How to remove metadata from iPhone photos (HEIC)

Since iOS 11, iPhones save photos in the HEIC format by default. Every one of them carries invisible extra information: where it was taken, on which device and when. Here's how to get rid of it – without converting the photo to JPEG and without losing quality.

The quickest way: drop your HEIC photo into ExifGone and clean it with one click.

Clean a photo now →

What's inside a HEIC photo?

A typical iPhone photo contains EXIF and XMP data such as:

GPS coordinates – often precise enough to identify the house, sometimes with altitude and viewing direction
Device and lens, e.g. “iPhone 15 Pro” and which of its cameras was used
Date and time of capture, including time zone
iOS version and camera settings (exposure, ISO, aperture)

Share a photo via Instagram or WhatsApp and this data is usually stripped. With AirDrop, email, iCloud links, uploads to marketplaces or copying to a computer, it stays.

Important: converting to JPEG doesn't help

Many people convert HEIC photos to JPEG – for example via Settings → Photos → Transfer to Mac or PC → Automatic or with an online converter. The metadata is usually copied along. So the location is still there afterwards; the only difference is that the photo lost quality through re-compression.

Still need a JPEG, say for Windows? ExifGone's HEIC to JPG converter leaves out all metadata during conversion – and it runs without uploading, too.

Option 1: Leave out the location when sharing (iPhone)

Open the photo in the Photos app and tap Share.
Tap Options at the top.
Turn off Location.

This only applies to that one share. To stop new photos from getting a location at all: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → “Never”. Device and capture time are still saved, though.

Option 2: On a Mac with the Photos app

Under File → Export → Export Photos you can untick “Location Information”. However, the app converts the photos to JPEG, TIFF or PNG in the process – so they are re-encoded. If you choose “Export Unmodified Original” instead, the location stays in the file.

Option 3: Lossless with ExifGone

ExifGone removes the metadata directly from the HEIC file, without converting it:

Transfer the photos to your computer (e.g. via AirDrop or cable) and open exifgone.com.
Drop in or select the HEIC photos. You'll immediately see what data they contain.
Click Clean all and download the photos individually or as a ZIP.

What stays, what goes? All EXIF and XMP data is removed: location, device, lens, capture time and software. The image itself stays identical byte for byte, as do the orientation (portrait/landscape) and the colour profile. The file remains a HEIC photo and opens anywhere the original did. And because everything happens in your browser, no photo is uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

How can I see on my iPhone whether a photo contains a location?

Open the photo in the Photos app and swipe up. If a map appears, the location is saved.

Can I delete the location in the Photos app?

Yes: swipe up, tap “Adjust” next to the map and choose “No Location”. Whether the information is really gone when you share later depends on the method. Using “Options → Location off” when sharing, or ExifGone, is the safe choice.

Does this work with Live Photos?

A Live Photo consists of a HEIC photo and a short MOV video. ExifGone can clean both. If you only share the photo, cleaning the photo is enough.

Is it free?

Yes, for up to 10 photos or videos at once, with no sign-up.

Find out what your iPhone photos reveal.

Go to ExifGone →