Geotags (or geotags) in photographs are hidden data about the place and time of shooting, which are automatically saved in files JPEG, PNG and other formats. They help sort pictures by location, but at the same time they pose a risk for privacy: by publishing such a photo on social networks or instant messengers, you can accidentally reveal your exact location - from home to your favorite cafe. The problem is especially pressing for owners of smartphones Samsung Galaxy, Xiaomi Redmi or Google Pixel, where geotags are enabled by default.

In this article we will look at all the ways to remove geotags - from built-in ones functions Android 12-14 to specialized applications and manual methods for advanced users. You'll learn how to clear metadata without losing image quality, which applications are more reliable, and why some methods may not work on older versions (for example, Android (For example, Android 8 Oreo or lower). We will also consider the nuances of working with cloud services like Google Photos, where geotags can be saved even after being deleted from the device.

Why geotags are dangerous: real cases of data leakage

In 2023, researchers from Kaspersky conducted an experiment: they analyzed 10,000 public photographs from Instagram and VK and found out that 68% of pictures contained geotagsand in 12% of cases they could determine the user's home address. Moreover, most owners did not even suspect that their photos were “tagged.” Here are the most common risks:

  • 📍 Criminals can track your movements (for example, if you often publish photos from one place).
  • 🕵️‍♂️ Advertising companies use geodata for targeted advertising (even if you disabled access to location in the application settings).
  • 💼 Employers or competitors can analyze your movements (relevant for freelancers or employees with flexible schedules).
  • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family members (for example, children) may accidentally reveal the location of a school or childcare center garden.

At the same time, geotags are saved not only in photos taken with a smartphone camera. They may also appear in: Screenshots (if metadata saving is enabled in the settings). EXIF data).

  • 📸 Screenshots (if saving metadata is enabled in the settings).
  • 🖼️ Images downloaded from instant messengers (for example, Telegram or WhatsApp sometimes retain the original EXIF ​​data).
  • 🌐 Photos processed in graphic editors (if you do not clear the metadata manually).
📊 Have you ever checked your photos for geotags?
Yes, regularly
Yes, but for a long time
No, I didn’t know about this
I don’t know how to do this

Important: geotags are deleted only from the original file. If you have already uploaded a photo to a social network or cloud, the data could be saved on the platform’s servers - even after clearing it on the phone.

Method 1: Disabling geotags in the camera settings (prevention)

The most reliable way to avoid problems with geotags is Prohibit their saving at the system level. On most smartphones this is done in the camera settings, but the path may vary depending on the manufacturer. Let's look at the instructions for popular brands:

For smartphones Samsung Galaxy (One UI 5/6)

  1. Open the application Camera.
  2. Tap on ⚙️ Settings (gear in the upper corner).
  3. Scroll down to the section Location.
  4. Disable the switch Save data about location.

For smartphones Xiaomi (MIUI 13/14)

  1. Launch Camera and swipe up to open additional settings.
  2. Select ⚙️ Settings → Advanced.
  3. Find the option Geotags and deactivate it.

For "clean" Android (Pixel, Motorola, Nokia)

  1. B application Camera tap on your avatar or settings icon.
  2. Go to Camera settings → Advanced.
  3. Disable Save location.

☑️ Checking whether geotags are disabled

Done: 0 / 4

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example, Huawei or Realme) option may be hidden in the system settings and not in the camera application. If you do not find the item in the camera menu, check:

Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Camera → Location access

If geotags are already saved in the photo, they can be deleted directly in the standard one Gallery on most modern smartphones. This method works on Android 10 and newer, but may not be available on devices with highly customized skins (for example, ColorOS from Oppo).

  1. Open the application Gallery (or Google Photos).
  2. Select the photo from which you want to remove the geotag and tap on ⋮ (three dots) → Details or Information.
  3. Find a block with coordinates (usually marked with the 📍 icon).
  4. Tap on the cross (✕) next to the address or select Delete data about location.
  5. Save the changes (on some devices you will need to create a copy of the file).

🔍 How to check that the geotag has been deleted? Open the photo again and look in Details —the field with coordinates should disappear or appear as "No data."

