How to remove the location (GPS) from a photo before you post it
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A photo's location is stored as GPS coordinates in the EXIF metadata inside the file, and you can remove it by taking out that metadata without re-compressing the picture. Checking before you post is the surest habit.
In short
- With location access on, a phone camera writes the GPS coordinates of where each photo was taken into the file.
- Alongside the location, the camera model, the date and time and the editing software are often recorded too.
- Some services strip metadata on upload, but email, messengers sending the original file and cloud share links can pass it along untouched.
- CatTower's photo metadata remover takes one JPEG photo (up to 20 MB), removes its EXIF, XMP and IPTC data and leaves the picture untouched.
- The photo is processed in your browser and not uploaded to CatTower's servers.
Why photos carry a location
When the camera app has location access, every photo gets the GPS coordinates of where it was taken written into the file. They sit in a metadata area called EXIF, invisible when you look at the picture, but anyone who receives the file can read them from the photo's info panel or a map app.
For photos where a location would be unwelcome, such as items for sale photographed at home, pictures of your children or places you visit often, it is worth checking before you post.
Where to be careful
Many large social networks and some communities strip metadata when you upload a photo. It differs from service to service and policies change, so it is hard to assume every site does it.
Email attachments, a messenger's "send original" option and cloud share links pass the file along as it is, so the location is likely to stay. For photos you send that way, make a cleaned copy first.
How to remove it
- Future photos: turn off location access for the camera app and new photos will not record a location.
- Photos you already took: put a JPEG photo into the photo metadata remover. It first shows whether the location (GPS), camera, date, author and software details are there, then makes a copy without them. The picture is not re-compressed, so the quality stays the same.
- Your phone's share sheet: some phones offer an option to leave out the location when sharing. It varies by device, so check the photo you sent.
What stays after the metadata is gone
Removing metadata only takes out the hidden details in the file. What the picture shows, such as shop signs, buildings, the view from a window, a parcel label or a number plate, is still there.
To hide what is visible as well, cover those areas with a solid box or pixelation in the image redaction tool before you save. Remember that nothing here can reach photos you have already posted or sent.
Step by step
- Check that the photo is a JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg); HEIC and PNG files can't be opened in this tool.
- Put the photo into the photo metadata remover and see whether Location (GPS) is marked Found.
- Select Remove metadata; the tool makes a copy without it and checks the copy again before download.
- Download the copy, named with -clean added, and post that copy instead of the original.
- If the picture shows an address or faces, cover them with the image redaction tool before posting.
Frequently asked questions
Do screenshots carry a location?
Screenshots usually don't record GPS coordinates, but it can depend on the device and app. If you are unsure, check with the photo metadata remover.
What about iPhone HEIC photos?
The tool takes JPEG only. Set the iPhone camera format to "Most Compatible", or export the photo as JPEG when you share it, and use that copy.
Does removing it lower the quality?
No. The image data is copied byte for byte without re-compressing. The file only gets smaller by the size of the removed metadata.
It says the photo can't be processed because of its orientation.
Some cameras store a photo sideways and add an orientation tag that turns it upright. Removing that tag would leave the photo lying on its side, so the tool stops. Save an upright copy with the image resizer first, then try that copy.