How to Remove Metadata and GPS Location From Photos

Most photos carry hidden details: the exact GPS location where they were taken, the date and time, your phone or camera model, and sometimes the editing apps you used or even your name. Share the original file and anyone who downloads it can read all of it. Here is how to remove that information, online or on your phone.

What hidden data is in a photo?

• EXIF: camera and phone details, lens and exposure settings, date and time, and usually the GPS location.
• XMP and IPTC: editing history, captions, keywords, author and copyright.
• Content Credentials (C2PA): a signed record of how the image was made or edited, sometimes with your name.
• Comments and text fields: notes added by apps, and for AI images, sometimes the full prompt.

The GPS location is the one to worry about most. A photo taken at home can reveal your address to the nearest few metres.

First, check what's in your photo

Before removing anything, see what's there. Add the photo to the OriginLens Image Analyzer. The Overview tab shows the camera, software, date and a map link if there is a location; the Metadata tab lists every field and flags sensitive ones. It runs in your browser, so the photo isn't uploaded.

Remove metadata online, for free

The quickest way on any computer or phone browser, without installing anything:

1. Open the OriginLens Image Analyzer and add your photo (JPEG, PNG or WEBP).
2. In the Privacy Clean panel, choose what to remove: EXIF (including GPS), XMP, IPTC, Content Credentials and comments. Everything the file contains is selected by default.
3. Click Clean image, then download the cleaned copy. It is saved with "-clean" in the file name.
4. To be sure, add the cleaned file to the analyzer again: it should show no GPS and no metadata blocks.

Privacy Clean cuts the metadata out of the file without re-encoding the picture, so the image quality and colours don't change. Your original file stays as it was.

On iPhone

Remove the location when you share a photo (keeps it in your own library):

1. Open the photo in the Photos app and tap the Share button.
2. Tap Options at the top of the share sheet.
3. Turn off Location, tap Done, and share as usual.

Remove the location from the photo itself: open the photo, swipe up or tap the info button, tap the location, and choose No Location. iPhone keeps the original so you can revert later, so if the file must be clean everywhere, use the share option or Privacy Clean on the exported copy.

Stop new photos recording location: go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera and choose Never. The exact menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions.

On Android

Samsung Galaxy (Gallery app):

• When sharing: long-press the photo, tap Share, and tick Remove location data before choosing an app. Your original keeps its location.
• To remove it from the photo itself: open the photo's details, tap Edit, remove the location and save. This usually can't be undone.

Google Photos and other phones: options vary by phone and app version. Some let you remove the location from a photo's details panel; others don't. If you can't find the option, open the photo in a browser and use Privacy Clean instead.

Stop new photos recording location: open your Camera app's settings and turn off location tags, or remove the Camera app's location permission in Android settings.

Don't social apps remove it anyway?

Often, but not always. Instagram and Facebook generally strip GPS from the copies other people can see, though the platform may keep the original on its servers. Messaging apps vary, and sending a photo as a file or document (in WhatsApp, Telegram or email) usually keeps all of its metadata. Website uploads, cloud links, marketplaces and forums may keep everything. The safe habit: clean the photo yourself before you share it.

Good to know

• Removing metadata doesn't change where an image came from. An AI-generated image stays AI-generated, and removing its label to mislead people isn't what this is for.
• Colour profiles are kept, so cleaned photos look the same.
• Screenshots also drop metadata, but they lower quality and can capture other things on your screen.
• Without an account, OriginLens gives you one free image check a day; a free account makes it unlimited.

Frequently asked questions

Does removing metadata reduce photo quality?

Not with Privacy Clean: it removes the metadata blocks and copies the picture data unchanged. Some other tools re-save the image, which can reduce quality slightly.

Can someone see where my photo was taken?

Yes, if the file still has GPS data and they get the original. Anyone can read it with a free metadata viewer. Check your photo in the Image Analyzer to see exactly what it reveals.

Is my photo uploaded when I clean it?

No. OriginLens reads and cleans the file in your browser, and the cleaned copy is created on your device.