What EXIF is
EXIF is a block of data a camera writes inside the picture file. It holds the make and model, the lens, the shutter speed, the aperture, the ISO, the date and time — and, if location was switched on, the latitude and longitude to within a few metres.
Why it matters
- Privacy: a photo posted from home can carry the coordinates of your front door. Most social networks strip EXIF, but files sent by email, WhatsApp "document", or uploaded to a forum often keep it.
- Photography: it is the record of how a shot was taken, which is how you learn what worked.
- Proof: the original timestamp and camera data are often what makes a photo credible as evidence.
How to use the EXIF viewer
- Drop a photo in. JPG and TIFF carry EXIF; PNG, WebP and screenshots usually carry none.
- Read the table. If GPS coordinates are there, a map link appears with them.
- Press "Download without EXIF" to get a copy of the picture with every tag removed.
How the clean copy is made
The picture is redrawn onto a blank canvas in your browser and saved again. A canvas carries only pixels, so nothing but the image survives — no camera, no date, no location. The pixels are re-encoded, so a JPG is saved at high quality rather than copied byte for byte.
Worth knowing
- Your photo is read in the browser. It is never uploaded, which is the only safe way to check a file you are worried about.
- Orientation is also stored in EXIF. A stripped copy is saved the right way up, because the rotation is baked into the pixels.
- Removing EXIF does not remove a visible watermark, a caption burnt into the picture or anything recognisable in the scene itself.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see the EXIF data of a photo?
Drop the file above. The camera, lens, settings, date and any GPS coordinates are read straight out of the file in your browser and listed in the table.
Does a photo really contain my location?
If location services were on when it was taken, yes — to within a few metres. This tool shows the coordinates and a map link when they are present.
How do I remove EXIF data from a picture?
Press "Download without EXIF". The image is redrawn and saved again, which keeps the picture and drops every piece of metadata, including the GPS position.