How to Remove GPS Location and EXIF Data from Photos Before Sharing

Short answer: photos can carry hidden details such as the date, the device and sometimes your exact GPS location. Before sharing a picture privately or publicly, check what it contains and remove it. With Imgovo’s Remove EXIF Data tool you can do this in your browser without uploading the photo.

What is EXIF data?

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is information that cameras and phones write into the image file next to the pixels. Typical fields:

Field	Example of what it shows
Date and time	When the photo was taken
Device	Camera or phone make and model
Camera settings	Exposure, aperture, ISO, focal length
Orientation	How the image should be rotated
GPS location	Latitude and longitude, if location was turned on

Other kinds of metadata can exist too, but EXIF is the one most people mean.

Why it matters

The risk is mainly the location. If you photograph something at home, at a child’s school or at a workplace with location tagging enabled, the file may contain coordinates. Anyone who receives the original file with the metadata intact can read them with a free viewer. The date, time and device model can add to the picture they build up.

This does not mean every photo is dangerous. It means it is worth a few seconds’ thought before you send an original file to someone you do not know, or post it somewhere that keeps the file as is.

How to see what a photo contains

• Windows: right-click the file, choose Properties, then the Details tab.
• macOS: open the image in Preview and use Tools, then Show Inspector.
• iPhone: open the photo in Photos and swipe up (or tap the info button) to see date and location.
• Android: the Gallery or Google Photos info panel shows details; the menu differs by device.

The exact steps differ between system versions, but properties or an info panel is almost always available.

Remove EXIF data in Imgovo

1. Open the Remove EXIF Data tool.
2. Add the photo. It is processed locally in your browser.
3. Run the removal and download the cleaned copy.
4. Send or post the cleaned copy, not the original.

Re-encoding the image also removes metadata. This is why tools such as Compress Image produce files without the original camera data, as noted on the tool page. If you are not sure, run the cleaned file through a metadata viewer to confirm.

Turn off location tags at the source

You can stop recording location in the first place:

• iPhone: Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, and choose Never. You can also switch off Location in the Share sheet’s Options when you send a single photo.
• Android: open the Camera app settings and look for a setting like “Location tags” or “Save location”. The name varies by manufacturer.

Remember that turning this off helps for new photos only. Older photos keep what they already contain.

What about WhatsApp, Instagram and other apps?

Different services treat metadata differently, and their behaviour changes over time. Some remove location from the copy shown to other users while still receiving the original. This guide does not rely on any single platform’s behaviour. If it matters to you, remove the data yourself before the photo leaves your device.

A short checklist

1. Check whether the photo contains location (see above).
2. Remove EXIF data with a local tool.
3. Share the cleaned copy.
4. Keep the original in a private place.

For more on why processing in the browser is safer than uploading, read Are online image converters safe?.

Do it now

Open Remove EXIF Data, add your photo and download a clean copy.