Device name, date and time, shooting values. This is some of the information that is generated and saved when creating the photos we take with our smartphones or digital cameras. This information is called metadata. The main reference is the EXIF standard (Exchangeable Image File Format), which automatically records the technical characteristics of each shot, from the lens settings to the model of the device used.
The location where the shot was taken can also be included in the metadata. While on the one hand this can be useful for keeping track of the places visited on a trip, the restaurant where a certain dish was tasted, and so on, this information can also reveal sensitive information, such as your home, your place of work, your children’s school, etc. So let’s see how to find and delete this metadata before sharing a shot with others.
There are 3 types of metadata
Metadata – literally “data that describes other data” – is divided into three broad categories: technical data, generated automatically by the hardware (exposure time, ISO sensitivity, and so on); descriptive ones, inserted manually using photo editing software (captions, keywords, etc.); and administrative ones, linked to the management of copyrights and licenses.
There are also various metadata formats. Alongside the aforementioned EXIF we also mention XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform), which can save this information directly in the file or in a “sidecar file,” a separate text document that accompanies the original image.
How to find out if a photo has geolocation data and hide it
If you took a photo with your smartphone or with a camera equipped with a GPS chip, the location where it was taken will almost certainly be included in the photo’s metadata.
On Android, open Google Photos, select an image, drag upwards (or tap the three dots at the top right) and choose Information: if geolocation is active, a detailed map of the shooting location will appear. On iOS the procedure is similar: open the Apple Photos app, select the shot and tap the icon with the i at the bottom (or alternatively, also in this case, swipe from bottom to top).
Even from a computer, control is quick. On Windows just right-click on the file and then follow the path Properties > Details. On Mac, simply right-click on the image in the Photos application and select Get information.
To remove the position from the photo, then, it is possible to adopt various solutions. For example, working from the Apple Photos app, just press on the Adjust option and then tap Remove or Position no.
In case you were wondering, the Google Photos app allows you to remove the position, but only the estimated one (to do this you need to touch the three dots, then the Information item and then select the pencil and press Remove). As we read on this Google support page, in fact, if the position of a photo or video has been added automatically by the camera, the position cannot be changed or removed.
However, there is a quick and universal method to delete metadata from photos (including location) and it consists of copying the image to the clipboard and pasting it into a new file. Since the “copy” function only selects visible pixels, all metadata is instantly deleted without resorting to external apps or tools.
