What your iPhone photos reveal: EXIF metadata and location
A photo says more than what is in the frame.
1 min readLast reviewed
In short
iPhone photos contain EXIF metadata: when the photo was taken, which iPhone and lens took it, the camera settings and — if location is enabled for the Camera — the exact GPS position. You can see it by swiping up on a photo, remove the location when sharing through Options in the share sheet, or stop recording it in Location Services.
Key takeaways
- Location is stored in the photo itself, not only in the Photos app.
- Turn off Location in the share sheet’s Options before sending.
- Or stop the Camera from recording location at all.
What is inside a photo file
- Date and time the photo was taken.
- Device model, lens and camera settings.
- GPS coordinates, often precise to a few metres, if the Camera has location access.
- Sometimes the software used to edit it.
Date and time
Device and lens
Camera settings
GPS location
How to see it on iPhone
Open a photo in the Photos app and swipe up, or tap the info button. You will see the date, the device, the camera settings and, if present, a map of where it was taken.
Share a photo without its location
- Select the photo and tap Share.
- Tap Options at the top of the share sheet.
- Turn off Location, then share.
Stop recording location
In Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Camera, choose Never. New photos will no longer contain GPS coordinates. Photos already taken keep theirs.