How to Edit Photo Metadata on Windows (Built-In and Free)

On Windows, right-click a photo, choose Properties, open the Details tab and edit fields such as Title, Tags, Comments and Date taken, then click OK. File Explorer cannot edit GPS coordinates or IPTC business details, so for location and batch tagging use a browser-based editor such as Geotagr.

What photo metadata can Windows edit?

File Explorer edits a short list of descriptive fields on JPG files. It can show GPS data but not change it. Which fields appear depends on the file type and your Windows version.

Field	Editable in File Explorer?	Notes
Title, Subject	Yes	Good for a short label
Tags	Yes	Separate with semicolons
Comments	Yes	Free-text notes
Rating	Yes	Stars, for sorting only
Authors, Copyright	Yes	Useful for ownership
Date taken	Yes (usually)	Can be fixed after a wrong camera clock
GPS latitude/longitude	No	Shown read-only if present
IPTC/XMP business details	No	Needs a dedicated editor
Camera make, model, exposure	No	Set by the camera

Metadata is stored inside the photo file in standards such as EXIF, IPTC and XMP. If you want the background first, see EXIF Data Explained: What It Is and How to Read It.

What do you need before you start?

You need the photos on your PC and a backup copy. Editing writes changes into the file itself, so keep an untouched original folder in case you make a mistake.

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 with File Explorer.
• JPG files if possible. They have the widest support for metadata editing.
• A copy of the originals.
• A way to check the result (see the checker step below).

HEIC files from iPhones may need the HEIF extension from the Microsoft Store before Windows shows them properly, and metadata editing on them can be limited. If you hit that wall, skip to the browser method.

How do you edit photo metadata in File Explorer?

Open the file's Properties and use the Details tab. The edit takes about a minute per photo.

1. Open File Explorer and find the photo.
2. Right-click it and choose Properties. On Windows 11 you may need Show more options first, or you can select the file and press Alt+Enter.
3. Click the Details tab.
4. Click the value next to a field, such as Title or Tags. If the cell is editable, a text box appears.
5. Type your value. For several tags, separate them with semicolons, for example kitchen remodel; Denver; quartz countertops.
6. Click Apply, then OK.
7. Reopen Properties to confirm the values stuck.

If a field is greyed out or you cannot click into it, Windows does not allow editing that field for this file type.

How do you edit metadata on many photos at once?

Select the files, open Properties, and edit the Details tab. Fields shared across the selection can be changed in one go.

1. Select multiple photos with Ctrl+click or Ctrl+A.
2. Press Alt+Enter or right-click and choose Properties.
3. Open the Details tab.
4. Fill in a field such as Tags or Authors. Fields that differ between files may show as blank or "multiple values".
5. Click OK.

This is fine for adding the same tag or author to a folder. It is not suited to per-photo locations or descriptions. For that, see How to Batch Geotag Photos: 4 Methods and a Simple Workflow.

How do you remove metadata in Windows?

Use the Remove Properties and Personal Information link at the bottom of the Details tab. It can strip fields from the original or save a cleaned copy.

1. Open Properties for the photo and go to the Details tab.
2. Click Remove Properties and Personal Information.
3. Choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed, or Remove the following properties from this file and tick the fields you want gone.
4. Click OK.

The copy option is safer because the original stays intact. Check the result afterwards, since not every field is always removed. Our guide on removing location data from photos covers this in more detail, including what to do before you share files publicly.

How do you add GPS coordinates or keywords Windows can't write?

Use a tool that writes GPS and IPTC/XMP fields. Windows can display coordinates but has no way to type them in, and its Tags field is not a full keyword and business-details editor.

Geotagr runs in your browser and writes GPS coordinates, a title, description, keywords and business details (IPTC/XMP) into the photo file. The files are processed in the browser and are not uploaded to Geotagr's servers.

1. Open the Geotagr editor in Edge, Chrome or Firefox.
2. Add your photos. JPG, HEIC, PNG and WebP can be opened. HEIC, PNG and WebP are converted and saved as JPG.
3. Set the location, then fill in the title, description and keywords.
4. Add business details such as name and contact info if relevant.
5. Apply to one photo or a whole batch, then save the tagged files.

Presets let you reuse the same details across jobs. GPX track matching and CSV import are available, but GPX/CSV import and AI suggestions are paid features. See Pricing for what is included.

Typing coordinates? Photos use decimal degrees, and pasting the wrong format is a common slip. The step-by-step version is in How to Add GPS Coordinates to Photos Online.

How do you check that your edits worked?

Read the metadata back with a tool that is not the one that wrote it. This catches fields that were saved somewhere another app cannot see.

Open the file in the free photo metadata checker and confirm the fields you expect. Other ways to inspect files are listed in How to Check Photo Metadata on Any Device.

Windows and other software can store the same idea in different places. A tag you type in Properties may not show up as a keyword in every app, and the reverse is also true. If a value matters, verify it where you plan to use it.

What goes wrong when editing metadata on Windows?

Most problems come down to file type, permissions or the platform you upload to. Here are the usual ones.

The Details tab has no Title or Tags field. The file type may not support it. PNG and some other formats have limited support in File Explorer. Convert to JPG or use a tool that does so for you.

The fields are greyed out. The file may be read-only. Right-click, choose Properties, and on the General tab untick Read-only. Files in a synced or protected folder can also block writes; copy them to a local folder first.

Changes disappear after saving. Check whether another app, such as a cloud sync client, replaced the file with an older version. Edit a local copy, then move it back.

Date taken is blank or wrong. Some files do not have an original capture date. If the camera clock was off, edit the field in Details or use a time-offset tool when matching to a GPX track.

Metadata vanishes after you upload. Many websites and social platforms strip metadata when you upload, or re-encode the image. That is the platform's behaviour, not a failed edit. Google has not published how it uses photo metadata, so treat it as helpful record-keeping, not a guaranteed ranking lever. Our post on whether geotagging helps local SEO explains what is known.

Windows will not open a HEIC file. Install the HEIF/HEVC extensions from the Microsoft Store, or open the file in a browser editor that converts it to JPG.

Frequently asked questions

Can you edit EXIF data in Windows 11 without extra software?

Partly. File Explorer's Details tab lets you change fields such as Title, Tags, Comments, Authors and Date taken on many JPG files. It does not let you edit GPS coordinates, camera settings or IPTC/XMP business details.

Does editing metadata change the image quality?

Editing descriptive fields in Properties does not re-compress the image, so the picture itself should look the same. Converting formats is different: if a tool turns a HEIC, PNG or WebP into a JPG, the file is changed to a new format. Keep your originals either way.

Can I edit GPS location in File Explorer?

No. Windows shows latitude and longitude in the Details tab if the photo has them, but the fields are read-only. To add or fix a location, use a geotagging tool such as the browser-based Geotagr editor, or a desktop program that writes EXIF GPS.

How do I edit metadata for multiple photos on Windows?

Select the files, press Alt+Enter, and edit shared fields on the Details tab. This works well for the same tag, author or copyright on a whole folder. For different titles or locations per photo, you need a batch tool or a CSV-based workflow.

Is it safe to edit photo metadata online?

It depends on the tool. Some upload your files to a server; others process them locally. Geotagr processes photos in your browser and does not upload the files to its servers. Whatever tool you use, check its privacy details before handling sensitive images.

Why did my metadata disappear after I posted the photo?

The platform likely stripped it. Many sites remove or rewrite metadata when images are uploaded, often to protect privacy. Your original file keeps its metadata, so keep the tagged version for your own records and for any place that preserves it.