore.QUERY_ARG_MATCH_TRASHED, MediaStore.MATCH_ONLY)
       }
 
-      getCursor(volume, queryArgs).use { cursor ->
+      val cursor = getCursor(volume, queryArgs) ?: error("MediaStore trash query failed")
+      cursor.use {
         getAssets(cursor).forEach { res ->
           if (res is AssetResult.ValidAsset) {
             result.getOrPut(res.albumId) { mutableListOf() }.add(res.asset)

mobile/android/app/src/main/kotlin/app/alextran/immich/sync/MessagesImplBase.kt

@@ -175,11 +175,12 @@ open class NativeSyncApiImplBase(context: Context) : ImmichPlugin(), ActivityAwa
             MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO -> 2L
             else -> 0L
           }
-          // Date taken is milliseconds since epoch, Date added is seconds since epoch
-          val createdAt = (c.getLong(dateTakenColumn).takeIf { it > 0 }?.div(1000))
-            ?: c.getLong(dateAddedColumn)
-          // Date modified is seconds since epoch
+          // Date taken is in ms; added/modified are in seconds, and modified can be 0 when unset.
+          // If EXIF date taken exists use it, else if modified is empty use added, else the earliest of the two.
           val modifiedAt = c.getLong(dateModifiedColumn)
+          val addedAt = c.getLong(dateAddedColumn)
+          val createdAt = (c.getLong(dateTakenColumn).takeIf { it > 0 }?.div(1000))
+            ?: if (modifiedAt <= 0) addedAt else minOf(modifiedAt, addedAt)
           val width = c.getInt(widthColumn).toLong()
           val height = c.getInt(heightColumn).toLong()
           // Duration is milliseconds
@@ -314,13 +315,14 @@ open class NativeSyncApiImplBase(context: Context) : ImmichPlugin(), ActivityAwa
     val selection =
       "(${MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.BUCKET_ID} IS NOT NULL) AND $MEDIA_SELECTION"
 
-    getCursor(
+    val cursor = getCursor(
       MediaStore.VOLUME_EXTERNAL,
       selection,
       MEDIA_SELECTION_ARGS,
       projection,
       "${MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.DATE_MODIFIED} DESC"
-    )?.use { cursor ->
+    ) ?: error("MediaStore album query failed")
+    cursor.use {
       val bucketIdColumn =
         cursor.getColumnIndexOrThrow(MediaStore.Files.FileColumns.BUCKET_ID)
       val bucketNameColumn =
@@ -395,7 +397,9 @@ open class NativeSyncApiImplBase(context: Context) : ImmichPlugin(), ActivityAwa
       selectionArgs.addAll(listOf(updatedTimeCond.toString(), updatedTimeCond.toString()))
     }
 
-    return getAssets(getCursor(MediaStore.VOLUME_EXTERNAL, selection, selectionArgs.toTypedArray()))
+    val cursor = getCursor(MediaStore.VOLUME_EXTERNAL, selection, selectionArgs.toTypedArray())
+      ?: error("MediaStore asset query failed")
+    return getAssets(cursor)
       .mapNotNull { result -> (result as? AssetResult.ValidAsset)?.asset }
       .toList()
   }

mobile/lib/main.dart

@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import 'package:immich_mobile/generated/translations.g.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/infrastructure/repositories/network.repository.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/pages/common/splash_screen.page.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/background_worker_lock_api.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/native_sync_api.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/permission_api.g.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/app_life_cycle.provider.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/asset_viewer/share_intent_upload.provider.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/infrastructure/platform.provider.dart';
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ void main() async {
     await initApp();
     // Warm-up isolate pool for worker manager
     await workerManagerPatch.init(dynamicSpawning: true, isolatesCount: max(Platform.numberOfProcessors - 1, 5));
-    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(dataController.db);
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(dataController.db, NativeSyncApi(), PermissionApi());
 
