How do I remove GPS location and EXIF data from a photo?
To remove EXIF data, open FixDoks's Remove EXIF Metadata tool and add your photos. Each row shows what metadata and GPS location was found, then clicking Remove metadata strips it. For JPG and PNG the removal is lossless, cutting the data segments without re-compressing the picture. Everything runs in your browser, so photos are never uploaded.
Remove EXIF Metadata at a glance
| Input | JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP, TIFF |
|---|---|
| Output | Same image with metadata stripped |
| Processing | In your browser; your files are not uploaded |
| Price | Free, no watermark |
| Download | Free Google sign-in |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use Remove EXIF Metadata from Photos
- Click Select photos and add one or more images. Each row shows how much metadata was found and whether a GPS location is present.
- Leave Keep colour profile ticked for accurate colours (it holds no personal data).
- Click Remove metadata and download the clean files, or all of them as a ZIP.
What is hidden in your photos?
Most photos carry EXIF metadata written by the camera or phone. It can include the exact GPS location where the photo was taken, the date and time, the phone make and model, camera settings, the software used to edit it, and sometimes the owner's name or a unique serial number. Posting such a photo can reveal your home address, your daily routine or where your children go to school.
Some big platforms strip this data when you upload, but many do not: email attachments, cloud share links, forums, classified ad sites, blogs and files sent as documents on messaging apps usually keep it intact.
Lossless removal
For JPG files, FixDoks removes the metadata segments (EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC, comments and embedded thumbnails) directly from the file, without decoding and re-compressing the picture. The image data stays byte-for-byte identical, so there is zero quality loss. For PNG files the text, EXIF and time chunks are removed the same way.
Two cases are re-saved instead: JPG photos that rely on a rotation tag (removing the tag would make them appear sideways, so the pixels are rotated upright and saved at 95% quality), and formats like HEIC, WebP and TIFF, which are saved as a clean JPG or PNG.
Colour profile
The ICC colour profile tells screens how to show colours accurately. It contains no personal information, so it is kept by default. Untick the option if you want the smallest possible file.
Check before and after
Each file shows what was found, and you can see every field with the metadata viewer. Run a cleaned file through the viewer to confirm nothing personal is left.
Who should strip metadata
Anyone selling items online from home, sharing photos of children, posting on public forums, sending photos to strangers, or publishing images on a blog should remove location data first. Journalists and activists often strip all metadata by default. It takes a few seconds and has no downside for normal sharing.
How to check a photo for location
After adding files, each row states whether a GPS location was found, the camera model and how many metadata fields are inside. Open the metadata viewer to see every field, including the exact coordinates on a map. Once cleaned, open the new file in the viewer to confirm that the location is gone.
Turn off location for future photos
On Android, open the camera settings and switch off location tags. On iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services, Camera, and choose Never. You can also remove location for a single photo when sharing from the iPhone share sheet using Options.