How to remove EXIF location from an iPhone photo
iPhone photos store GPS coordinates in their EXIF metadata when Location Services is on for the Camera. Some apps strip it on upload, but email attachments, files sent “as document”, AirDrop, and cloud links can carry it along. Here are three ways to remove it.
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Strip GPS, camera, XMP and C2PA metadata in your browser + proof slip. Free: 1 scrub · $2.99 lifetime: batch, clean report.
Option 1 — iOS built-in (per share)
- Select the photo in Photos. Open it and tap the Share button.
- Tap “Options” at the top of the share sheet. It sits just under the “1 Photo Selected” line.
- Turn off “Location”. Tap Done, then share as usual. The shared copy goes without the GPS data.
- Or remove it from the photo itself. In Photos, swipe up (or tap ⓘ) on the photo, tap Adjust next to the location/map, and choose No Location.
- Stop it at the source (optional). Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → Never. New photos won’t get GPS tags.
Option 2 — strip all metadata in the browser (MetaGone)
The iOS toggle removes location, but other EXIF (device model, lens, timestamps, editing software) still goes along. To scrub everything and get a record of it:
- Open MetaGone in Safari (or any browser). Photos are processed on-device.
- Add the photo. MetaGone lists what it found: GPS, camera, dates, software, XMP/C2PA hints.
- Scrub and download the clean copy, plus a proof slip showing which fields were removed and file hashes.
HEIC note: MetaGone reads JPEG, PNG, and WebP. iPhones save HEIC by default; when you pick a photo in a browser, iOS usually hands over a JPEG copy. You can also set Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible to shoot JPEG.
How to check a photo’s location on iPhone
Open the photo in Photos and swipe up. If a map appears, the photo has location data.
Scrub GPS + camera data with a proof slip
MetaGone runs in your browser — no upload. Free: 1 scrub · $2.99 lifetime: batch + clean report.
FAQ
Do Instagram, Facebook, etc. keep my location?
Major social platforms generally strip EXIF from the public image, but you shouldn’t rely on every channel doing so — email, messaging “as file,” and cloud links often keep it.
Does a screenshot of a photo contain GPS?
A screenshot is a new image and doesn’t copy the original photo’s GPS tag, but it has its own metadata and loses quality.
Does MetaGone upload my photos?
No. Inspection and scrubbing happen in your browser.
What does the $2.99 unlock add?
Batch scrubbing, clean (unwatermarked) proof slips, and no ads. The free tier includes one scrub.
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