     runApp(
       ProviderScope(

mobile/lib/utils/migration.dart

@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ import 'package:collection/collection.dart';
 import 'package:drift/drift.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/constants/colors.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/constants/constants.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/constants/enums.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/data/db/main/database.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/data/db/main/table/app/settings.drift.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/data/db/main/table/local/asset.drift.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/data/db/main/table/local/trashed_asset.drift.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/config/app_config.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/log.model.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/settings_key.dart';
@@ -15,14 +18,19 @@ import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/store.model.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/timeline.model.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/services/feature_message.service.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/entities/store.entity.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/extensions/platform_extensions.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/infrastructure/repositories/network.repository.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/infrastructure/repositories/settings.repository.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/models/auth/auxilary_endpoint.model.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/native_sync_api.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/permission_api.g.dart';
 import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/album/album_sort_by_options.provider.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/utils/datetime_helpers.dart';
+import 'package:logging/logging.dart';
 
-const int targetVersion = 26;
+const int targetVersion = 27;
 
-Future<void> migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(Drift drift) async {
+Future<void> migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(Drift drift, NativeSyncApi nativeSyncApi, PermissionApi permissionApi) async {
   final int? storedVersion = Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version);
   final version = storedVersion ?? targetVersion;
 
@@ -34,6 +42,10 @@ Future<void> migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(Drift drift) async {
     await _migrateTo26(drift);
   }
 
+  if (version < 27) {
+    await _migrateTo27(drift, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+  }
+
   if (storedVersion == null) {
     await FeatureMessageService(SettingsRepository.instance).markSeen();
   }
@@ -42,6 +54,72 @@ Future<void> migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(Drift drift) async {
   return;
 }
 
+// android photos without exif used to get the copy date as created_at,
+// mediastore still has the real one so read it once more and fix only the rows that differ
+Future<void> _migrateTo27(Drift drift, NativeSyncApi nativeSyncApi, PermissionApi permissionApi) async {
+  if (!CurrentPlatform.isAndroid) {
+    return;
+  }
+  try {
+    final dates = <String, DateTime>{};
+    void addDates(Iterable<PlatformAsset> assets) {
+      for (final asset in assets) {
+        final date = tryFromSecondsSinceEpoch(asset.createdAt, isUtc: true);
+        if (date != null) {
+          dates[asset.id] = date;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (final album in await nativeSyncApi.getAlbums()) {
+      addDates(await nativeSyncApi.getAssetsForAlbum(album.id));
+    }
+    if (await permissionApi.hasManageMediaPermission()) {
+      final trashed = await nativeSyncApi.getTrashedAssets();
+      addDates(trashed.cast<String, List<Object?>>().values.flattened.cast<PlatformAsset>());
+    }
+
+    await drift.transaction(() async {
+      final localDates = {
+        for (final row in await (drift.selectOnly(
+          drift.localAssetEntity,
+        )..addColumns([drift.localAssetEntity.id, drift.localAssetEntity.createdAt])).get())
+          row.read(drift.localAssetEntity.id)!: row.read(drift.localAssetEntity.createdAt)!,
+      };
+      final trashedDates = {
+        for (final row in await (drift.selectOnly(
+          drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity,
+        )..addColumns([drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity.id, drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity.createdAt])).get())
+          row.read(drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity.id)!: row.read(drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity.createdAt)!,
+      };
+      for (final chunk in dates.entries.slices(kDriftMaxChunk)) {
+        await drift.batch((batch) {
+          for (final entry in chunk) {
+            final localDate = localDates[entry.key];
+            if (localDate != null && !localDate.isAtSameMomentAs(entry.value)) {
+              batch.update(
+                drift.localAssetEntity,
+                LocalAssetEntityCompanion(createdAt: Value(entry.value)),
+                where: (row) => row.id.equals(entry.key),
+              );
+            }
+            final trashedDate = trashedDates[entry.key];
+            if (trashedDate != null && !trashedDate.isAtSameMomentAs(entry.value)) {
+              batch.update(
+                drift.trashedLocalAssetEntity,
+                TrashedLocalAssetEntityCompanion(createdAt: Value(entry.value)),
+                where: (row) => row.id.equals(entry.key),
+              );
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    });
+  } catch (error, stackTrace) {
+    Logger('Migration').warning("Error migrating to version 27", error, stackTrace);
+  }
+}
+
 Future<void> _migrateTo25() async {
   final accessToken = Store.tryGet(StoreKey.accessToken);
   if (accessToken == null || accessToken.isEmpty) {

