What is Image Metadata? A Guide for Everyone
You shared a photo this month. Do you know exactly what you shared with it?
7 min read
En résumé
Image metadata is information embedded in a photo file: capture date, camera model, GPS coordinates, technical settings (ISO, aperture). Invisible to the eye, they stay readable by any software. Three standards coexist: EXIF (technical data), IPTC (editorial data), XMP (extensible data). Removing this information before sharing protects your privacy.
What image metadata is
Metadata isn’t surveillance technology. It’s a storage convention designed to facilitate digital photo organization. It’s the uses — and ignorance about them — that cause problems.
Image Metadata
Structured information embedded in an image file at creation or processing time. It describes the capture context or file content, without being part of the visible image. Any software capable of reading the format (JPEG, PNG, WebP…) can access this data.
Aussi appelé : EXIF data, file information, image properties
A photo is a file. This file contains two distinct things: the pixels forming the visible image, and a block of structured data describing those pixels. This block travels with the file everywhere it goes — unless software explicitly removes it.
The right metaphor: a package label. Invisible once sealed, but readable to anyone who opens it. Except no one tells you the label exists.
EXIF, IPTC, XMP — the three standards
Three formats coexist, with distinct roles. Most individuals deal with only the first.
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format)
Standard created by JEIDA (Japan Electronic Industry Development Association) in 1995, maintained since by CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association). Records technical data at capture time: camera model, exact date and time, GPS coordinates, exposure settings, orientation. Binary format, integrated automatically in JPEG, TIFF and WebP by every camera or smartphone.
Aussi appelé : EXIF data, EXIF tags, Exif
IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council)
Standard developed by the press sector to annotate photos for editorial purposes: caption, author name, copyright, usage rights, thematic keywords. Initially integrated in JPEG via binary IIM (Information Interchange Model) format, now aligned with XMP in modern professional tools.
Aussi appelé : IPTC Core, IPTC IIM, rights metadata
XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)
Standard created by Adobe in 2001, based on XML. Designed to be extensible: any application can define its own fields. Lightroom, Photoshop and virtually all professional tools use XMP to record non-destructive adjustments and edit history. Integrated in JPEG, PNG, PDF and RAW formats.
Aussi appelé : Adobe XMP, XMP metadata, .xmp sidecar
The three image metadata standards
| Standard | Typical data | Who uses it | Affected formats |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXIF | Date, GPS, camera, ISO, aperture, focal length, orientation | Smartphones and cameras — automatic recording | JPEG, TIFF, WebP |
| IPTC | Caption, author, copyright, editorial keywords | Professional photographers, press agencies | JPEG (via XMP in modern tools) |
| XMP | Any extensible metadata type, edit history | Adobe software, digital archiving | JPEG, PNG, PDF, RAW |
In practice: EXIF is the only standard recorded automatically without user action. IPTC and XMP are added manually — or by professional editing software.
What an ordinary photo concretely contains
Take a photo taken with a standard smartphone, outdoors, with location enabled. Here’s what it typically contains:
- Camera model : “Apple iPhone 15 Pro” or “Samsung Galaxy S24”
- Exact date and time : to the second, with timezone
- GPS coordinates : latitude and longitude, typical precision of 3 to 10 meters
- Altitude : if the device has a barometer
- Orientation : portrait or landscape, sensor rotation direction
- Exposure settings : ISO, aperture (f/), shutter speed, equivalent focal length
- Resolution : dimensions in pixels, resolution in DPI
- Color profile : color space (sRGB, Display P3)
- Software : iOS or Android version used for capture
GPS coordinates: what they really reveal
A photo taken at home contains your home address — with precision of a few meters. A photo at your workplace, in a hospital, in front of your kids’ school, contains this information the same way. No technical skill required to read it: right-click in Windows suffices.
Depending on manufacturer, some devices add proprietary data in Makernote tags — an unstandadized space for manufacturer-specific information. This data is rarely publicly documented.
Who can read your metadata and how
Any software that opens an image file can access metadata, if the format supports it. No technical skill required.
How to see metadata in your photos
- 1
On Windows 10 / 11
Right-click the file → Properties → Details tab. All EXIF data displays: camera model, date, GPS coordinates, settings. This same tab lets you remove metadata via « Remove Properties and Personal Information ».
- 2
On macOS
Open the photo in Preview → Tools menu → Show Inspector (⌘I) → GPS or Exif tab. The Photos app also displays location on a map in the sidebar if GPS coordinates are present.
- 3
On iPhone (iOS 16+)
Open photo in Photos app → swipe up or tap ⓘ. Location displays on a map miniature if GPS was active. The « Adjust » button lets you remove coordinates directly from this screen.
- 4
Online
The exif.regex.info tool analyzes photo metadata via browser. For privacy-conscious approach, Impmage performs reading and removal entirely in your browser — the file never leaves your device.
Avoid unknown online services to analyze photos with sensitive GPS data: you're transmitting precisely the data you're trying to protect.
In practice: a recipient getting your photo by email or via file-sharing service has all this information, unless the platform removed it.
What platforms really do
Major platforms don’t all behave the same way — and some differences are counterintuitive.
Instagram removes EXIF data on upload, including GPS coordinates. Publicly displayed photos no longer contain accessible location data. Like any social platform, Meta processes uploaded data per its privacy policy — distinct from EXIF protection, governed by your account settings, not the image file.
WhatsApp compresses photos and removes EXIF metadata on transfer. Photos received via WhatsApp generally no longer contain GPS data or camera information.
Google Photos preserves all metadata for the account owner — that’s what enables organization by place and date. When you share an album via link, recipients can access photo information (date, place) by opening the details panel ⓘ. Sharing a Google Photos album doesn’t remove metadata for recipients.
Telegram has an important particularity: sending a photo in “File” mode (uncompressed) transmits EXIF metadata intact. In standard “Photo” mode, Telegram compresses the image and removes EXIF. The mode distinction isn’t always obvious to senders — the selection button is discreet in the interface.
Signal has a notable feature: removes EXIF metadata before sending, by design. This is documented in the app’s security architecture and consistent with its privacy model.
Direct sharing — email, AirDrop, Dropbox, WeTransfer, USB drive — : the file transmits as-is, with all metadata intact. This is where real risk exists.
The rule to remember: if you share the original file, you share its metadata.
How to remove metadata from your images
Several approaches depending on system and desired control level:
- Windows : right-click → Properties → Details → « Remove Properties and Personal Information » — quick, but doesn’t remove all XMP tags in some versions.
- macOS : no complete built-in tool for full removal. Preview handles GPS metadata in some versions; for complete removal, dedicated tool is more reliable.
- iPhone (iOS 16+) : location removal directly in Photos app. Doesn’t remove other EXIF tags (camera model, date, settings).
- Impmage : complete removal of all metadata, local browser processing — no file sent to server.
For selective removal or batch processing — notably before publishing personal photos — dedicated method remains more reliable than native OS tools.
See also: Remove GPS data from your photos before publishing.
Remove metadata from your images in one click
Impmage processes your files entirely in your browser. No image leaves your device.
Clean my imagesFrequently asked questions
What is metadata in an image? ▾
What's the difference between EXIF, IPTC and XMP? ▾
Does EXIF metadata contain my address? ▾
Does Instagram remove metadata from my photos? ▾
How do I see metadata in a photo on iPhone? ▾
Does PNG file contain metadata? ▾
Does removing metadata degrade image quality? ▾
GlitchGhost
Independent Developer
Independent developer specializing in web performance tools and image optimization. Creator of Impmage.