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How to Remove Personal Information from Your Photos
Removing EXIF data from your photos is simpler than you might think. You probably don’t know what EXIF data is or why you should bother removing it in the first place.
Don’t worry. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about photo metadata and how to remove EXIF data from your photos on iPhone and Android.
What Is EXIF Data?
The digital picture you take using your smartphone is not just made of pixels; it has metadata attached to the picture file. That metadata has a specific format, as defined by EXIF.
EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format. EXIF data consists of a lot of details about the equipment used and the camera settings at the time the picture was taken.
It contains camera settings like shutter speed, focal length, and copyright information.
Other stats collected include shutter speed, max aperture, ISO, white balance, camera model and make, flash mode, metering mode, focal length, and other details.
Apart from the many statistics recorded, the EXIF data also includes the geolocation-tagged data.
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This geolocation data allows you to determine where the picture was taken, which is a key aspect of EXIF, especially if you’re a conscious, privacy-focused individual.
How to View EXIF Data
There are many ways to view the EXIF data on a PC. One can view the Exif data directly from your operating system’s file manager:
- For Windows computers, right-click on the image > Properties > Details tab.
- On a Mac computer, open the picture > from the menu bar, select Tools, then Show Inspector > you should see all the metadata of the picture.
If you’re using a web browser to view the photos, you can use the add-on EXIF viewer for Firefox or EXIF Viewer Pro for Chrome.
These extensions are easy and safe to use. After you install them on your computer, right-click on any picture and it will bring up a pop-up window with the Exif data (if it’s available).
Why Is EXIF Data Important?
EXIF data has quite a few uses. Since the data captured by EXIF includes the camera settings at the time of the shot, it gives invaluable information to those who want to analyze past shots and improve their photography skills.
For example, the data captured contains elements like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and other details to compare and review various shots. By analyzing these data points, one can continue to fine-tune their skills.
Another use of EXIF data is uploading your photos to cloud-based photo storage applications such as Google Photos.
These applications can then categorize your photos based on location data in the EXIF data.
That way, you can sort various pictures based on where they were taken. So the ability to sort out your grandma’s house photos is done thanks to the information analyzed from the EXIF data.
How to Remove EXIF Data from Your Photos
When you take pictures using your mobile devices, there are many ways to handle the EXIF data.
You can choose to switch off the geotagging feature for your photographs or share pictures without the location tags.
Some apps are capable of doing the heavy lifting for you. These apps can update or remove the EXIF tags in a more seamless manner.
How to Remove EXIF Data from Photos on iPhone
On iOS 13, you can use the default photos app to toggle off the location tag before sharing the picture with others.
Here’s how:
1. Use the Camera App to take your photo.
2. Open it and tap the Share button.
4. Tap on Options at the top.
5. Toggle off Location and All Photos Data in the next panel.
When you send the photo, there will be no way for any viewer to decipher the location where it was shot and other metadata.
The other method is to use an app. For the purpose of this article, we’ll use the EXIF app.
EXIF has a nifty editing function that allows you to manipulate the EXIF data from the photo library.
- Open the app and tap + sign to select photos (you’ll need the PRO version to select multiple photos at once).
- Choose your photos from the Photo Albums.
- You can either edit or remove the EXIF altogether.
You can also copy or remove all metadata. Once you’re done, you can share the image within the app.
How to Remove EXIF Data from Photos on Android Phone
Android users can look at the free app Photo Metadata remover to remove the metadata from their photos.
The Photo Metadata Remover app is simple, with a clear interface and easy-to-use directions. It supports multiple EXIF tags and allows Batch Processing of photos for faster results.
Here’s how it works.
- Open the app.
- You’ll have three options to choose from. Select the one that best suits your needs.
- As soon as you select your photos, the app automatically clears the metadata and saves them to your phone.
- If you wish, you can share the image right within the app.
Remove EXIF Data from Photos on Mac
ImageOptim is a great app that removes the metadata swiftly, and the best part is it’s free!
Follow the steps below to get started on your Mac.
- Go to the ImageOptim website, download, and install the application.
- You can right-click on the picture and select ImageOptim at the bottom of the menu.
- Or launch the app, then drag and drop the image files on the main interface.
It’ll immediately remove all photo metadata and replace the original images with the new version.
It’s worth noting that when you remove metadata from photos, you reduce their size too.
As you can see in the image above, removing the metadata has reduced the image size by 46.5%.
Remove EXIF Data from Photos on Windows
Windows users have the feature of a built-in option to review and remove the metadata for photos stored on the local hard drive.
Here’s how to remove EXIF data from your photos on a Windows computer.
- Find the image you want to remove the metadata, right-click on it, then click Properties.
- Next, select the Details tab to view the image’s details and information. Click on the Remove Properties and Personal Information Link.
When you click the link, you see two options: One option allows you to remove all the metadata, and the second allows you to select which metadata you want to delete.
Final Thoughts on Removing EXIF Data from Photos
EXIF data contains a lot of information about the pictures you take. While the more popular social media companies do have a policy of stripping off the geotag, it still makes sense to keep control of the content you put out in the world.
Also, the same companies would be using the uploaded geotag information to their benefit.
It’s always a good idea to either clean up the EXIF data or, better yet, not let your smartphone add any location tags, at least while you are taking new pictures.
