Where Does F-Stop Store Tags and Albums?
F-Stop internal database, XMP sidecars and protected folder on Android.
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F-Stop keeps an internal library database of tags, ratings, albums and smart album rules over photos that stay in their folders. Edits first live in that database; writing them to files is a separate paid step (embedded XMP for JPGs, sidecar files for other formats).
That two stage design is the whole backup story. Move phones with only the photos and the organization evaporates. Use the Pro backup and restore with folder migration, then confirm metadata landed on disk too if a PC workflow reads the tags.
Where F-Stop Gallery stores this, by platform
Internal library database (tags and albums) plus photo folders in place
Photos never move unless you move them. Save metadata to disk from the Update Metadata dashboard (Pro) so tags travel as XMP. Protected vault media sits under FStopMediaGallery/protected with renamed extensions.
Frequently asked questions
how do I move F-Stop tags to a new phone
Run Pro backup and restore with folder migration, keeping identical folder paths where possible. Then save metadata to disk so JPGs and sidecars carry the tags independently of the database.
where are F-Stop vault photos after uninstalling
Still on storage under FStopMediaGallery/protected with renamed extensions. Rename back to the original extension and move them where you want. Unprotect from inside the app first whenever possible.
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