Guides

How to remove location from photos before sharing

Updated 26 September 2026

Tool for this guide: EXIF remover

Most phone photos contain hidden EXIF data, and if location was switched on in the camera, that includes the exact GPS coordinates where the photo was taken. Anyone who gets the original file can read them. Here's how to check a photo, remove the location, and stop it being added in future.

Check whether a photo contains its location

1. Open the image metadata viewer.
2. Add the photo.
3. If it contains GPS data, you'll see a notice with the coordinates and a link to the spot on a map.

If there's no notice, the photo doesn't contain a location. Screenshots and photos saved from most social apps usually don't.

Remove the location from photos you already have

1. Open the EXIF remover.
2. Add one photo or up to 50 at once.
3. Click Remove metadata and download the cleaned photos.

For JPG and PNG files, only the metadata is removed and the picture itself isn't re-compressed, so quality stays exactly the same. The camera model, date and other details are removed too. Open a cleaned photo in the metadata viewer to confirm the location has gone.

When the location is shared

Services change their behaviour over time, so if in doubt, remove the location yourself before sharing.

Stop your phone adding location to new photos

• iPhone: open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Location Services, then Camera, and choose Never. You can also turn off location for a single photo in the share sheet by tapping Options before sharing.
• Android: open the Camera app's settings and turn off the location tag option. The exact name varies by phone maker.

Menu names differ between versions, so look for "location" in your camera or privacy settings if these steps don't match.

Does removing location reduce quality?

No. JPG and PNG photos keep every pixel. Only the hidden data is deleted.