Use a correctly dated photo as a reference
An old print may show the same room, holiday or people as a digital photograph whose date you know. Compare the images, check that the reference date describes the event rather than its upload, and decide whether your scan belongs before, after or on that date.
Immich lets you browse connected libraries. Google Photos supplies the pictures you explicitly select, while iCloud downloads and device photos become local references. These optional sources help you compare; they do not automatically establish an exact date or synchronise your scanned archive back to the service.
Try the public Immich demo if you are exploring
Open Settings → Connected photo libraries. Read the explanation and tap Try Immich demo to connect directly to demo.immich.app. You do not need your own Immich server or API key for this option. It uses Immich’s real public demonstration library, separate from your photographs and Then & There’s fictional sample archive. Use a sample bundle to practise comparisons; these unrelated photographs are not evidence for dates in your family archive. The connection browses the library without uploading or editing photos there.
Connect an Immich library
Open Settings → Connected photo libraries. In Immich, create an API key with asset.read and asset.view permissions; add person.read if you want to filter by people. Enter the HTTPS server address, key and a useful library name, then choose Connect Immich. The eye button shows or hides the key while entering it.
Add another family library if useful
Choose Add another Immich library to connect a separate account or server with its own key. Use distinct names so the source of each photo is clear. Then & There supports up to eight Immich connections. API keys are stored in platform-protected storage and sent to their configured Immich server. They are not included in archive backups.
Choose a Google Photos collection
Choose Connect to Google Photos, sign in and allow access to the photos you select. Choose photos in Google's picker, tap Done and return to Then & There to load the selection. Choose more Google photos adds to your saved comparison collection, up to 2,000 references. This is selected-photo access, not unrestricted Google Photos library browsing.
Bring in iCloud or downloaded photos
Choose the iCloud option to open Apple’s Photos website in the system browser. Sign in with Apple, download the photos you want, then return to Then & There and import the downloaded images or ZIP files using the file picker. On iPhone you can also choose available photos through the system photo picker. This creates local references; it does not sync or automatically browse your iCloud library. Apple sign-in stays in the browser.
Browse beside your scanned photo
Open a photo's date helpers and choose Compare with other sources. The scan remains visible and can be enlarged. In Sources and filters, enable one or more libraries to combine their photos in date order. Scroll earlier or later, use Jump to date, or drag the month rail and release to jump. Immich browsing is not limited to the starting estimate. When you move outside the estimated range, the range indicator offers a quick return to the nearer boundary. A deliberate scroll hides the extra controls while keeping your scan visible; use the controls button to reopen them.
Use person filters where available
Choose a person separately for each Immich library that has people access. Names in different accounts are not assumed to identify the same person. Google Photos selections and device choices have no equivalent face-name metadata, so they are hidden while an Immich person filter is active. Return to All people to include them again.
Check the reference before comparing
Select a reference to see it beside your scan. Confirm or correct its actual photo date: a library timestamp may instead describe scanning, upload or a different time zone. Choose Earlier, Later, Same date, Around the same time with a tolerance, or Not sure. Save comparison creates the clue; viewing a photo alone does not change an estimate. Back returns to the comparison list.
Keep possible matches as candidates
If you are unsure, tap a photo's bookmark or Keep as a candidate. Review candidates brings the shortlist together in date order. Check missing or incorrect reference dates, then place the scan before, between or on the same date as a candidate. Use Find more candidates to return to browsing. Each scanned photo can keep up to 24 candidates.
Save the placement you have reviewed
Check the selected boundaries and any proposed full-day estimate. Where offered, move the slider to place your scan within the interval. Use these dates & save confirms the reference dates and placement together. Existing exact dates and locked dates are protected. A saved candidate is a reference, not a new scanned photo in the bundle.
A few useful things to know
- Connections need the relevant service to be reachable. If a personal Immich library will not connect, check its HTTPS address, certificate and API-key permissions.
- The public Immich demo is a third-party service that periodically resets and may be temporarily unavailable. Wait and retry if it cannot load. This option does not include hosted storage or an availability guarantee.
- A photograph imported into another library may carry its scan date. Always check whether the displayed date describes the pictured event.
- Disconnecting a source does not remove comparisons or candidate snapshots already saved in a bundle. Disconnecting Google Photos removes its local selection collection; reconnect and choose photos again to browse a new collection.
- Choose Remove imported collection in Settings to remove the downloaded-photo comparison collection. This does not delete the original downloads or any candidates and clues you have saved in a bundle.
Instructions checked against Then & There 0.2.66. Labels may change as the app develops.