Want to change or remove photo metadata? Here’s how to do it

When you snap a pic with top-notch camera phones, they also grab important details about that shot. This data covers things like which lens was used, the camera settings like mode, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, where you took the photo, and more. Your phone stores all this info in regular EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) files.

Your phone does this to make it easier for you to tweak and sort your photos. You can tap into the EXIF data to sift through similar shots, make changes to a bunch of them at once, and do more cool stuff. A neat example of this is how the Google Photos or Apple Photos app creates those cool memory collections based on when and where your pics were taken.

But here’s the thing, the EXIF or photo metadata can be a bit worrisome when you post your pics online. Anyone could peek at your location info from the photos and figure out where you’ve been. That’s why it’s smart to get rid of that metadata before you share your pics. Here’s a quick guide on how to do it on your phone.

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Changing metadata can protect your privacy

Your smartphone grabs quite a bit of personal info along with your pics, including GPS coordinates. If you post your photos online without stripping out that data, someone could easily pinpoint your location.

Even though many big social media sites do away with the EXIF stuff, it’s still a good idea to take matters into your own hands and strip that data from your images. It’s a case of better safe than sorry, you know? Plus, when you share photos through chats, emails, or cloud storage, that metadata doesn’t vanish on its own. So, it’s a wise move to scrub off the EXIF data before sending out your pics.

Here’s another good reason to tinker with your photo metadata: it helps keep things more organized. Sometimes, when you load up photos on your phone, that EXIF data can get all messed up. Fixing those EXIF files and putting in the right info can be a lifesaver when you’re trying to keep your photo collection in order.

Where to find photo metadata on Android

You can check out the photo metadata on your phone by using the gallery app that came with it. But when it comes to actually editing that metadata, we usually turn to a third-party app because most default gallery apps don’t have that feature.

To make things uniform on all your gadgets, we’re going with the Google Photos app that’s already there on most Android phones, and it packs some cool editing tools. Even if your phone has a different default gallery app, the steps should be pretty close. Just give your device model a quick Google search, and you’ll get the precise instructions.

If you can’t spot it, just go ahead and download the Google Photos app from the Play Store. Once it’s installed, follow these steps to check out the EXIF data of your photos.

Open up the Google Photos app on your smartphone and select the photo you’re interested in viewing EXIF data for. To access the photo’s metadata, either tap the three-dot button at the top or swipe up on the photo. The photo’s EXIF data provides information like the date and time it was taken, camera model, aperture, ISO settings, and more.

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How to remove or change it from Android

For tweaking or ditching the EXIF data on Android devices, we’ll turn to an outside app. You can find a bunch of them on the Play Store that do the trick. Our pick is Photo Exif Editor, and to get started, just hit the link to install it on your phone before diving into the steps.

• Open up the Photo Exif Editor app and give it permission to access your photos when prompted.
• Hit the Photos icon and pick a photo you want to work on.
• You’ll spot the EXIF details linked to the photo. To make changes, just tap any field you want to edit and then hit OK to save your tweaks.
• When you’re done, tap the Save icon up in the top-right corner to lock in your changes.
• If you want to nix all the EXIF data from the photo, tap the three-dot menu up in the top-right corner, then select Remove EXIF.
• Choose the metadata you want to delete, and then tap the Save icon to save the changes.