Most digital devices store metadata, otherwise known as EXIF data, whenever you take images on a digital device. This data is connected to a particular image and may include some sensitive data depending on the type of device you are using. The device may collect data regarding the time, date, location, device model, and even manufacturer. This information does not only compromise your privacy but also your security. Whenever you post your photos online, it’s easy for someone to easily snoop and access all the data related to a particular image and even tell you your exact location.
The good news is that it’s possible to remove the metadata from your images before posting them online where they can be accessed by others. There are great apps such as EXIF Data Editor that help you edit all the unnecessary data from our photos. Below we discuss various ways to remove EXIF data from the most common operating systems; Android and Windows.
What Is Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) Metadata
EXIF metadata is data stored whenever you capture an image on your digital device. The data is stored in exchangeable image file format.
Some of the data captured from images include:
- The date and time when the image was taken
- The location in terms of GPS coordinates
- The settings, depending on the shutter speed and aperture
- The model and the device
- The manufacturer and the name of the tools used to edit the image
How To Read Metadata
This requires access to the file properties depending on the system you are using. For Android, you tap the image on Google photos then tap the ‘i’ icon to view metadata for the specific images. For Windows, right-click the image, then go to properties, then details. You should be able to see all the details related to the specific image.
How To Remove Metadata From Android And Windows Operating Systems
The steps involved may vary depending on the type of device you are using. Different manufacturers have different settings. It’s therefore important to explore your settings if they do not tally with the below procedures.
How to Remove Metadata from Android Devices
This is not possible on most phones and therefore requires an app. There are many popular apps such as EXIF Data Editor, Photo Metadata Remover, Photo EXIF Editor among many others. Assuming you chose Photo Metadata Remover,
After downloading the app and installing it on your device, you need to follow the following steps:
- Open the app
- Select chose photos, which is one of as one of the three available options
- Grant the app permission to access your photos
- Select the particular image whose metadata you wish to remove
- The app automatically removes the metadata and informs when done
- If you want to use other apps to send the image, choose from the available options on your screen
- The other option is to click done and your image is saved on the app.
How to Take Photos Without Location Data Using Android
Since the location is the most sensitive feature on the photo, you may opt to take your photos without tagging your location in the future. The process is simple compared to the long process you have to go through to remove the metadata. All you need is to follow the below steps:
- Go to Settings on your Android phone
- The go-to the camera app, then settings
- Toggle the location off
- The toggle bar should turn grey from green
How to Remove Metadata From Windows
With Windows, you can easily remove the data from multiple images and you may not need an app. Below are the steps:
- Open the image folder
- Select the different images
- Right-click and select properties
- Select details, then remove properties and personal information
- Click create a copy with all properties removed
- Click OK
A copy with all metadata is created and you can go ahead and delete the original Image.
Information attached to your images may be harmless, however, it presents a privacy breach and a security risk if someone is spying or tracking you since they can tell your specific location, date, and time, especially if you frequently post the pictures online. It’s important to remove this data before posting your images anywhere as it also breaches the security of everyone on the photo. Follow the above steps to ensure your security if you are an Android and Windows OS user.
