If you do not already know, almost all platforms automatically add location information to your photos by default if you've enabled location access on your device for photo or camera apps. While this can be handy in situations such as when you want to know where a particular photo was taken, it also has its downsides.

When sharing photos with someone else or posting them online, this location information can help others know about your whereabouts when a particular photo was taken. This can be a major concern from a privacy point of view. To avoid this, you may want to remove location data from your photos, and here is how you can do so on different platforms.

Remove location data on iPhone or iPad

To remove location data from your photos on an iPhone, follow these steps.

  1. Open the photo from which you want to remove this information using the Photos app.
  2. Next, tap on the three-dot menu icon on the top-right and select 'Adjust Location' from the menu.
  3. Then tap on the 'No Location' option to remove the location information from the photo.
  4. You will need to repeat these steps for each photo from which you want to remove the location information.

Disable location information

If you do not want your iPhone or iPad to automatically add location information to your photos, you can disable it. However, keep in mind that you cannot disable all metadata on these platforms.

  1. Open the Settings page and tap on 'Privacy and Security'.
  2. Then tap on 'Location Services'.
  1. Scroll down and tap on Camera to select it.
  2. Lastly, tap on 'Never' to stop your camera from accessing your location.

Remove location data on macOS

On macOS, you can remove the location data from your photos but you will need to use a third-party program to remove other information.

  1. Open the image in Preview and click on 'Tools' from the menu bar. Then, click on 'Show Location Info' from the menu. If your photo's location data cannot be altered, the option will be greyed out.
  1. The GPS tab will open. Click on 'Remove Location Info' at the bottom.
  1. You can also hide location info in the Photos app by going to Image > Location from the menu bar and selecting 'Hide Location' from the menu.
  1. To remove the location data from more than a single image at a time, you can use a third-party program like ImageOptim. Download it from the website and install it on your Mac.
  2. Then open it and just drag your photos into the application. All image data, including the location information, will be removed.

If you want to stop location data from being added to photos, you'll need to stop it for the Camera app from your iPhone or iPad, as explained above.

Remove location data on Android

  1. Open the Photos or Gallery app on your Android device and select the photo from which you want to remove location data. Then tap on the three dots on the top right.
  2. Tap on the 'Edit' option in the dropdown menu that appears.
  1. If you see the location information, tap on the 'Remove location information' or red minus sign next to it to remove it.
  2. Then you can save the photo or save a copy without the location information.
Note: Most stock gallery apps do not allow removing the location data from multiple photos at the same time, but there are other third-party options that you can use for this purpose.

Block location metadata

If you turn off the location access for your camera app, it will not add the location information to your photos.

  1. Open the Settings app on your Android and tap on 'Apps'.
  2. In the list of apps, tap on the camera app.
  1. Now, tap on the 'App permissions' option on the next page.
  2. Then tap on 'Don't Allow' to block camera permissions.

Remove location data using Google Photos

You can also Google Photos on the web or on your phone to remove location data from your photos.

  1. Open the Google Photos app on your phone and tap on the photo for which you want to remove the data location.
  2. Then swipe up to see the detailed information of the photo.
  1. At the bottom, tap on the 'Remove Location' option. Again, you will have to repeat these steps for all the photos from which you want to remove the location information.
  2. The process of removing the location information using Google Photos on the web is very similar to the method used on the app, but instead of the 'Remove Location' option you will need to click on the 'No Location' option.
Note: The 'Remove Location' option will only be available if you've enabled location access for the camera app on your phone or tablet. If it is already off, the option will not appear since no location information is added to your photos in that case.

Remove location data on Windows

You can remove location information from both single and multiple images on Windows.

  1. Open the folder containing the image or images from which you want to remove the location information.
  2. Right-click on the image you want to edit and click on 'Properties'.
  1. When the Properties dialog box opens, click on the 'Details' tab at the top and then click on 'Remove Properties and Personal Information' at the bottom.
  1. A new dialog box will appear. Click on 'Create a copy with all possible properties removed' and then on the 'OK' button.
  1. You can also selectively remove some of the properties if you do not wish to create a new copy of the image with all the properties removed. However, in this case, the date of creation of the file will not change. If you create a copy, the date will be changed to today's date.

Turn off location information

To disable location information for photos you take using your computer's webcam, follow these steps.

  1. Open the settings app using the Win + I shortcut and click on 'Privacy and Security'.
  1. On the Privacy and Security page, scroll down to the 'Location' option and click on it.
  1. To prevent apps like the camera from accessing location information, click on the toggle at the top and turn it off.
Note: You can also keep the location toggle turned on and simply click on the toggle for individual apps like camera to turn off their access to location information.

Things to know

  • Several third-party websites and tools are available that can help you remove location information from your photos. However, use caution when using these as they themselves can pose a privacy risk.
  • On some Android phones, such as those from Samsung, the steps for removing location information may be slightly different, though the process remains broadly the same.
  • When making changes to photos, it is a good idea to create a backup first, just in case you want to add the location information back later on but cannot find it.
  • Reputable social media websites automatically remove location data from your photos when you post them online. However, there are many others who are not that reliable, so before sharing photos on such platforms, check that you have removed the location information first.