How to Remove Metadata From Photos Before Sharing or Deleting
To remove metadata from a photo before you share it, strip the location and EXIF data at the moment of sharing: on iPhone, open the photo, tap Share, then tap Options at the top and turn Location off; on Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties > Details > Remove Properties and Personal Information; on the command line, run exiftool -all= photo.jpg. This guide is for anyone who wants to send or post a photo without leaking where and when it was taken, or who is about to delete photos and wants the copies they keep to be clean.
TL;DR
- Photos carry hidden EXIF metadata: GPS coordinates, date/time, camera model, and sometimes your name.
- On iPhone, the fastest fix is the Share > Options > Location toggle, which strips GPS from the version you send.
- On Windows, right-click > Properties > Details > Remove Properties deletes EXIF from a copy or the original.
exiftool -all= file.jpgwipes all metadata and is the most thorough cross-platform method.- Deleting a photo does not scrub the copies already in your cloud, shared albums, or anyone's chat history.
What metadata is actually hidden in a photo?
Every photo your phone or camera takes carries EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data baked into the file. It is invisible when you look at the image, but it travels with the file unless you remove it. The most sensitive field is GPS location, the exact coordinates where the shot was taken, which can reveal your home, your child's school, or your daily routine.
| Metadata field | What it reveals | Sensitivity |
|---|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | Exact location of the shot | High |
| Date and time | When it was taken | Medium |
| Camera / phone model | Device used | Low |
| Lens, ISO, exposure | Technical settings | Low |
| Owner / artist name | Sometimes your name | Medium |
| Software / edit history | App used to edit | Low |
Not every photo has every field. Screenshots and downloaded images often have little to no GPS data, while photos straight from your camera app usually have all of it. When in doubt, assume a camera photo carries your location until you have stripped it.
How do I remove location from a photo on iPhone?
iOS lets you drop the location at the moment you share, which is the cleanest option because you never have to alter your original.
- Open the Photos app and select the photo (or several) you want to share.
- Tap the Share button (the square with an upward arrow).
- At the top of the share sheet, tap Options.
- Turn Location off. You can also switch All Photos Data off to send the image without extra metadata.
- Tap Done, then choose how to send it.
The version that leaves your phone now has no GPS attached, while the original in your library keeps its location for your own map and search. To check or remove location on the original itself, open the photo, swipe up or tap the info (i) button, and choose Adjust or Remove Location under the location line.
| iPhone goal | Where to do it |
|---|---|
| Strip location when sharing | Share > Options > Location off |
| Remove location from original | Photo > info (i) > Adjust > Remove Location |
| Remove all extra data on send | Share > Options > All Photos Data off |
How do I remove metadata on Windows?
Windows has a built-in tool that strips EXIF without any extra software, and it can work on a copy so your original stays intact.
- In File Explorer, right-click the photo and choose Properties.
- Open the Details tab to see the metadata, including GPS, date, and camera.
- Click Remove Properties and Personal Information at the bottom.
- Choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed to keep your original clean and untouched, or select specific fields to clear on the file itself.
- Click OK. A new scrubbed copy appears in the same folder, or the original is cleaned, depending on your choice.
This removes the standard EXIF fields Windows understands. It is fast and good enough for everyday sharing, though it may leave some non-standard or embedded fields that only a dedicated tool will catch.
How do I strip every trace with exiftool?
For the most thorough removal across Mac, Windows, and Linux, the free exiftool utility is the gold standard. It clears standard EXIF plus IPTC, XMP, and maker-note data that GUI tools often miss.
- Install exiftool from its official site (or via
brew install exiftoolon Mac). - Open a terminal in the folder with your photos.
- Run
exiftool -all= photo.jpgto wipe all metadata from one file. - To clear an entire folder, run
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg. - Verify with
exiftool photo.jpg, which should now show almost nothing.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
exiftool -all= file.jpg |
Removes all metadata, keeps a backup copy |
exiftool -gps:all= file.jpg |
Removes only GPS, keeps the rest |
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg |
Wipes a whole folder in place |
By default exiftool keeps a _original backup so you can undo. Add -overwrite_original only when you are sure you no longer need the metadata.
Is it safe to remove metadata before deleting a photo?
Removing metadata is safe and reversible in spirit: you are only stripping hidden fields, not changing how the image looks. The honest part is understanding what scrubbing does and does not protect.
Natively, your OS removes metadata only from the file you act on. The version you already sent, posted, or backed up keeps whatever metadata it had at that moment. Deleting the photo afterward does not reach back and clean those copies.
What Cleanor adds is on the organizing side, not the metadata side. Cleanor helps you find and clear out duplicate and near-duplicate photos and large media so you are dealing with a smaller, intentional library before you share or delete, and it always lets you review items before anything is removed. What Cleanor cannot do is strip EXIF from files you have already uploaded to a cloud service or sent in a chat, and it does not rewrite metadata inside other apps. For true metadata removal, use the OS or exiftool methods above; for deciding which photos to keep at all, that is where a cleanup pass helps.
A related point about deletion: if your real goal is privacy, stripping metadata and deleting locally is not the same as removing the photo everywhere. See the deeper discussion in our guide on how to delete photos but keep them in the cloud, because the reverse is also true: a deleted local photo can still live, with full metadata, in your cloud backup.
FAQ
Does sending a photo over WhatsApp or Telegram remove its metadata?
Most chat apps strip or downsize metadata when you send a normal photo, because they recompress the image. But if you send it as a file or document to preserve quality, the original EXIF, including GPS, usually travels intact. When privacy matters, strip the metadata yourself first rather than trusting the app.
Will removing metadata reduce the photo's file size?
Barely. Metadata is tiny compared to the image data, so stripping it saves kilobytes, not megabytes. If you are trying to free real space, the lever is removing duplicates and large videos, not scrubbing EXIF; see storage full: what should I delete first.
Can I remove metadata from a photo I already posted online?
No. Once a photo is uploaded, the platform holds its own copy and may keep or strip metadata on its terms, outside your control. The only fix is to delete that post and re-upload a cleaned version, and even then earlier copies or screenshots may persist.
Do screenshots contain location data?
Screenshots generally do not contain GPS coordinates, because they are captured from the screen rather than the camera. They can still carry the device model and a timestamp, so for maximum privacy, run them through the same removal steps as any other image.
Clean your library, then share with confidence
Stripping metadata protects what you send, but it does not tidy what you keep. Before you share or delete, it helps to thin out the duplicates and near-duplicates so you are working with a deliberate set of photos. Cleanor scans your library for duplicate and similar shots and large media, and lets you review everything before removing it. See how it works on Cleanor for iOS, or start with the full playbook at clean up phone storage.
From there, learn the difference between duplicate vs similar photos and what to delete, and read how to delete photos but keep them in the cloud so your privacy clean-up and your storage clean-up actually line up.