What EXIF is, and how it gets into a photo
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is standardized by CIPA (DC-008-2019). It lives in a JPEG's APP1 segment as a TIFF structure: a byte-order marker, then directories of entries, each naming a tag, its type and either the value itself or a pointer to it. GPS coordinates sit in their own sub-directory, stored as degrees, minutes and seconds plus a north/south and east/west reference.
Nothing asks your permission for this. If location services were enabled for the camera app, the coordinates were written in. Every copy of that file โ emailed, uploaded, sent over chat as a document โ carries them.
How to read the EXIF data in a photo
- Open the photo. Drop a JPEG onto the box above, or click to browse. Only the metadata block at the front of the file is read, so even a 40 MB photo opens instantly.
- Check for a location first. If the photo carries GPS coordinates they appear at the top, highlighted. That is the field with real consequences, so it is not buried in a list.
- Read the camera details. Camera, lens, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, flash and the date taken all follow, in the order a photographer would want them.
- Copy what you need. Copy all data puts every field on your clipboard as label-and-value lines.
What the extractor reads
- GPS location โ latitude and longitude in decimal degrees, plus altitude when recorded, converted from the degrees/minutes/seconds form actually stored.
- Camera and lens โ make, model, lens model and lens make.
- Exposure settings โ shutter speed as a fraction, aperture as an f-number, ISO, focal length in millimetres, exposure bias, metering mode and whether the flash fired.
- Dates โ taken, digitised and last changed.
- Identifying fields โ software used, artist, copyright, and camera or lens serial numbers where the manufacturer writes them.
- Orientation, translated into plain language rather than a bare number.
Serial numbers and an artist name are flagged when present, because those tie a photo to a specific device or person rather than merely to a model.
Which files carry EXIF
JPEG and TIFF carry EXIF, and those are what this tool reads. Photos straight from a camera, a DSLR, or a phone's camera roll are the normal case.
PNG does not carry EXIF at all, which is why screenshots and exported graphics show nothing โ the tool says so explicitly rather than reporting an empty result. HEIC, the default on modern iPhones, uses a different container; export as JPEG first. Photos saved from Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or X will also be empty: those platforms strip EXIF when they re-encode, which is a rare case of a default working in your favour.
Why this tool refuses to draw you a map
The photo never leaves your device โ only the first few megabytes are even read, and parsing happens in your browser.
The more deliberate decision is what happens with a location. Most EXIF viewers show coordinates as a map, which requires sending those coordinates to a mapping provider. For a photo taken at your home, your child's school or a client site, that hands the exact thing you came here to check to a third party. So the coordinates are displayed and copyable, and nothing is linked. If you want to see the place on a map, paste them into a map yourself โ as a deliberate act, not a side effect of looking.
What this tool does not do
Four boundaries:
- It does not remove EXIF. This is a reader. To strip metadata, re-export the photo from an editor, or use the operating system: Windows offers Properties then Remove Properties, macOS Preview can export without metadata.
- It does not read every proprietary tag. Manufacturers add private MakerNote blocks in undocumented formats; the standard tags are read, those are not.
- It does not read RAW files. CR2, NEF, ARW and similar are camera-specific containers.
- It does not verify anything. Every EXIF field can be edited, so metadata is evidence rather than proof โ a date or a location can be changed by anyone with the right tool.
Why people read EXIF data
- Checking a photo before publishing โ the single most useful case, and the reason the GPS section comes first.
- Photographers โ recovering the settings behind a shot that worked, to repeat it.
- Insurance and evidence work โ reading when and where a photo claims to have been taken, with the caveat that claims can be forged.
- Cataloguing โ recording camera and lens data across an archive.
- Journalists and researchers โ assessing the provenance of an image.
EXIF compared with the other metadata on this site
Embedded metadata follows the same pattern in every format: a structured block riding alongside the content. A PDF records its author and producing software โ read that with the PDF metadata extractor. An MP3 records artist, album and artwork โ read that with the MP3 tag extractor. A Word document records its author and the application that wrote it.
To read the text pictured inside an image rather than the data about the image, use image to text OCR. For the dominant colours instead, use the colour palette extractor.
For a full explanation of the privacy implications of EXIF data, read EXIF metadata and photo privacy.
EXIF format standards and reading edge cases
EXIF is defined in CIPA DC-008-2019. Inside a JPEG, the EXIF block sits in an APP1
marker segment (0xFFE1) beginning with Exif. The payload is a TIFF
structure: a byte-order marker (MM for big-endian, II for little-endian), the TIFF magic
number (42), and IFD0. Each IFD entry is 12 bytes: a 2-byte tag number, 2-byte type, 4-byte
count and a 4-byte value-or-offset field.
Three reading edge cases: (a) rational fields โ aperture, focal length, GPS coordinates โ are two 32-bit integers (numerator/denominator); the extractor converts them to decimal, and a value of 0/0 is undefined and shown as "โ"; (b) the GPS IFD is linked from IFD0 via tag 0x8825 โ phones write it consistently when location services are enabled, but dedicated cameras write it only when paired with an external GPS unit; (c) services that strip EXIF for privacy (WhatsApp, Instagram, iMessage over mobile data) remove the entire APP1 marker segment when re-encoding โ the extractor reports "No EXIF data found" for those files rather than an empty table, which is the expected and correct outcome.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see the EXIF data in a photo?
Drop the JPEG onto this page. Camera, lens, exposure settings, dates and any GPS location are listed immediately.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Only the metadata block at the start of the file is read, and it is parsed inside your browser.
Does it show where a photo was taken?
It shows the exact coordinates if the photo carries them. It deliberately does not draw a map, because loading one would send that location to a mapping provider.
Why does my photo show no EXIF data?
Either it is a PNG, which never carries EXIF, or the metadata was stripped. Social networks and messaging apps remove EXIF when they re-encode an image, so anything saved from them is usually clean.
Can this tool remove EXIF data from my photo?
No, it only reads. To strip it, re-export the photo from an image editor, or use Remove Properties on Windows or Preview's export options on macOS.
Does it work with iPhone HEIC photos?
No. HEIC uses a different container. Export or convert to JPEG first, though be aware that conversion sometimes drops the metadata you were trying to read.
Can EXIF data be faked?
Yes. Every field is editable, so treat dates and locations as evidence rather than proof.
What is a camera serial number doing in my photo?
Some manufacturers write the camera and lens serial into every file. It ties the photo to one specific device, which is worth knowing before publishing. The tool flags it when present.