How to Remove EXIF Data From Your Photos

In addition to explaining how to remove the EXIF data from your photos, we’ll explain why you would want to do so.

Many modern cameras (including all iPhones) include “extra” data within the pictures they take. This is called EXIF Data. This data can contain things as specific as the exact location where the photo was taken – among other personally identifying information.

Some online photo sharing services automatically ‘remove’ the EXIF data from photos that you upload. Some don’t. If you take a photo with your iPhone and email it to someone from your iPhone, that person can determine exactly where the photo was taken, when, and with which device (again, among other information).

Sometimes when you use an image editing program to edit a picture (for example, Photoshop) – that software will also embed it’s own EXIF Data. Depending on the program and how it’s set up – it can even include your name.

So now that you know what EXIF Data is – and why you might really want to remove it from your photos before you share them – here’s how!

NOTE: If you’d like to simply disable this feature (adding GPS positioning) to your iPhone photos entirely, see this tutorial which will take you step-by-step through the process to disable this ‘feature’.

1. Download and install the free Windows program Easy Exif Delete. The installation is straight forward and it works on all Windows platforms (including Windows 8).
2. As illustrated in the image below, taken with an iPhone 5, all kinds of information is included along with the picture itself. Including but not limited to: the exact longitude, latitude and altitude of the location the photo was taken, the device it was taken with (iPhone 5) and much more.
3. To remove this information, launch Easy Exif Delete from your Start Menu. Click the Select Images button.
4. Navigate to the images that you want to remove the EXIF data from, select them, and click Open.
5. Now click the Delete Exif button.
6. That’s it – any and all personally identifying (and most other) Exif Data is gone!