How to remove the location from a photo
Photos from a phone record where they were taken. How to check whether a photo reveals your location, and remove it on iPhone, Android or a computer.
Last updated
In short: Phone photos store GPS coordinates in their EXIF data. Remove them before sharing with Remove Metadata, which strips location, camera and time details without re-compressing the picture where the format allows. On an iPhone you can also turn location off in the share sheet's Options.
What a photo can reveal
EXIF data can include the exact latitude and longitude, the time to the second, the phone model and sometimes its serial number. A photo taken at home, shared as a file, can give away your address.
When it matters
Most large social networks strip location when you post. Photos sent as files, as email attachments, as documents in messaging apps, or through cloud links usually keep it.
On the phone
iPhone: in the share sheet, tap Options at the top and switch Location off before sending.
Android: Google Photos has a setting to remove location from photos you share by link; for files sent other ways, strip it first.
On a computer
Check a photo with the EXIF viewer to see exactly what it holds, then remove the metadata. For a whole folder, Batch Process Images strips every photo in one pass.
Questions
Does removing EXIF data reduce quality?
No. For JPG the metadata is removed without touching the picture.