The Absolute Easiest Way to Remove Metadata From Photos

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Imagine creating the perfect album of digital photos only to realize there’s information you don’t want shared attached to each picture. This info on photos is called metadata and the above scenario is one of many possible reasons to remove it. If this is something you’ve encountered or want to be prepared for, this guide is for you. First, here’s a brief explanation of metadata.

What Is Metadata?

Metadata attaches detailed tags that define data onto files such as audio clips, images and videos. It usually provides important information of a file, like its date, size, location and author. A good example of metadata in action is a song file on a computer. Let’s say it’s from a live performance in Tokyo and was recorded in 1997. These indicators (date, location) would be tagged to help users find this music file in the future.

With this in mind, sometimes its necessary to change or remove metadata from different files. Unfortunately, removing metadata isn’t as easy as pulling a piece of tape off an old Polaroid. Luckily, I’ve covered all the possible ways to remove it in a super easy to understand guide on how to remove metadata from photos. Let’s start with a rundown for removal from Windows.

A block of letters that spell 'keyword'.
Metadata is like a grouping of keywords on a file.

Remove Metadata From Photos in Windows

There are plenty of third-party apps capable of removing metadata for you but the direct method is most efficient. It requires a few steps but it’s painless. Here is the entire process laid out as easy as possible to follow:

  1. Locate the photo you wish to alter
  2. Right-click it
  3. From the popup window, select ‘Properties’
  4. A window will open. Click the ‘Details’ tab at the top of the window
  5. From there, you’ll see a list containing attributes such as name, date, size and more. Click under the ‘Value’ portion of the elements
  6. For the editable data, it will allow you to type in or delete whatever you want and replace the old information
  7. Click ‘OK’
A screenshot of someone reviewing EXIF data.
Remove data from photos using the ‘Details’ tab.

Remove Metadata From Photos in Mac

Like Windows, a Mac lets users remove photo metadata in a pretty straightforward fashion. Once again, here’s an easy list to guide you:

  1. Open the photo using ‘Preview’
  2. Go to ‘Tools’ in your menu
  3. Select ‘Show Inspector’
  4. Select the (i) tab
  5. Click the ‘Exif’ tab and remove the data

Remove Metadata From Photos on Mobile Device

A lot of users store photos on their mobile phones, and unfortunately yes they have metadata attached. Here’s how to get that information off your phones:

iPhone

  1. Open the ‘Photos’ app
  2. Select the intended photo
  3. Click ‘Share’
  4. Select ‘ViewExif’
  5. Click ‘Share’
  6. Save the photo ‘Without Metadata’
An iPhone connected to a laptop.
Without using a computer connection, you can delete pic data from mobile devices.

Android

  1. Open the ‘Gallery’ app
  2. Select the intended image and click ‘More’
  3. Click ‘Details’
  4. Select ‘Edit’
  5. Click the ‘-’ symbol next to details you wish to delete

Remember that both iOS and Android have different third party apps you can download to do this process for you.

Photo metadata provides us with great detail about a picture but sometimes that information is unnecessary and unwanted. Remove the stuff you want before considering uploading your pics to the cloud.

Casey Schmidt – Content Manager and Industry Expert | Canto

Casey Schmidt is a content manager at Canto who enjoys taking complex subjects and making them easy to understand for readers.