Images, documents & data
How to remove location and camera metadata from photos
Create a clean copy before sharing a photo that may contain EXIF, GPS, device, date, or author data.
Quick answer
Photos can contain hidden location, device, capture time, author, and editing fields. Creating a decoded and re-encoded copy removes common metadata while preserving visible pixels.
Step by step
Inspect the file, note any sensitive fields, create a clean local copy, download it with a new name, and inspect that copy again. Share the clean copy rather than replacing your original archive.
Common mistakes
Removing metadata does not hide information visible inside the image, such as faces, addresses, reflections, or a screenshot status bar. Some cloud services may retain the original separately.
Completion check
Verify that GPS, device, author, and capture-time fields are absent, then visually inspect the clean image and confirm it opens correctly before sharing.
Make the right call
Check three different ways a photo can reveal information
Removing GPS fields is useful, but it is not the same as making a photo anonymous. Review the file’s hidden fields, the visible picture and the place you will share it. Each can disclose something the other checks miss.
| Check | Example or action | How to judge the result |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden file fields | Inspect the original, export a cleaned copy, then inspect that exact download again. | An empty GPS result means no GPS was detected by that inspection. It does not prove that every possible metadata format has been examined. |
| Visible details | Look for faces, addresses, license plates, reflections and screenshot account names. | Crop or redact separately if needed; metadata cleaning does not remove anything visibly drawn into the image. |
| The shared copy | Choose the cleaned file with a neutral name, not the original from a cloud album. | Check what the recipient can access. A shared album or original download may expose another copy outside this tool’s control. |