iOS Photos.sqlite Metadata Parser is a utility designed to extract, normalize, and report valuable metadata from the photos.sqlite database found in iOS device extractions. Whether you’re working on digital investigations, compliance reviews, or structured reporting, this tool helps legal and forensic teams make sense of photo and video metadata collected from iPhones and iPads.
With a focus on clarity, portability, and report-ready output, this tool:
- Finds the photos.sqlite database within a given directory
- Extracts album names, asset metadata, and timestamps
- Maps photo records to albums and reconstructs original file paths
- Outputs a timestamped, normalized CSV for downstream use or archival
- Converts iOS Cocoa Core Data timestamps into readable ISO 8601 format
Key Features
- Automatic SQLite Discovery – Recursively searches for photos.sqlite in the input folder.
- Album-to-Asset Mapping – Links photo/video records to the albums they belong to.
- Readable Timestamps – Converts iOS-native timestamps into ISO format (YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS).
- Boolean Normalization – Converts binary flags (e.g., trashed, hidden, favorite) to TRUE/FALSE.
- CSV Output – Generates a timestamped output_YYYY-MM-DD.csv file with structured data.
- Portable and Easy to Use – No install required. Just point to a directory and run.
- Progress Feedback – Displays status updates and record processing progress via terminal.
Requirements & Usage
Operating System: Windows 10 and higher
Application Type: Console
Usage: iOS-PhotosSQLite-Metadata.exe [-h] [folder_path]
Note
This free utility is distributed as-is, with a focus on streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity for industry practitioners.