Photo privacy
Remove GPS data from photos: delete the location before you share
Almost every phone photo reveals where it was taken – to within a few meters. If you share photos of your home, your child at the playground or an item you’re selling, you often send that location along without noticing. Here is what data photos contain and how to remove it reliably.
Start right away: drop your photos into the Image Workshop. Images with a GPS location are flagged, and all metadata is removed when saving. Free and without upload.
Remove location from photosThe short version
- Drop the photos into the Image Workshop. Images with a location get a notice.
- Leave the format at “Same as original” and set the quality to 90 or higher if the photos shouldn’t get smaller.
- Download. The new files contain no metadata – no location, no camera model, no capture time.
What’s inside a photo?
Cameras and phones write extra information into every photo file, called EXIF data. You can’t see it in the picture, but any image viewer or website can read it in seconds:
| Field | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | Latitude and longitude, often altitude and viewing direction too – enough to find a house |
| Date and time | When you were where; combined with the location, a movement profile |
| Device and camera | Make, model, lens, sometimes the serial number |
| Software | Which app or program was used for editing |
| Thumbnail | A small embedded image – which with some programs still shows the original framing after a crop |
Step by step
- Load photos. Drag the images into the Image Workshop – many at once, iPhone HEIC included.
- Read the notice. Above the images you see how many photos contain a GPS location, and affected images carry a location badge. That shows you which photos were affected in the first place.
- Set the quality. Metadata can only be removed by saving the image again. For photos that should stay the same, set the quality to 90–95. If they should get smaller anyway, resize them under “Size” at the same time.
- Save. Download – the files contain no EXIF, XMP or IPTC data anymore. The original photo on your device stays unchanged.
The picture itself can give away the location too. House numbers, street signs, license plates, school names or the view from your window can’t be removed by software. Take a second look before sharing – and crop if needed.
Before selling, sharing or posting: drop the photos in, the location is gone – and you see right away which images were affected.
Do WhatsApp, Instagram and others remove the location?
Many platforms strip metadata on upload – but not all of them, and not in every case:
| Route | Location kept? |
|---|---|
| Instagram, Facebook, X | No, publicly visible images contain no EXIF data. The platform itself may still read it on upload. |
| WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram as a photo | Usually no, the images are recompressed. |
| Messenger “as file” or “as document” | Yes – the original file is sent unchanged. |
| Email attachment | Yes |
| Cloud links (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) | Yes, usually at full resolution |
| USB stick, AirDrop, classifieds and forums | Often yes – depends on the service |
Rule of thumb: whenever the original photo is passed on, the location travels with it. To be sure, remove it yourself before the file leaves your device.
On iPhone and Android
- iPhone, when sharing: In the share sheet, tap “Options” at the top and turn off “Location”. This applies to that one share only.
- iPhone, permanently: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → “Never”. New photos are then saved without a location. Note: the Places view in the Photos app stays empty.
- Android: In the camera app’s settings, turn off “Save location” or “Location tags” – the wording varies by manufacturer. In Google Photos, you can set under Settings → Privacy that the location is removed from shared links.
Alternatives: Windows, Mac, command line
Windows: file properties
Select the photos in File Explorer, right-click → “Properties” → “Details” tab → “Remove Properties and Personal Information”. Choose “Create a copy with all possible properties removed”.
Mac: Preview
Open the photo in Preview, choose “Tools” → “Show Inspector”, go to the “GPS” tab (if present) and click “Remove Location Info”. The other EXIF data is kept.
ExifTool removes metadata losslessly without re-saving the image – handy for large photo collections:
exiftool -gps:all= photo.jpg # remove only the location
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg # remove all metadataRemove location data now
Delete GPS location, camera data and capture time from photos – many images at once, with a notice for affected photos. Free, right in your browser, no upload.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove the location from a photo?
Drop the photo into the Image Workshop and download it again. All metadata, including the GPS coordinates, is removed when saving.
How can I tell whether a photo contains a location?
The Image Workshop flags photos with GPS data right after loading. On a Mac, Preview’s Inspector shows a “GPS” tab; on Windows the coordinates appear under “Details” in the file properties.
Does WhatsApp remove GPS data?
When an image is sent as a photo, usually yes. When it’s sent as a file or document, the original file including the location is kept.
Does removing it make the photo worse?
The image is saved again. At quality 90–95 there is no visible difference. To avoid any recompression, use ExifTool.
Are my photos uploaded for this?
No. Especially important for private photos: the Image Workshop works entirely in your browser.
Can I remove only the location and keep the capture date?
Not with the Image Workshop, which always removes all metadata. On a Mac use Preview; otherwise ExifTool with exiftool -gps:all= photo.jpg.