mobile/test/medium/repository_context.dart

@@ -317,6 +317,7 @@ class MediumRepositoryContext {
     TrashOrigin? source,
     AssetType? type,
     DateTime? createdAt,
+    DateTime? updatedAt,
     bool? isFavorite,
   }) async {
     id ??= TestUtils.uuid();
@@ -332,6 +333,7 @@ class MediumRepositoryContext {
             source: .new(source ?? TrashOrigin.remoteSync),
             isFavorite: .new(isFavorite ?? false),
             createdAt: .new(TestUtils.date(createdAt)),
+            updatedAt: .new(TestUtils.date(updatedAt)),
           ),
         );
   }

mobile/test/modules/utils/migration_test.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/data/db/main/table/local/trashed_asset.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/store.model.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/services/store.service.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/entities/store.entity.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/infrastructure/repositories/store.repository.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/native_sync_api.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/platform/permission_api.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/utils/migration.dart';
+import 'package:mocktail/mocktail.dart';
+
+import '../../medium/repository_context.dart';
+import '../../service.mocks.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  TestWidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
+
+  late MediumRepositoryContext ctx;
+  late MockNativeSyncApi nativeSyncApi;
+  late MockPermissionApi permissionApi;
+
+  setUpAll(() async {
+    debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride = TargetPlatform.android;
+    ctx = MediumRepositoryContext();
+    await StoreService.init(storeRepository: StoreRepository(ctx.db), listenUpdates: false);
+  });
+
+  setUp(() async {
+    nativeSyncApi = MockNativeSyncApi();
+    permissionApi = MockPermissionApi();
+    await Store.clear();
+    await ctx.db.delete(ctx.db.localAssetEntity).go();
+    await ctx.db.delete(ctx.db.trashedLocalAssetEntity).go();
+    when(() => permissionApi.hasManageMediaPermission()).thenAnswer((_) async => true);
+    when(
+      () => nativeSyncApi.getAlbums(),
+    ).thenAnswer((_) async => [PlatformAlbum(id: 'album', name: 'album', isCloud: false, assetCount: 1)]);
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getAssetsForAlbum('album')).thenAnswer((_) async => []);
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getTrashedAssets()).thenAnswer((_) async => {});
+  });
+
+  tearDownAll(() async {
+    debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride = null;
+    await Store.clear();
+    await ctx.dispose();
+  });
+
+  test('heals dates from MediaStore', () async {
+    final wrongDate = DateTime.utc(2026);
+    final platformDate = DateTime.utc(2019, 3, 15, 10, 30);
+    await Store.put(StoreKey.version, 26);
+    await ctx.newLocalAsset(id: 'local', createdAt: wrongDate, updatedAt: platformDate);
+    await ctx.newTrashedLocalAsset(
+      id: 'trashed',
+      albumId: 'album',
+      createdAt: wrongDate,
+      updatedAt: platformDate,
+      source: TrashOrigin.localSync,
+    );
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getAssetsForAlbum('album')).thenAnswer((_) async => [_asset('local', platformDate)]);
+    // the generated api hands back a cast view over plain lists
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getTrashedAssets()).thenAnswer(
+      (_) async => <Object?, Object?>{
+        'album': <Object?>[_asset('trashed', platformDate)],
+      }.cast<String, List<PlatformAsset>>(),
+    );
+
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(ctx.db, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+
+    final local = await (ctx.db.select(ctx.db.localAssetEntity)..where((row) => row.id.equals('local'))).getSingle();
