How to remove metadata from photos before you share them

Most phone and camera photos carry EXIF metadata: the date and time, the device model, camera settings and often GPS coordinates. Many social networks remove it on upload, but email attachments, forum posts, marketplace listings and direct file shares often do not.

Why it matters

A photo of an item you sell, taken at home, can reveal where you live. A photo sent to a stranger can reveal when and where it was taken.

How to check a photo

On Windows, right-click the file, choose Properties and open the Details tab. On a Mac, open the photo in Preview and choose Tools, then Show Inspector. On a phone, open the photo’s info panel.

How to remove it

Use the image metadata remover. It rebuilds the picture from its pixels inside your browser, so the original tags are not copied and the photo is never uploaded. Check the new file with the same Details view.

What it does not hide

Removing metadata does not hide faces, street signs or other things visible in the picture itself.