Can this tool read iPhone HEIC photos?

In Safari, yes — Safari decodes HEIC natively, so the tool reads the metadata and produces a clean copy. In Chrome or Firefox on a Mac, HEIC files are re-encoded to JPEG (a real conversion, clearly labeled), and on platforms where the browser cannot decode HEIC at all you'll be asked to convert the photo first.

How do I stop my iPhone from geotagging photos?

Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → Never. New photos will carry no GPS block. Existing photos keep their old coordinates until cleaned.

What metadata does an iPhone photo contain?

Typically: GPS coordinates (if location access is on), the device model via Apple's MakerNote, capture and modification timestamps, lens and exposure data, orientation, and sometimes an embedded thumbnail. You can inspect any photo first with the EXIF viewer.

Is my photo uploaded when I use this page on iOS?

No. The cleaning runs inside Safari on your device. The photo goes from your library to browser memory to the download folder — no network transfer of image data happens at any point.

Free · HEIC-aware · No app install

Remove Photo Metadata on iPhone

Q: Does iPhone automatically remove metadata when sharing?

Partially. AirDrop, Messages and Mail strip location when you tap Options and choose 'Remove Location' — iOS 15 and later can do this per share. But 'Save to Files', cloud drives, many third-party apps, and sending as a document preserve the full EXIF. The only setting-free guarantee is a file that is clean before you share it.

Strip the GPS coordinates, device details and timestamps from iPhone photos right in Safari — including HEIC shots. Open this page, pick photos from your library, download the clean copies.

No upload. Everything runs inside Safari on your device.

Not on an iPhone? The general metadata remover covers all platforms.

Drop iPhone photos here

HEIC and JPEG · up to 20 at a time · works in Safari

🔒 Processed on your device — no image data leaves it

When does iOS strip metadata — and when it doesn't

Apple gives you partial protection, and it depends entirely on the channel:

AirDrop & Messages: iOS 15+ offers "Options → Remove Location" in the share sheet. Location is handled, but other EXIF (device model, timestamps) may still travel.
Mail (as attachment): the file is attached as-is — full EXIF travels with it unless you use the same Options menu.
"Save to Files", cloud drives, third-party apps: the original bytes are copied, metadata included.
Sending "as document" in messengers: preserves everything.

The pattern: iOS protects the casual path and preserves the power-user path. A pre-cleaned file is the only version that behaves the same everywhere.

Using this tool on iOS, step by step

Open this page in Safari (Chrome and Firefox cannot decode HEIC on iOS).
Tap Choose photos and pick from your photo library — HEIC shots work directly.
Each photo shows what was found and what was removed; tap Download clean copy.
The cleaned file lands in the Files app / Downloads; share that copy.

On a Mac, Safari handles HEIC the same way. Chrome or Firefox will re-encode HEIC shots to JPEG — that conversion is real (slight quality change, different container) and the tool labels it clearly when it happens. JPEG and PNG files are byte-identical in quality everywhere.

Turn off iPhone geotagging at the source

Cleaning fixes existing photos; this setting fixes future ones. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → Never. From then on, new shots carry no coordinates. Trade-off: the Photos app can no longer group your library by place, and some third-party camera apps lose location features. Check any photo afterwards with the EXIF viewer to confirm no GPS group appears.

For everything else the metadata contains — and a tool that strips all of it on any device — see the main photo metadata removal guide, or remove just the location with the GPS-specific tool.

Frequently asked questions

Does iPhone automatically remove metadata when sharing?

AirDrop/Messages offer per-share location removal; Mail attachments, Files, cloud drives and document-style sends preserve the full EXIF. A pre-cleaned file is safe on every channel.

Can this tool read HEIC photos?

In Safari, yes — natively. On desktop Chrome/Firefox HEIC is re-encoded to JPEG (labeled in the tool). JPEG/PNG files are untouched byte-for-byte.

How do I stop geotagging on iPhone?

Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera → Never. New shots get no GPS block; old ones still need cleaning.

What's inside an iPhone photo's metadata?

GPS (if enabled), Apple's MakerNote with device info, timestamps, lens/exposure data, orientation, sometimes a thumbnail. Inspect any file with the EXIF viewer to see yours.

Is the photo uploaded?

No — the whole pipeline runs in Safari on your device.

Related photo tools

iOS-friendly, all client-side.

Metadata RemoverThe full tool for any device. Remove GPS from PhotoStrip location only, keep the rest. EXIF ViewerSee what your photos carry. HEIC to Base64Encode iPhone photos locally. Image to Base64The main converter. Base64 in Email SignatureInline a logo without hosting.