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What is EXIF data?
EXIF data is a set of camera- and device-generated fields embedded in your photo file, including, often, your exact GPS location. Here is every field it can contain and what each one reveals.
What this guide explains
EXIF data is a set of camera- and device-generated fields embedded in your photo file, including, often, your exact GPS location. Here is every field it can contain and what each one reveals.
Technical scope
This guide describes browser-based file workflows, format tradeoffs, and ConvertUnlimited processing boundaries for supported tools.
EXIF fields explained
| Field | Example value | Privacy sensitivity |
|---|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | 13.7563° N, 100.5018° E | High — pinpoints where the photo was taken |
| Date and time | 2026-07-14 09:32:11 | Medium — reveals when you were somewhere |
| Camera make and model | Apple iPhone 15 Pro | Low — mostly technical |
| Lens and focal length | 24mm f/1.78 | Low — technical, photography-focused |
| Software used | iOS 18.1, Adobe Lightroom | Low — reveals editing tools used |
| Owner or author name | Set in some camera profiles | Medium to high if populated |
| Orientation | Rotated 90 degrees | Low — display-only |
| Thumbnail image | Embedded preview | Medium — can persist after the visible image is cropped or redacted |
Why this matters
Most of these fields are harmless on their own. GPS coordinates and an embedded thumbnail are the two that most often cause real privacy problems: GPS pinpoints a real-world location, and an embedded thumbnail can retain a version of the image from before it was cropped or edited to hide something.
Related guides
Does social media strip metadata? · Remove location data from your photos · Does screenshotting remove metadata?
FAQ
Does removing EXIF data reduce image quality?
It can, slightly. Removing EXIF data typically requires re-encoding the image, which is usually visually lossless but technically rewrites the file.
Is EXIF data the same as metadata?
EXIF is one specific metadata standard used by JPEG and TIFF photos. Metadata is the broader category, and can also include IPTC and XMP fields depending on the file and software used.
Can I remove just the GPS field and keep the rest?
Most simple browser-based tools, including this one, strip all EXIF data at once rather than field-by-field, since re-encoding the whole image is what actually removes the data.
Action
Remove all EXIF, GPS, and camera data from your photos in the browser: Metadata Remover.