Manufacturer Does it support deleting geotags in the Gallery? Is a copy of the file required?
Samsung (One UI) Yes No
Google Pixel Yes (via Google Photos) Yes
Xiaomi/Redmi (MIUI) Yes (with MIUI 12+) No
Huawei/Honor (EMUI) No —
Oppo/Realme (ColorOS) Partially (only in new models) Yes

⚠️ Attention: If you use Google Photos, deleting geotags from a file on the device does not guarantee their disappearance in the cloud. To clear the data there too, go to the web version Google Photos, select a photo → ⋮ → Change information → delete the coordinates manually.

Method 3: Applications for removing EXIF data (TOP-5)

If built-in tools do not help, third-party applications will come to the rescue. We tested 15 apps and selected the best according to the following criteria:

  • 🛡️ Security (no data leaks).
  • 📱 Compatibility (work). on Android 8+).
  • 💰 Free (or minimal restrictions in the free version).

Here is our rating:

  1. EXIF Eraser (🌟 4.8/5)
    • 🔹 Removes all metadata (geotags, camera model, date).
    • 🔹 Supports batch processing.
    • 🔹 No advertising in the free version.

    Link in Play Market: EXIF Eraser

  2. Photo Exif Editor (🌟 4.6/5)
    • 🔹 Allows edit metadata, and not just deletion.
    • 🔹 There is a function of replacing coordinates with random ones.
    • 🔹 In the free version, there is a limit of 10 photos per day.
  3. Metadata Remover (🌟 4.5/5)
    • 🔹 Minimalistic interface.
    • 🔹 Removes geotags without creating copies.
    • 🔹 No Russian language.
💡

Before mass deleting geotags, make a backup copy of the photo on your PC or cloud. Some applications may accidentally damage files during batch processing.

🔧 How to use (using EXIF Eraser as an example):

  1. Install the application and open it.
  2. Select a photo or folder with images.
  3. Tap on Remove EXIF (Remove EXIF).
  4. Confirm the action - the geotags will be erased in a few seconds.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (for example, InShot or Snapseed) claim that they clear metadata during export, but in practice they often leave some information. Check the result using specialized tools!

Method 4: Manual removal via PC (for experienced users)

If your phone does not have enough power to process large batches of photos (for example, after a vacation), you can clear geotags on your computer. This method is suitable for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Method 1: Through Windows Explorer

  1. Connect the phone to the PC in File transfer (MTP) mode.
  2. Copy the photo to the computer.
  3. Select files → right click → Properties → tab Details.
  4. Click at the bottom Delete properties and personal information.
  5. Select Remove the following properties from this file and tick all fields with geodata.

Method 2: Through the command line (for advanced)

Use the utility exiftool:

exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original "path_to_file.jpg"

To process all photos in the folder:

exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original -ext jpg -ext png C:\Photos\
How to install exiftool?

1. Download the archive from https://exiftool.org/

2. Unzip to folder C:\exiftool

3. Add the folder path to your Windows environment variables

4. Restart your PC

💡 The advantage of the method: You can clear thousands of photos in a few minutes, as well as remove other metadata (for example, camera information).

Method 5: Online services for removing geotags (fast, but less secure)

If it is not possible to install the application or connect to a PC, you can use online tools. However, this method has risks:

  • 🔓 Your photos are uploaded to third-party servers.
  • 📤 Some services save copies of images.
  • 🚫 May not work with files > 20 MB in size.

If the risks are acceptable, here are the proven services:

  1. EXIF Remove (exif.remove)
    • 🔹 Supports JPEG, PNG, WEBP.
    • 🔹 Removes all metadata, not just geotags.
    • 🔹 Maximum file size is 50 MB.
  2. Verexif (verexif.com)
    • 🔹 Allows you to selectively delete only geodata.
    • 🔹 There is an API for developers.
💡

Online services are convenient for one-time tasks, but are not suitable for regular use due to the risks of data leakage.

