Guide
About Photo Metadata
What EXIF data is
Cameras and phones save extra information inside every photo, in a format called EXIF (with XMP and IPTC used for editing and copyright details). It typically includes the camera and lens model, the exact date and time, exposure settings, the software used, and, on most phones, the GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken, accurate to a few meters.
This data is useful for organizing your own library, but when you share a photo it can reveal your home address, your daily routine, or where your children go to school.
How removal works
- JPEG and PNG are cleaned losslessly: the metadata blocks are cut out and the image data is copied byte for byte, so there is no quality loss.
- Rotated photos: many phones store photos sideways plus a rotation flag in the EXIF data. Removing that flag would make the photo appear sideways, so these are re-encoded at high quality with the rotation applied.
- HEIC and WebP are re-encoded (HEIC to JPEG), which also drops all metadata.
Do social networks remove it for me?
Large platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and X strip location data from public uploads, but email attachments, messaging apps sending "original quality" files, cloud-drive links, forums and your own website usually keep it. If in doubt, clean the photo first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Reading and removing metadata both happen in your browser. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it still works.
How do I stop my phone adding location to photos?
On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera and choose Never. On Android, open the Camera app settings and turn off location tags. You can also remove location when sharing: iPhone's share sheet has an Options button with a Location switch.
Why do a few technical fields sometimes remain?
Some formats keep basic technical information, such as the color profile, that is needed to display the image correctly. It contains no personal data.