How to See the GPS Coordinates of a Photo (Any Device)

To see the GPS coordinates of a photo, open its file properties or metadata and look for the GPS latitude and longitude fields. On Windows use Properties > Details, on Mac use Preview's Inspector, and on any device you can drop the file into a metadata checker. If no GPS fields appear, the photo has no location data.

What do you need before you start?

You need the original photo file, not a screenshot or a copy that came through a chat app. Location data lives in the file's EXIF metadata, and many apps remove it when they resize or re-save an image.

Two other things help:

• A photo taken with location services switched on for the camera. Without that, the camera never wrote any coordinates.
• A map app or website where you can paste the coordinates to check them.

If you want background on where this data sits inside the file, see EXIF Data Explained: What It Is and How to Read It.

What is the quickest way to see the coordinates?

Use a metadata checker in your browser. It works the same on every device and shows the raw latitude and longitude instead of just a map thumbnail.

1. Open the free photo metadata checker.
2. Choose the photo file, or drag it in. JPG, HEIC, PNG and WebP can be opened.
3. Find the GPS section and read the latitude and longitude.
4. Copy both values.
5. Paste them into the search box of Google Maps or another map to confirm the spot.

Geotagr processes photos in your browser, and the files are not uploaded to Geotagr's servers. That matters if the photo shows a home or another private place.

How do you see GPS coordinates on Windows?

Right-click the file, choose Properties, then open the Details tab and scroll to the GPS section. Windows lists Latitude and Longitude there.

1. Right-click the photo in File Explorer and select Properties.
2. Open the Details tab.
3. Scroll to the GPS heading.
4. Read the Latitude and Longitude lines.

Windows usually shows them in degrees, minutes and seconds, often separated by semicolons. Convert them to decimal if your map needs it (see below). If there is no GPS heading, the file has no location data. Windows can also show the Details tab with the GPS block missing after a "Remove Properties and Personal Information" action, which strips the fields.

How do you see GPS coordinates on a Mac?

Open the photo in Preview and use the Inspector. A GPS tab appears only if the file contains location data.

1. Open the image in Preview.
2. Choose Tools > Show Inspector (or press Command-I).
3. Click the More Info (i) tab.
4. Open the GPS tab.

Preview shows latitude and longitude along with a few related values, such as altitude and direction, when the camera recorded them. The Photos app shows a map for a photo's location, but it is less direct for reading raw numbers, so Preview is the easier route.

How do you see GPS coordinates on an iPhone?

The Photos app shows a map and place name, not raw coordinates. Swipe up on a photo (or tap the info button) to see the map, which tells you a location exists.

To get the actual numbers, the simplest route is to open the photo file in a browser-based metadata checker. You can also tap the map in Photos to open the spot in Maps and look at the pin's details, though what Maps displays can vary by iOS version. Shortcuts on iPhone can also read a photo's location, but that takes some setup.

If you take photos on an iPhone and they have no location at all, check Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera. See How to Add Location to iPhone Photos (New and Existing) if you need to fix that.

How do you see GPS coordinates on Android?

Open the photo in your gallery app and look at its Details or Info panel. What it shows depends on the manufacturer and app.

In Google Photos, swiping up on a photo shows details, and a location appears as a map or place name when the data exists. Some gallery apps list latitude and longitude directly in Details, others only show an address. If yours only shows a place name, use the browser checker above to get the raw numbers.

One Android quirk: photos opened from a "recent" or share picker are sometimes a copy with location removed. Pick the file from the folder directly where possible.

How do you read the coordinates once you see them?

Coordinates come in two common formats: decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS). Both point to the same place.

• Decimal: 40.748433, -73.985694
• DMS: 40° 44' 54.36" N, 73° 59' 8.50" W

In decimal, the first number is latitude (north or south) and the second is longitude (east or west). A minus sign means south latitude or west longitude. In DMS, the letters N, S, E and W give the direction.

Google Maps accepts both. Type or paste either format into the search box and it drops a pin.

How do you convert DMS to decimal?

Divide the minutes by 60, divide the seconds by 3,600, and add both to the degrees. Make the result negative for south or west.

Using the latitude above:

• 40 + (44 ÷ 60) + (54.36 ÷ 3,600)
• 40 + 0.733333 + 0.0151 = 40.748433

And the longitude, which is west, so it becomes negative:

• 73 + (59 ÷ 60) + (8.5 ÷ 3,600)
• 73 + 0.983333 + 0.002361 = 73.985694, so -73.985694

A common mistake is dropping the minus sign. A pin that lands in the wrong hemisphere, such as in the ocean or on another continent, usually means a missing negative.

How accurate are the coordinates in a photo?

They show where the device thought it was when the photo was taken, and that can be off. Accuracy depends on the device, the signal and the surroundings.

Indoors, in dense city streets or right after switching on the phone, the position can drift from the real spot. Some cameras also record the position from a moment before the shutter fired. Treat the pin as "close to here" unless you know the device had a strong fix.

Also remember that the coordinates may not be original. Someone can add or edit GPS data after the photo was taken. If a location looks wrong, How to Check Photo Metadata on Any Device (Free Methods) covers other fields, such as capture date, that help you judge whether the data fits.

What if the photo has no GPS coordinates?

The photo most likely never had them, or something removed them. The common causes are:

• Location services were off for the camera app.
• The photo was a screenshot, a download or a scan.
• A messaging app, social network or website stripped metadata when the image was uploaded or shared. Which platforms do this varies, and it can change.
• The file was exported with a "remove location" option.
• A camera without GPS took the photo.

In that case you cannot recover the coordinates from the file. You can look for the original on the device that took it, or add the location yourself. If you know where the photo was taken, you can write coordinates into the file with the Geotagr editor; the steps are in How to Add GPS Coordinates to Photos Online (Step by Step).

Should you worry about who can see these coordinates?

Yes, if you share original files. Anyone who gets a file with GPS data intact can read the location the same way you just did.

Before you send photos of a home, a child's school or any private place, check what the file contains. To strip it, follow How to Remove Location Data from Photos (Phone and Desktop).

If you want the location to stay, for example on job-site or listing photos, keeping it is deliberate. Whether that helps search is a separate question, and the honest answer is in Does Geotagging Photos Help Local SEO? What We Know. Google has not published how it uses photo metadata.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see the GPS coordinates of a photo online for free?

Yes. A browser-based metadata checker such as the free photo metadata checker reads the file and lists the GPS latitude and longitude if they exist. You do not need to install anything, and it works on phones and computers.

How do I find a location from GPS coordinates?

Copy the latitude and longitude and paste them into the search box of Google Maps or Apple Maps. Use decimal format with the latitude first, such as 40.748433, -73.985694. The map drops a pin at that point.

Why does my photo show a location in Photos but no coordinates?

Photo apps usually turn the coordinates into a map or place name and hide the raw numbers. The numbers are still in the file's metadata. Open the file in Preview, Windows Properties or a metadata checker to read them.

Do screenshots have GPS coordinates?

Generally no. A screenshot is a new image made by your device, and it normally does not carry the location of whatever is shown in it. The same goes for many images saved from websites or social media.

Can the GPS coordinates in a photo be wrong or fake?

Yes. GPS positions can be imprecise, and the metadata can be edited after the photo was taken. Use the coordinates as a strong clue, not proof, and compare them with other details such as the date and the scene.

Which file types can contain GPS coordinates?

JPG and HEIC photos from phones and cameras are the most common. PNG and WebP can carry metadata too, but less consistently. In Geotagr, HEIC, PNG and WebP files can be opened, and they are converted and saved as JPG.