Privacy
What is EXIF?
Short for Exchangeable Image File Format. Also called EXIF data or Exif.
EXIF is metadata stored in some image files that can describe camera settings, capture time, orientation and GPS location.
How it works
Cameras and phones write EXIF fields alongside the image data when a photo is taken. Common fields include the device make and model, lens, exposure, ISO, date and time, and an orientation flag. When location services are enabled, EXIF can also include GPS latitude, longitude and altitude precise enough to identify a house.
A viewer may use the orientation field to display a photo upright even when its stored pixels are rotated. Photo libraries use capture times to sort pictures and coordinates to place them on a map.
EXIF vs metadata
Metadata is the general term for information about a file. EXIF is one specific metadata standard for photos, used mainly in JPEG, HEIC and some TIFF files. An image can also carry other metadata, such as XMP editing history or IPTC captions and copyright, which is why a thorough cleaner removes more than EXIF alone.
A practical example
A phone photo may contain the exposure time and the coordinates where it was taken. An exported screenshot may contain no EXIF fields at all.
What to watch out for
Removing EXIF doesn’t remove visible private information in the picture. Review faces, addresses, number plates and documents in the image before sharing it.
Tools you can use
- EXIF Viewer · See camera, settings and location data
- EXIF Remover · Strip metadata without touching image quality
Go a little deeper
- Should you remove EXIF data before sharing a photo?
- What is actually inside an image file
- How to remove the location from a photo
- How to watermark your photos
Common questions
Do photos contain my location?
They can. Phones write GPS coordinates into EXIF when location access is enabled for the camera. Check a photo with an EXIF viewer to see exactly what it contains.
Do social networks remove EXIF?
Most large platforms strip it from the public copy, but email, messaging apps that send files as documents, cloud links and many forums pass the original file along unchanged.
Will removing EXIF make my photo sideways?
It can, if the orientation tag is removed and the pixels were stored rotated. A careful remover keeps that one tag or rotates the pixels first.