How to View Hidden Metadata in Your Photos
See hidden metadata in your photos: GPS coordinates, camera settings, date taken, and editing history. Free browser-based EXIF viewer. No upload required.
Every Photo Tells More Than You See
When you look at a JPEG, you see the image. Embedded in the file header is the EXIF metadata block: information the camera recorded about how, when, and where the photo was taken. This data is invisible to the naked eye but fully readable by anyone who has the file.
Before you share a photo online, you should know what is in it. A single photo can carry your GPS coordinates, the model and serial number of your camera, the exact second you pressed the shutter, and a history of every software tool that touched the file.
What Metadata Includes
GPS Coordinates
Smartphones and GPS-equipped cameras embed latitude, longitude, and altitude in every photo. The precision is typically within 3-5 meters. This is how your phone's photo app places images on a map. It also means anyone with your photo file knows exactly where you were standing when you took it.
For example, a photo taken in your living room will show GPS coordinates that resolve to your home address on Google Maps. A photo taken at a coffee shop shows which specific shop. If you take a series of photos on a walk, someone can reconstruct your route.
Camera and Exposure Settings
The EXIF block records detailed technical data about how the photo was captured:
- Camera make, model, and serial number
- Lens make and model
- Focal length (e.g., 50mm, 24-70mm at 35mm)
- Aperture (f-stop, e.g., f/2.8)
- Shutter speed (e.g., 1/250s)
- ISO sensitivity (e.g., 400)
- Whether flash fired
- Exposure compensation
- Metering mode
Photographers use this data to understand how a shot was taken. But the camera serial number can also be used to tie different photos to the same device across different locations and dates.
Date and Time
The original capture timestamp, timezone offset, and sometimes a "digitized" timestamp (when the file was first saved to memory). This is more reliable than the file system's modification date, which changes every time the file is copied or edited.
Software History
Photos edited in software often carry tags showing the application name and version. A photo opened in Photoshop might show "Adobe Photoshop 2026 (Macintosh)" even after exporting for web. This reveals your workflow and tools to anyone who inspects the file.
Orientation
The camera's orientation sensor records whether the photo was taken in portrait or landscape. This is how image viewers auto-rotate photos. If the orientation tag is missing or wrong, the photo may display sideways.
Embedded Thumbnail
Some cameras embed a low-resolution thumbnail of the full image. This is a separate data block from the main image and can survive even if the main image is edited.
Metadata in Different File Types
EXIF is native to JPEG and TIFF files from cameras. But other formats carry metadata too:
- PNG files can carry text metadata blocks (tEXt, iTXt, zTXt) with title, author, description, copyright, and software tags. These are less standardized than JPEG EXIF and vary by tool.
- WebP files support EXIF and XMP metadata if the encoder includes them. Most conversion tools strip metadata by default when generating WebP.
- HEIC/HEIF files (iPhone default format) carry EXIF data similar to JPEG. The metadata structure is the same but wrapped in a different container.
- Screenshots typically carry no EXIF. They may have an ICC color profile but no GPS, camera settings, or timestamps.
What Does Not Have Metadata
- Screenshots: most screenshot tools do not embed EXIF. No GPS, no camera settings.
- Images from design tools: exported PNGs and JPEGs from Figma, Photoshop (with "Export As"), or Illustrator usually have no EXIF unless the designer explicitly added it.
- Images downloaded from social media: most platforms strip EXIF on upload. A photo saved from Instagram or Twitter/X has no metadata.
- Images from some messaging apps: WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram may strip or preserve EXIF depending on app version and platform.
How to View Metadata
Upload a photo to the Image Metadata Viewer. The tool parses the EXIF block and displays everything in a structured format: GPS coordinates plotted on a map, camera settings in a table, timestamps, and software tags.
No data leaves your browser. The parsing happens locally using the exifr library. The photo is not uploaded to any server. You can inspect sensitive photos without exposing them to a third party.
Try it yourself: open the Image Metadata Viewer. Upload a JPEG photo taken with your phone. Check the GPS tab. Your home or current location may be embedded there. Check the camera tab to see exactly which device took the photo and at what settings. Check the software tab to see which editing tools touched the file. If the data exposed makes you uncomfortable, strip it with the Image Metadata Remover.