How to remove location data on individual photos or in a batch process.
Why You Might Want to Remove Location Data from a Photo
You know when you take a photo on your phone or camera — especially with location services turned on — it can quietly tag that image with where it was taken. It’s called location data or EXIF data, and it’s usually tucked away in the background where you don’t even notice it.
Now, sometimes that’s useful. You might want to remember where that beautiful sunset was, or prove you really were at that amazing viewpoint.
But other times? You probably don’t want that info floating around — especially if you’re sharing images online.
Maybe the photo was taken at home, or it reveals where your kids go to school, or where you keep your classic car or expensive gear. It’s not always something you’d want strangers seeing — especially when it’s as easy as right-clicking or using a tool to find out.
That’s why removing location data makes sense. It’s a little privacy check — nothing paranoid, just practical. It’s about keeping a bit of yourself to yourself, especially in a world where so much gets shared without a second thought.
How to Remove Location Data from a Photo
🖥️ On Windows
- Right-click the image file
- Select “Properties”
- Go to the “Details” tab
- Click “Remove Properties and Personal Information”
- Choose:
- “Create a copy with all possible properties removed”
- or manually select properties to remove (like GPS)
🍎 On Mac
- Open the image in Preview
- Go to Tools > Show Inspector (
⌘ + I) - Click the (i) tab, then “GPS”
- Click Remove Location Info (if available)
- Save the image
Note: If Preview doesn’t give the option, use Photos app > Export and uncheck metadata options.
📱 On iPhone / iPad
- Open the photo in the Photos app
- Tap Info (ℹ️) or swipe up on the photo
- Tap Adjust or Remove Location
- On iOS 15+: Tap Share > Options > Turn Off Location
- Then share or save without location
📱 On Android
- Open photo in Gallery or Google Photos
- Tap the 3 dots (⋮) for info
- If location is listed, tap to remove/edit location (varies by device)
- OR: Use Google Photos > Share > Remove location data
Online Tool (No install)
Use https://www.verexif.com/en/ or https://metapicz.com to:
- Upload a photo
- See & strip metadata (including GPS)
How to Batch Remove Metadata from Multiple Images
Great choice, Phillip — batch removal is a real time-saver, especially if you’re dealing with multiple images for a blog, gallery, or client.
Here’s a beginner-friendly guide on how to batch remove metadata from images using simple tools — no coding required.
🧹 How to Batch Remove Metadata from Multiple Images
✅ Why Batch Remove?
If you’re uploading a collection of images — maybe from a camera roll or a photo shoot — doing it one-by-one gets tedious. Batch removal lets you strip all location and personal data in one go, so you’re free to post or share with peace of mind.
🪟 On Windows (Built-In Option)
- Select all images in a folder (Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click)
- Right-click > Properties
- Go to the Details tab
- Click Remove Properties and Personal Information
- Choose “Create a copy with all possible properties removed”
- It will create cleaned duplicates — safe to share!
🧠 Note: Windows doesn’t always strip every metadata field. For thorough cleaning, see the tools below.
🧰 With Free Tools (Windows & Mac)
🔹 ExifTool (Free, Powerful)
A command-line tool for advanced users — but powerful for batch jobs.
Example (on Mac or Windows):
exiftool -all= *.jpg
- This removes all metadata from every JPG file in the folder.
- Your originals are backed up automatically unless you add
-overwrite_original
💡 If you’re comfortable with command-line tools, this is the most thorough method.
🔹 XnView MP (Free GUI Tool for All Platforms)
- Install and open XnView MP
- Navigate to your image folder
- Select all the images
- Click Tools > Metadata > Clean
- Choose what to remove (EXIF, IPTC, XMP, etc.)
- Hit Go — done!
✅ Easy, visual, and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
🍏 On Mac (Preview App — Limited)
Mac’s built-in Preview app only works one image at a time. For batch work, use:
- ImageOptim (drag-and-drop app that removes metadata & compresses images)
🧼 Online Option (Quick but Less Private)
Use a tool like:
🚨 Caution: avoid using online tools for sensitive or personal photos.
🏁 Final Tip
Before sharing, always double-check a cleaned image by right-clicking and going to Properties > Details or uploading it to metadata2go to verify it’s clean.
