How to Remove Location and Metadata from a Photo

Updated September 24, 2026

The quick version: On an iPhone, open the photo, swipe up, tap Adjust and choose No Location. On Android, open the photo in Google Photos, swipe up, tap the edit icon next to the location and choose Remove location. On Windows, use Properties → Details → Remove Properties and Personal Information. On a Mac, use Preview → Tools → Show Inspector → GPS → Remove Location Info.

You post a photo of your new couch. Nice couch. But the original file also knows exactly where it was taken, give or take a few meters: your living room.

Most phones save GPS coordinates in every photo unless you've turned that off. Some apps strip them when you share. Plenty don't. Here's how to remove location and other metadata from a photo yourself, on whatever device you have.

What metadata is in a photo?

Besides the picture itself, every photo carries a hidden label called EXIF. Depending on your phone and settings, it can include:

GPS location: the latitude and longitude where you took the photo, often accurate to a few meters.
Date and time: down to the second.
Device details: phone model, lens and camera settings.
Editing software: which app last saved the file.

The location is the one to worry about. The rest is mostly boring.

How to remove location from a photo on iPhone

One photo

Open the photo in the Photos app.
Swipe up, or tap the ⓘ button. You'll see a map if the photo has a location.
Tap Adjust next to the location.
Tap No Location.

Several photos at once

In Photos, tap Select and choose the photos.
Tap the ••• button, then Adjust Location.
Tap No Location.

Only when sharing

Want to keep the location in your own library? Then strip it only from the copy you send:

Tap the Share button.
Tap Options at the top of the share sheet.
Turn off Location.

Heads-up: this only counts for that one share. Next time, you have to do it again.

How to remove location from a photo on Android

Google Photos

Open the photo in Google Photos.
Swipe up to see the details.
Tap the edit (pencil) icon next to the location.
Tap Remove location.

Google Photos also has a setting that hides the location in photos you share by link. Search for “location” in its settings to find it.

Samsung Gallery

Open the photo in Gallery and tap Share.
Turn on Remove location data at the top of the share panel.
Pick the app you want to share with.

Android menus differ between phone makers and versions, so yours might look a bit different. Can't find these options? Dig around in the photo's Details or Info screen.

How to remove metadata from a photo on Windows

Right-click the photo in File Explorer and choose Properties.
Open the Details tab.
Click Remove Properties and Personal Information at the bottom.
Choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed, or select only the fields you want gone, such as the GPS fields.

Tip: select several photos first and you clean them all in one go.

How to remove location from a photo on Mac

Preview

Open the photo in Preview.
Choose Tools → Show Inspector (⌘ I).
Open the ⓘ tab, then the GPS tab. It only appears if the photo has a location.
Click Remove Location Info.

Photos app

Exporting with File → Export? Untick Location Information. The exported copy has no location, and the photo in your library keeps it.

Which apps remove location for you?

Good news: some apps strip the metadata for you. Bad news: plenty send the original file, untouched. As of 2026:

Where you share	Location removed?
Instagram, Facebook, X	Yes, from the published photo. The platform can still see it when you upload.
WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal (sent as a photo)	Yes. Photos are recompressed and metadata is stripped.
WhatsApp, Telegram (sent as a document or file)	No. The original file is sent, metadata included.
Email attachments, cloud links, AirDrop, iMessage	Usually no. The original file is sent unless you turn location off first, for example in the iPhone share sheet's Options.

Apps change this stuff without telling anyone. If it matters, don't count on the app. Remove the location yourself.

How to check if a photo has location data

iPhone: swipe up on the photo. A map means it has a location.
Android: swipe up in Google Photos or Gallery and look for a location or map.
Windows: Properties → Details, then scroll to the GPS section.
Mac: Preview's Inspector shows a GPS tab when there's a location.

One warning about online “EXIF viewer” sites: most of them upload your photo to their server to read it. That's exactly what you were trying to avoid. The built-in methods above keep the photo on your device.

Stop your camera from saving location

iPhone: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → Never.
Google Pixel: Camera app → Settings → turn off Save location.
Samsung: Camera app → Settings → turn off Location tags.

The price: your photo library can't show your photos on a map anymore. Your call.

Metadata isn't the only thing that gives away a location

A photo with zero metadata can still show your house number, a street sign, your car's number plate, or the view from your window. People have been found from a reflection in their sunglasses.

So before you post, take a second look at the picture itself.

Spotted something? Remove it with wipe.photos: paint over the house number or sign, and AI fills in the background. It all runs in your browser, so the photo never gets uploaded.

Remove details from a photo

Frequently asked questions

Can someone find my location from a picture?

Yes, if the photo still has GPS metadata. Most phones save the exact coordinates, and anyone with the original file can read them. Even without metadata, a street sign, a house number or the view from a window can give it away.

Do screenshots have location data?

No. Screenshots on iPhone and Android don't contain GPS coordinates. So screenshotting a photo is a quick-and-dirty way to drop its location. You lose some image quality, though.

Does Instagram remove metadata from photos?

Yes, from the photos it publishes. Same for Facebook and X. They can still see the location when you upload, and anything you add yourself, like a location tag, is public anyway.

Does WhatsApp remove metadata?

Yes, if you send the photo the normal way: WhatsApp recompresses it and strips the location. Send it as a document and the original file goes out, metadata included.

Is there a free way to remove location metadata from photos?

Yes. iPhone, Android, Windows and macOS can all remove location from photos with built-in tools. No extra app needed.

More from wipe.photos: remove people from photos · remove objects from photos