Camera App with Date and Time Stamp: Open Camera and Built-in Alternatives
Old film cameras printed the date in orange digits in the corner. Phones mostly stopped doing that: the date sits invisibly in the file’s metadata, where it is lost the moment a photo is screenshotted or shared through some messaging apps. So people search for a camera app with a date and time stamp, often trying Open Camera or their phone’s own settings first.
This guide covers those built-in and free options, then the dedicated apps worth considering when the stamp has to work as proof at work.
Visible stamp vs. metadata
There are two ways a photo can “know” when and where it was taken:
- Metadata (EXIF). Hidden fields inside the file. Useful for galleries, but invisible to the viewer and often stripped by sharing apps. Our EXIF explainer covers how this works.
- A visible stamp. Text drawn onto the pixels. Everyone sees it, and it survives screenshots and sharing.
A visible stamp is clear but easy to fake if it simply copies the phone clock. That is the key question for work photos.
What to look for
- Stamp content. Date, time, coordinates, address, custom text, logo.
- Video support. Burned into the frame or saved as a separate subtitle file.
- Time source. Phone clock, network time or a server-synced clock.
- Verification. Can the recipient check the stamp independently?
- Ease. Built into your camera, or another app to open.
Quick comparison
| Option | Type | Date and time | Location on photo | Video | Time source | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Camera | Free Android camera | Yes (“Stamp photos”) | Lat, long, altitude, compass | Separate .SRT file | Phone | No |
| Samsung Galaxy camera | Built-in | Watermark option (supported models) | Check listing | Check listing | Phone | No |
| Timestamp Camera | Android app | Many formats | Address, GPS, map | Yes | Phone | No |
| Auto Stamper | Android app | 50+ formats (per listing) | GPS geotag stamp | Check listing | Phone | No |
| SnapID Mark | Verification camera | Yes | GPS, address, weather, mini map | Not listed | Server-trusted | SnapID code + QR |
Feature details come from official help pages and store listings at the time of writing; check them for current features and pricing.
The options in detail
Open Camera
Open Camera is a free Android camera app. According to its official help page, the “Stamp photos” setting adds a date and timestamp to saved photos, with configurable date, time and GPS formats, font size, colour and a shadow background. If “Store location data” is enabled, latitude, longitude and altitude are stamped too, and compass direction can be added. A separate “Custom text” option stamps your own words. Stamping does not apply to video; instead, the “Video subtitles” option writes date, time and location to an .SRT file alongside the video. The help page notes that stamping makes photos take longer to save.
- Pros: free, no ads, lots of manual camera controls, a “Require location data” option.
- Cons: plain text stamp with no address or map; phone-based time; video data is in a separate file.
Samsung Galaxy camera watermark
On supported Galaxy phones, Samsung’s support pages describe a Watermark setting in the Camera app with a “Date and time” toggle, an editable model name, font and alignment. It applies to new photos only, and the watermark cannot be removed once applied. Availability varies by model and software version.
- Pros: no extra app, quick to enable.
- Cons: limited to supported Samsung devices; no location address or verification.
Timestamp Camera
Timestamp Camera (Android listing by Bian Di) adds a real-time stamp to photos and videos. Its listing mentions 61 timestamp formats, seven stamp positions, address, GPS, altitude, speed, map, compass, custom text and a custom logo. It is free with ads, with a one-time Pro upgrade on the listing. Several different iPhone apps use similar names, so check the developer before installing.
- Pros: the best option here for stamps burned into video.
- Cons: phone-based time and no verification. See our Timestamp Camera alternative guide.
Auto Stamper
Auto Stamper is an Android app that its developer describes as stamping date and time, a GPS geotag, a copyright logo, a signature and sequential numbers, with 50+ date formats and adjustable position, size, colour and shadow. It can also stamp existing gallery photos. We could not open the current Play listing, so treat these as the developer’s description and check listing for current features.
- Pros: works with existing photos, flexible formats.
- Cons: phone-based time; no verification or team tools.
SnapID Mark
SnapID Mark is for when the date on the photo has to be trusted by someone else. The stamp time comes from a clock synced with our servers, so changing the phone time does not change it. Each photo also carries GPS with accuracy, a full address, weather, a mini map, a unique SnapID code (SNP-XXXX-XX) and a QR. Recipients check it at verify.snapidmark.com, no account needed, and see whether the photo was altered.
Mock GPS, rooted or jailbroken devices, clock drift and late uploads are flagged. Photos taken offline keep their trusted time and upload later. Six templates, a drag-and-drop editor, stickers, a signature, notes and filters shape the stamp. Businesses also get geofenced photo clock-in and a web dashboard at app.snapidmark.com.
- Pros: a date stamp that holds up to scrutiny, free for personal use, 5 free seats per business workspace.
- Cons: newer than the established stamp apps, so fewer templates; more than you need for holiday photos.
Which one should you choose?
- Just want dates on personal photos, for free: Open Camera, or the Galaxy watermark if your Samsung supports it.
- Need the stamp burned into video: Timestamp Camera.
- Want to stamp photos you already took: Auto Stamper.
- Need a date stamp a client, landlord or manager will accept: SnapID Mark.
- Need a GPS camera with notes or survey data: see our NoteCam alternatives and Solocator alternatives.
Summary
For a simple visible date, Open Camera and the Samsung Galaxy watermark are the easiest free routes, and Timestamp Camera or Auto Stamper add more styling. All of them read the phone clock. When a timestamp must serve as proof, SnapID Mark adds server-trusted time, mock GPS detection and a public verification code; it is available on Android and iOS, with a web dashboard for teams. Teams comparing job photo apps can also read our Timemark alternatives guide.
Open Camera, Samsung, Galaxy, Timestamp Camera, Auto Stamper and Timemark are trademarks of their respective owners. CellHubs is not affiliated with them; names are used only for comparison.
FAQ
Can my phone's built-in camera add the date and time to photos?
Some can. Samsung's Galaxy camera has a Watermark setting with a date and time option on supported models. Many other stock cameras only store the date in the file's metadata, so you need a separate app to print it on the image.
How do I add a date stamp in Open Camera?
Open Camera has a 'Stamp photos' option in its photo settings. It adds the date and time, and also latitude, longitude and altitude if location storage is enabled. For video it can write the same data to a separate .SRT subtitle file.
Is a date stamp from the phone camera enough as proof?
Usually not on its own, because these stamps read the phone clock, which can be changed in Settings. Apps with server-trusted time, mock GPS detection and a verification code are harder to dispute.
Stamp trusted time, GPS, address, weather, a SnapID code and a QR onto every field photo. Photo clock-in with geofences, works offline, publicly verifiable.