How to remove location data from photos
Most phone photos quietly record where they were taken. When you share the original file, that location can go with it.
Updated October 2, 2026
What's hidden in a photo
Along with the picture, photo files carry metadata: the camera or phone model, the date and time and, if location access is on, the GPS coordinates of where it was taken. Videos from phones can carry the same location data. Anyone with the original file can read it in seconds.
When it's shared, and when it isn't
Many big social apps strip location when you post. But sending the original file by email, in a cloud folder, in some chat apps, on marketplaces or in online forms can pass the full metadata along. If you don't know what a service does, assume the location goes with the file.
Stop recording it
- iPhone: Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services, Camera, set to Never.
- Android: open the Camera app settings and turn off location tags (the name varies by phone).
Remove it from photos you already have
On iPhone, when sharing from Photos, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and turn off Location. To be sure on any device, create a clean copy: Okaysize removes location and camera details from every image it saves, and from videos unless you choose to keep them. Processing happens on your device, so the photo itself is never uploaded.
Make a clean copy of a photo, location removed
Compress image