+    final trashed = await (ctx.db.select(
+      ctx.db.trashedLocalAssetEntity,
+    )..where((row) => row.id.equals('trashed'))).getSingle();
+    expect(local.createdAt, platformDate);
+    expect(trashed.createdAt, platformDate);
+    expect(Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version), 27);
+  });
+
+  test('keeps EXIF date without trash access', () async {
+    final modifiedAt = DateTime.utc(2025);
+    final takenAt = DateTime.utc(2026);
+    await Store.put(StoreKey.version, 26);
+    await ctx.newLocalAsset(id: 'exif', createdAt: takenAt, updatedAt: modifiedAt);
+    when(
+      () => nativeSyncApi.getAssetsForAlbum('album'),
+    ).thenAnswer((_) async => [_asset('exif', takenAt, updatedAt: modifiedAt)]);
+    when(() => permissionApi.hasManageMediaPermission()).thenAnswer((_) async => false);
+
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(ctx.db, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+
+    final asset = await (ctx.db.select(ctx.db.localAssetEntity)..where((row) => row.id.equals('exif'))).getSingle();
+    expect(asset.createdAt, takenAt);
+    expect(Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version), 27);
+    verifyNever(() => nativeSyncApi.getTrashedAssets());
+  });
+
+  test('completes when MediaStore is empty', () async {
+    final wrongDate = DateTime.utc(2026);
+    await Store.put(StoreKey.version, 26);
+    await ctx.newLocalAsset(id: 'local', createdAt: wrongDate);
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getAlbums()).thenAnswer((_) async => []);
+
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(ctx.db, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+
+    final asset = await (ctx.db.select(ctx.db.localAssetEntity)..where((row) => row.id.equals('local'))).getSingle();
+    expect(asset.createdAt, wrongDate);
+    expect(Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version), 27);
+    verify(() => nativeSyncApi.getTrashedAssets()).called(1);
+  });
+
+  test('completes when MediaStore read fails', () async {
+    final wrongDate = DateTime.utc(2026);
+    await Store.put(StoreKey.version, 26);
+    await ctx.newLocalAsset(id: 'local', createdAt: wrongDate);
+    when(() => nativeSyncApi.getAlbums()).thenThrow(StateError('query failed'));
+
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(ctx.db, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+
+    final asset = await (ctx.db.select(ctx.db.localAssetEntity)..where((row) => row.id.equals('local'))).getSingle();
+    expect(asset.createdAt, wrongDate);
+    expect(Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version), 27);
+  });
+
+  test('skips out-of-range date and completes migration', () async {
+    final wrongDate = DateTime.utc(2026);
+    await Store.put(StoreKey.version, 26);
+    await ctx.newLocalAsset(id: 'local', createdAt: wrongDate);
+    when(
+      () => nativeSyncApi.getAssetsForAlbum('album'),
+    ).thenAnswer((_) async => [_asset('local', wrongDate, createdAtSeconds: 8640000000001)]);
+
+    await migrateDatabaseIfNeeded(ctx.db, nativeSyncApi, permissionApi);
+
+    final asset = await (ctx.db.select(ctx.db.localAssetEntity)..where((row) => row.id.equals('local'))).getSingle();
+    expect(asset.createdAt, wrongDate);
+    expect(Store.tryGet(StoreKey.version), 27);
+  });
+}
+
+class MockPermissionApi extends Mock implements PermissionApi {}
+
+PlatformAsset _asset(String id, DateTime createdAt, {DateTime? updatedAt, int? createdAtSeconds}) => PlatformAsset(
+  id: id,
+  name: '$id.jpg',
+  type: 1,
+  createdAt: createdAtSeconds ?? createdAt.millisecondsSinceEpoch ~/ 1000,
+  updatedAt: (updatedAt ?? createdAt).millisecondsSinceEpoch ~/ 1000,
+  durationMs: 0,
+  orientation: 0,
+  isFavorite: false,
+  playbackStyle: PlatformAssetPlaybackStyle.image,
+);