Windows can natively remove some photo metadata, but you’ll need a separate app to delete EXIF data on other platforms. If you’re looking to safely post photos online or just reduce a file’s size, read on. I’ll reveal how to edit or remove EXIF metadata, plus how to take pictures without automatically saving your location.
What is EXIF data?
EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format, and it refers to the technical information that’s saved alongside your photo. If this isn’t deleted, anyone can see your shutter settings, as well as which lens and editing software you used. They may even be able to tell when and where the photo was taken. As such, deleting EXIF data is a good idea for photographers looking to keep their techniques a secret or for anyone who just wants to share photos without revealing their location.
Images can contain hundreds of pieces of metadata, including:
- GPS location data
- When the photo was taken and last modified
- Model and manufacturer of the device
- Color, white balance, depth of field, and field of view settings
- Settings such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO speed
- Name and version of editing tools used
How to delete image metadata quickly
Most operating systems don’t have built-in tools for deleting photo metadata (and any that are included are usually quite basic). That’s why, in most cases, you’ll need a third-party app to scrub EXIF data from your photos. ExifCleaner is a popular open-source option that works on Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Android and iOS users can either download a similar app from their respective store or try an online metadata-removal tool like Jimpl.
Here’s how to get rid of photo metadata quickly:
- Download an EXIF data removal tool or find one online.
- Open or upload the image that has data you’d like to delete.
- At this point, most tools will show you what metadata is stored within the image.
ExifCleaner users can hover over the # Exif Before value to see saved image metadata. - You may have to click a button marked Remove Metadata or something similar.
Online tools like Jimpl are great as you can use them on any device and don’t have to install anything. - Your image should now be free from EXIF data (and have a noticeably smaller file size). You can check by running it through your tool again – it should say there’s no saved metadata. If not, make sure you clicked the appropriate button and that you’re actually examining the cleaned image instead of the original.
Alternative ways to remove metadata from your photos
Using a tool explicitly designed to delete EXIF data is always the most efficient option. However, several other methods exist. I’ll explore various ways to remove image metadata, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, and when you might use each method.
Remove metadata using your device’s built-in tools
Windows and MacOS both offer native EXIF deletion functionality, but it’s pretty limited. On Windows, you can remove some (but not all) information, and on MacOS, only location data can be removed. This isn’t ideal, but it is nice and easy – just follow these steps:
Windows: Right-click your image, hit Show more options, then click Properties. Move to the Details tab and click Remove Properties and Personal Information. Finally, check every box you can and hit OK.
macOS: Open the image in Preview and select Tools, then Show inspector. Move to the information tab by clicking the “i” icon. If you see a GPS tab, click it and select Remove Location Info. If this tab doesn’t appear, your photo has no location metadata saved.
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Take a screenshot of the photo
By opening the photo and taking a screenshot, you can remove virtually all image metadata. The resulting image will have its own metadata, but this won’t include camera settings, location info, or anything sensitive. This method will degrade the image slightly, both by putting it through another round of encoding and reducing its detail.
To take a screenshot, press the Windows key and Printscreen key at the same time. This will send an image straight to your Pictures folder. On macOS, hit Shift, Command, and 3 simultaneously to save a screenshot to the desktop.
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Tell your phone not to save location data
If you just want to delete location data from photos taken on your phone, you’re in luck. Android and iOS both allow you to take pictures without saving location and GPS information. This will let you share photos online without revealing your location moving forward but doesn’t retroactively delete EXIF data from existing photos.
To take photos with no location data in Android, open Settings and select Location. From here, tap Camera (or See all, then Camera if it’s not in the Recent access list) and select Don’t allow.
If you’d like to take photos with no location data in iOS, just open Settings and navigate to Privacy. Next, tap Location services, select Camera, and choose Never.
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Manually edit your photo’s metadata
It’s also possible to obfuscate (or manually correct) your photo’s EXIF data. This can be helpful for hiding genuine information about an image from snoopers trying to replicate your shot. Better yet, most modern operating systems can do this natively. Here’s how:
Windows: Right-click a photo and select Properties. In the Details tab, you can edit some types of EXIF data either by typing your own info or picking values from a dropdown list.
Android: Open a photo and hit the three dots in the top-right. Tap About, then the pencil icon next to the date and time. Enter a new date/time, then hit Save.
macOS: Open the Photos app and pick an image. Select Image from the menu bar, then click Adjust Date and Time. Enter your new data and click Adjust.
iOS: Open an image and hit the information icon (“i”) at the bottom. Press Adjust, edit the date and time, then hit Adjust again.
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Upload your photos to platforms that strip metadata automatically
These days, most social media platforms automatically remove GPS data to prevent other users from tracking you down. However, this doesn’t always apply universally: metadata may be retained when sent in DMs but not when posted publicly. Additionally, even if this data isn’t visible, the company may store it internally. That’s why it’s vital to know what data is kept and how to remain private on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
There’s another downside to this method. Each platform has its own filesize, filetype, and resolution limitations. This means your photos may be compressed, shrunk down, or otherwise altered if they’re too large.
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Wrapping up
Removing EXIF metadata is always a good idea, especially if you plan on sharing your photographs online. The exact steps are different depending on which platform you’re using, but various online tools exist to simplify the process. It only takes a moment to delete information a cyberstalker could use to find you in real life, so this is well worth doing. If you’d like to learn more about keeping yourself safe, check out our comprehensive guide to metadata and privacy.
If it is just about the content of the image, on a Mac, you can simply take a screenshot of the relevant area: CMD + SHIFT + 4
Be aware that you’ll certainly reduce the quality and/or the resolution of the image.
This would also work for Windows, Android and iOS.
Stripping metadata from images is wrong and reuining the photographic profession worldwide. It is fundametaly important that data remains embedded in images, as this help identify the copyright owner.