Photo metadata privacy checklist
Run through this list before you post, sell or send a photo. It takes under a minute and covers the details people most often leak by accident.
Before you share
- Check for location. If the photo was taken at home, work or school, assume it has GPS coordinates until you have looked.
- Check the device and time. Camera model, serial numbers and capture time can link photos to one person.
- Check creator and software fields. They can hold your name, your editing apps or an account.
- Check for content credentials. Some apps and AI tools add a signed edit history. See what C2PA is.
- Clean the file, then check again. Scan the cleaned copy to confirm nothing survived.
When it matters most
- Selling items online: photos taken in your home can expose your address to buyers.
- Posting about children or family: remove location from photos taken at home or school.
- Journalism and activism: metadata can identify a source, a device or a place.
- Dating and meetups: a precise location should never travel with a photo to a stranger.
- Sending original files: email, cloud links and document-style attachments keep everything.
Make it a habit
Switch off location tags in your camera app, then clean any photo you share as a file. Untrace handles up to 50 photos at once in your browser, so there is nothing to upload and nothing to install.
Remember what metadata cannot hide. The picture itself can still reveal a place. Check backgrounds, signs and reflections as well.
See what your own photo is hiding. Untrace lists every metadata block, then removes it, all inside your browser.
Scan a photoCommon questions
How long does the checklist take?
Under a minute for a single photo. Batch cleaning makes it quick for an album too.
Do I need to clean every photo I share?
Only the ones that leave your control as files. Photos you only view privately do not need it, but cleaning before you send is a safe default.