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How to remove EXIF data from photos on Windows and Mac

Both Windows and macOS can remove some photo metadata without extra software. Here is what each built-in tool does, where it falls short, and a method that works the same on either system.

Updated 2026-10-20 ยท Written by the Untrace team

Windows: remove properties from a file

  1. Right-click the photo and choose Properties.
  2. Open the Details tab and select Remove Properties and Personal Information.
  3. Choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed, or pick the properties to remove from the original, then select OK.

Windows removes the properties it knows about. It can leave behind blocks it does not display, so check the result if the photo is sensitive.

Mac: remove location in Preview

  1. Open the photo in Preview.
  2. Choose Tools, then Show Inspector, and open the Info tab.
  3. Select the GPS tab and choose Remove Location Info.
  4. Save the file.

This removes GPS coordinates only. Camera and timestamp details stay in the file.

Mac: leave location out when you export from Photos

In Photos, choose File, Export, then Export Photo, and clear the Location Information option before exporting. The exported copy has no coordinates, and the original in your library is unchanged.

Any computer: clean everything in your browser

  1. Open Untrace and drop in one photo or up to 50.
  2. Review what each file hides.
  3. Choose Clean image, then download the files or one ZIP.

Untrace re-encodes the picture to pixels, so every metadata block is left behind, not just the ones the operating system lists. The files stay on your computer.

Command line. If you already use ExifTool, exiftool -all= photo.jpg removes all metadata from a file. It keeps a backup copy named photo.jpg_original unless you add -overwrite_original.

See what your own photo is hiding. Untrace lists every metadata block, then removes it, all inside your browser.

Scan a photo

Common questions

Does renaming or compressing a photo remove EXIF data?

Renaming does not. Compressing or re-saving can, but it depends on the app, so confirm by checking the result.

Is removing EXIF data reversible?

No. Once the metadata is gone from the copy, it cannot be rebuilt from that copy. Keep the original if you want the details for yourself.