How to Remove Location Data from Photos (Phone and Desktop)
October 20, 2026
The fastest way to remove location data from a photo is to delete the GPS fields from its metadata (EXIF) before you share it. Every major platform can do this: iPhone and Mac Photos, Google Photos on Android, Windows File Explorer, and free tools like ExifTool. To stop new photos from carrying GPS at all, switch off location access for your camera app.
Below are the exact steps for each device, plus the part most guides skip: checking that the location is really gone, and the other places a photo can give away where it was taken.
What location data in a photo actually is
When location is on, your phone writes GPS latitude and longitude into the photo file's EXIF metadata. Anyone who downloads the original file can read those coordinates with a free viewer. Depending on how the photo was edited, location can also sit in other fields:
- EXIF GPS: latitude, longitude, sometimes altitude and direction.
- XMP and IPTC fields: city, region, country or a sublocation typed in by a person or an app.
- Captions and keywords: a description such as "back garden, 14 Elm Road" is location data too.
So "removing location" can mean more than deleting two coordinates. A thorough clean-up covers all of these.
Step one: stop new photos from storing location
If you never want GPS in your photos, turn it off at the source.
iPhone
- Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Scroll to Camera.
- Choose Never.
Android
The wording varies by manufacturer, but the setting lives inside the camera app itself:
- Samsung: Camera > Settings > Location tags, then switch it off.
- Google Pixel: Camera > Settings > Save location, then switch it off.
This only affects photos you take from now on. Existing photos keep whatever they already contain.
Remove location from photos you already have
iPhone (Photos app)
For one photo you are about to share: tap Share, tap Options at the top of the share sheet, switch Location off, then send. The original stays unchanged in your library.
To change the photo itself (iOS 15 and later): open the photo, swipe up or tap the info (i) button, tap Adjust next to the location, and choose No Location.
Android (Google Photos)
Open the photo, swipe up to see its details, tap the edit (pencil) icon next to the location and choose to remove it. When you share via a link, Google Photos also offers a setting to hide the location. Menu names change between app versions, so look for "location" in the details or share settings if yours differs.
Windows
- Right-click the file and choose Properties > Details.
- Click Remove Properties and Personal Information at the bottom.
- Choose Remove the following properties from this file, tick the GPS fields (latitude, longitude and so on), and click OK.
Or choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed to keep your original untouched.
Mac
- Preview: open the image, choose Tools > Show Inspector, open the GPS tab and click Remove Location Info, then save.
- Photos app: select the photo and choose Image > Location, then remove the location. When exporting, you can also untick the Location Information option in the export dialog.
ExifTool (any system, best for batches)
ExifTool is free and handles whole folders. From the command line:
exiftool -gps:all= photo.jpg
This deletes the EXIF GPS group and leaves a backup copy of the original with _original added to the name. To process a folder, point it at the folder instead of a single file. If you want to strip all metadata (camera model, dates, everything), use -all= instead of -gps:all=.
Be aware that GPS data can also exist in XMP, so always verify afterwards (see below).
A quick comparison
| Method | Changes the original? | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn off camera location | No (future photos only) | Prevention | Doesn't fix old photos |
| Share sheet option (iPhone) | No | One-off sharing | Must repeat every time |
| Photos / Google Photos edit | Yes | Single photos | Slow for large batches |
| Windows Properties | Yes (or a copy) | Occasional use | Easy to miss XMP fields |
| Preview (Mac) | Yes | Single photos | One file at a time |
| ExifTool | Yes (keeps backup) | Folders of photos | Command line |
| Screenshot | Creates a new file | Emergencies | Lower quality, loses all other metadata |
Check that it actually worked
Don't assume. After removing location, open the cleaned copy in a metadata viewer and look for GPS, city, sublocation and caption fields. The free photo metadata checker shows what a file contains, so you can run it on the version you plan to share, not the original.
Test the exact file you will send. Exports, edits and "save a copy" actions can behave differently from what you expect.
Don't rely on websites and apps to strip it for you
Many social platforms remove or ignore location metadata on upload, but this varies by platform and can change without notice. Email attachments, cloud-storage links, messaging apps that send the original file, and your own website generally pass the file through as it is. If privacy matters, strip it yourself before the photo leaves your device.
Other ways a photo can reveal where it was taken
Even with clean metadata, check:
- The image itself: street signs, house numbers, car number plates, distinctive views, and reflections.
- File names and folders: a file called
home-office-leeds.jpgis a location tag. - Captions and alt text: these are often more specific than GPS.
- Thumbnails and previews: older edited files can sometimes carry an embedded preview that was made before changes. Re-export to be safe.
When you want some location data, not none
Privacy and marketing needs differ. A photographer or tradesperson may not want their home coordinates in a photo, but may want the business or job-site location attached to images published on a website or profile.
That is a different task from stripping. Geotagr is built for adding location and business details (GPS, title, description, keywords) to photos, not as a dedicated metadata remover, so use one of the methods above for stripping. If you need to replace private coordinates with a deliberate public location, you can write that location in Geotagr instead. It runs in your browser and your photo files are never uploaded to Geotagr's servers.
If that is your situation, these guides cover it:
- How to Add GPS Coordinates to Photos Online (Step by Step)
- How to Geotag Photos for Google Business Profile
- How to Add Location to iPhone Photos (New and Existing)
Note that nobody outside Google can say exactly how it uses photo metadata, and some platforms strip it on upload, so treat embedded location as one small detail rather than a guarantee of anything.
A simple privacy routine
- Turn off camera location tags unless you need them.
- For photos you do want tagged, review them before sharing.
- Strip or replace location on any file leaving your control.
- Verify the final file with a metadata viewer.
- Look at the picture itself for visual clues.
Related guides
FAQ
Does taking a screenshot remove location data?
Generally yes. A screenshot is a new image, and it normally doesn't carry the GPS data of the photo you captured. The downsides are lower quality and the loss of every other piece of metadata, such as dates and descriptions.
Does WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook remove location from photos?
Many platforms remove or hide it, but behaviour differs between services, between sending as a photo versus a file, and over time. If it matters, strip the location yourself first.
Can I remove location from several photos at once?
Yes. ExifTool handles whole folders. On Windows you can select multiple files, open Properties > Details, and use Remove Properties and Personal Information. Phones are slower for batches, though the share sheet on iPhone lets you switch location off when sending multiple photos.
If I remove GPS, can someone still find where the photo was taken?
Possibly. People can use landmarks, signs, and other visible details, or captions and file names. Removing metadata fixes the hidden part only.
Will removing location data reduce image quality?
No. Metadata is stored separately from the pixels, so tools that only edit metadata don't recompress the image. A screenshot or re-export through an editor can change quality, so prefer a metadata-only method.
Should business photos have location data?
It depends on your goal. Use a business or job-site location rather than a private address, and keep in mind that platforms handle metadata differently. See Geotag photos for Google Business Profile for the practical side.