GPS Photo Metadata: How Location Data Works
Phones and cameras can store geographic coordinates inside a photo when location tagging is enabled. These coordinates are part of the file metadata rather than the visible pixels.
What can GPS metadata contain?
Location metadata can include latitude, longitude and sometimes altitude, direction and related GPS fields.
How precise can it be?
Coordinates may identify a location closely enough to expose a home, workplace or another sensitive place.
Does disabling location remove old GPS data?
No. Turning off location access may prevent future tagging, but it does not automatically remove GPS information already stored in existing photos.
What should you do before sharing?
Inspect the exact copy you intend to publish. If GPS information is present and unnecessary, remove it and verify the output.
Use MetWipe
Inspect and clean supported metadata locally in your browser. MetWipe is designed so supported file processing can happen on your device rather than requiring an application-server upload.
Check GPS MetadataRelated guides
Explore the Photo Metadata Center
Compare the EXIF viewer, broad remover, GPS checker, GPS remover, device-info workflow and photo privacy guides from one place. Open Photo Metadata Tools →