My images aren't activating properly

Table of contents

• Overview
• Scenario 1: The access codes activation did not work
• Method 1: Create a new album
• Method 2: Revert access code activation
• Scenario 2: All images appear under one barcode-like access code
• The takeaway

Overview

Image activation may fail for several reasons, such as unrecognized QR cards or interrupted uploads. If images are stuck, you can resolve the issue using one of two methods, depending on your setup.

Scenario 1: The access codes activation did not work

If access codes failed to activate, it typically means QR recognition didn’t occur or the upload was interrupted. You can resolve this using one of the methods below, depending on your upload method and metadata setup.

Method 1: Create a new album

Use this method if you want to reprocess the stuck images in a fresh album.

1. Create a new album inside the job.
2. Move or re-upload the images into the new album and sort by filename (ascending).
3. Ensure QR card recognition, then activate the access codes.
4. Move galleries individually or in bulk to their correct albums using the Move option in the right-hand side image preview menu.
5. [Optional] Re-sort photos based on the names list when prompted after clicking Activate access codes.

Method 2: Revert access code activation

[Warning] Do not use this method if you used Entagged, SpotMyPhotos or Metadata Upload for this photo job. Deactivating access codes will remove metadata from your photos and break the tagging.

1. Go to Manage individuals → Revert access code activation. This will deactivate access codes and return them to the unsorted phase.
2. Go to Manage individuals → Sort photos → Filename (Ascending).
3. Ensure QR card recognition (if applicable), then activate the access codes.
4. [Optional] Re-sort photos based on the names list when prompted after clicking Activate access codes.

Scenario 2: All images appear under one barcode-like access code

This issue occurs when barcode metadata is mistakenly applied to all photos after switching from barcode tagging to QR tagging.

When using Entagged, always delete the last barcode stored in the camera before continuing a shoot. If you forget, the camera may apply the last barcode tag to every image - even if the Entagged device is disconnected. As a result, all photos can end up under one access code.

Check whether a barcode is stored in photo metadata
Open the image properties in your editing app. 
- For Nikon and Fujifilm, the code appears in the User Comment field; for Canon, it appears in the Copyright field.

For Sony, please use ExifTool to view the metadata: To display all metadata of an image file, including the Sony_0x2043 field, enter the following command in the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac) after fully installing ExifTool:
exiftool -u filepath
Sample command: exiftool -u /Users/JaneDoe/Downloads/photos/22.jpg

To resolve the issue, either download the photos from GotPhoto or use the original images and remove the embedded barcode metadata using one of the following methods:

• Lightroom / Adobe Bridge: Select affected images → Open metadata panel → Delete the Copyright (Canon) or User Comment (Nikon & Fujifilm) field
• ExifTool (Sony): Remove data from many files by using a script to remove the Sony_0x2043 field information from your photos. Alternatively, import the images into Lightroom and export them. Lightroom doesn’t read or retain the hidden Sony field (Sony_0x2043), so it’s automatically omitted on export.

If you've already uploaded incorrectly tagged photos to your photo job:

• Re-upload the cleaned photos into a new, separate album within the job and activate the access codes. 
• Delete the first album that contains barcode-tagged images

To prevent this issue in the future, always clear the last stored code from your camera after a photo session where you used Entagged before switching to QR tagging:

• In the Entagged app: Tap (X) to clear the last code before disconnecting
• In camera settings:

• Canon: Menu → Edit copyright information → Delete entry
• Nikon: Menu → Setup → Image comment → Delete entry
• Fujifilm: Menu → Delete user comment
• Sony: Power cycle the camera (turn off, then on again)

The takeaway

When image activation fails, choose the correct recovery method based on how your images were uploaded and whether metadata tagging tools were used.

• Use Method 1 (create a new album) if your upload was interrupted or QR codes weren't recognized. This is the safest and most universal solution.
• Use Method 2 (revert access code activation) only if you did not use metadata tagging methods like Entagged, SpotMyPhotos, or Metadata Upload. Otherwise, reverting will strip metadata and prevent automatic gallery sorting.
• Apply the described troubleshooting steps if all images are accidentally tagged with a barcode from a previous job. 

To prevent future activation issues:

• Always verify QR card readability before activating codes.
• Clear previously stored barcode metadata from your camera after switching from barcode to QR tagging.
• If you do not recall if you deleted the last Entagged code, check the images' metadata fields before activating access codes.

Following these guidelines ensures smooth activation, accurate tagging, and organized gallery distribution.