⚠️ Attention: Before uploading photos to third parties services archive them with a password (for example, through 7-Zip or WinRAR). This will reduce the risk of leakage if the service turns out to be fraudulent.

How to check that geotags are really deleted

Deleting geotags is half the battle. We need to make sure that they really disappeared. Here are 3 reliable ways to check:

Method 1: Through the "EXIF Viewer" application

  1. Install EXIF Viewer by Fluntro (available in Play Market).
  2. Open the photo in the application.
  3. Scroll to block GPS —if it is missing or the fields are empty, the geotags are deleted.

Method 2: Through the web service

Upload the photo to exif.viewer (the service will show all metadata, including coordinates, if any remain).

Method 3: Through Google Maps

If the photo is uploaded to Google Photos:

  1. Open the photo in the application.
  2. Tap on ⋮ → Information.
  3. If there is no link to the map under the photo (for example, "Show on map"), there are no geotags.

🔍 Professional life hack: To check a photo package for geotags, use the command in Linux/macOS:

exiftool -filename -gpslatitude -gpslongitude -r -ext jpg /path/to/folder/

This command will display a list of all JPGfiles with coordinates in the specified directory.

Common errors and how to find them avoid

Even experienced users sometimes make mistakes when working with geotags. Here are the most common ones:

  • 🔄 Removing geotags only from a copy of the file. Always make sure that the original is replaced with a cleaned version.
  • ☁️ Forget to clear the cloud. Geotags can remain in Google Photos, iCloud or Yandex.Disk even after being deleted from the phone.
  • 📱 Use of unreliable applications. Some apps (for example, EXIF Editor Pro) can add their own watermark or save data in the cloud.
  • 🔄 Re-saving photos. When editing in Lightroom or Photoshop geotags can be restored if you do not disable their saving in the export settings.
💡

Always clear geotags BEFORE uploading photos to social networks or instant messengers. After publication, delete data from the platform servers. impossible.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 13+ and Google Photos an option has appeared in the privacy settings Delete geodata when shared. However, it only works for photos sent through the Google Photositself, and not through other applications!

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to delete geotags from photos already published on Instagram or VK?

No. Social networks save the original metadata on their servers. You can only:

  1. Delete the post.
  2. Edit the photo (crop, add a filter) and upload again - sometimes this resets the EXIF.
  3. Contact platform support and request removal of metadata (it is unlikely that they will agree).
Why do they appear again after deleting geotags through the app?

This happens for three reasons:

  1. You edited the photo in another application (for example VSCO or Prisma), which automatically adds metadata.
  2. The phone has cloud synchronization enabled (for example, Google Photos), and the photo was restored from the server.
  3. You are using "smart gallery" (for example, on Huawei), which restores EXIF from backup copies.

Solution: disable auto-sync and check photos after each edit.

How to remove geotags from photos on older versions of Android (5.0–7.0)?

There are no built-in tools for removing EXIF. Options: Android 5–7 There are no built-in tools for removing EXIF. Options:

  1. Use applications like EXIF Eraser (work on most devices).
  2. Connect the phone to the PC and clear the metadata via exiftool or explorer Windows.
  3. Send a photo to yourself by email or messenger (some platforms automatically remove geotags).

⚠️ On Android 5.0 Lollipop and below, some applications may not be supported - check compatibility in Play Market.

Can geotags be restored after sending photos via WhatsApp or Telegram?

Depends on the messenger:

  • WhatsApp: always deletes geotags when sending.
  • Telegram: saves the original EXIF if you send the photo as File (not like Image).
  • Viber: compresses the photo and removes metadata.
  • Signal: clears geotags by default.

Output: if you need to save geotags, use Telegram in Filemode. If you need to delete them, send them as a regular image.

How to mass delete geotags from all photos on your phone?

For batch processing:

  1. Use EXIF Eraser (supports folder selection).
  2. On PC: exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original -r -ext jpg -ext png C:\Photos\.
  3. B Linux: find /path/to/photo/ -type f \( -iname ".jpg" -o -iname ".png" \) -exec exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original {} \;.

⚠️ Before mass deletion, make a backup copy!