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How to view EXIF data on iPhone and Android
Your phone already carries a metadata viewer — it just doesn't call it that. Here's where to look, what it will and won't tell you, and when to reach for a fuller tool.
Last updated: · ~5 min read
iPhone & iPad: the Photos info panel
- Open the Photos app and tap any photo.
- Swipe up on the photo (or tap the ⓘ icon).
You'll see the capture date and time, the device that took it ("iPhone 15 Pro"), most exposure settings, and — if the photo is geotagged — a small map with the location. Tapping "Adjust" next to the map lets you remove or change the location of that one photo.
Android: Google Photos / Samsung Gallery
- Open the photo in Google Photos.
- Swipe up (or tap the three-dot menu → Details/Info).
Google Photos shows date, time, device, filename, size, resolution and a map card when GPS data exists, with a "Remove location" action. On Samsung phones, the Gallery app's Details screen is similar and often adds an "Edit details" option. Pixel and stock-Android builds vary slightly by version, but the swipe-up-for-info gesture is consistent.
What the built-in viewers don't show
The native panels are summaries, not readers. They generally omit: XMP fields written by editing apps (which app edited the photo, and when), IPTC captions and copyright, the embedded thumbnail, sub-second timestamps, and the full list of EXIF tags the file actually carries. They also can't tell you what a photo would reveal once it leaves Apple's or Google's apps — for example, whether GPS survives when the file is sent as a document.
For the complete picture, drop the same photo into the web-based EXIF viewer — it reads the file in your browser and lists every metadata field, with a map link for GPS coordinates. Nothing is uploaded; the inspection is local even on your phone's browser. If you find fields you'd rather not share, strip them in the same tab.
Background on what each field means lives in What is EXIF data?; the GPS-specific cleanup steps are in the GPS removal guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my phone show less EXIF data than a web viewer?
Phone apps show a curated summary — the fields a casual user might want. The raw file contains dozens more: XMP edit history, IPTC captions, thumbnail data, precise sub-fields of exposure and color. A full viewer like ScrubExif's reads the file itself and lists every field it carries.
Can I remove EXIF data from the phone's own Photos app?
Not really. iOS can strip location when you share (Options → Location off), but other metadata like timestamps, device info and XMP stays. Android's "Remove location data" behaves the same. For full removal you need a dedicated tool — which is exactly what browser-based strippers are for.
Does viewing EXIF on iPhone use internet?
The built-in Photos info panel is entirely local — no network involved. ScrubExif's viewer also reads the file locally in your browser; only the optional "open in Maps" link talks to the network.
Where is the EXIF data on a desktop?
Windows: right-click the file → Properties → Details tab — the fullest built-in view on any OS. macOS: select the file → Get Info, or open in Preview → Tools → Show Inspector. Both show EXIF plus XMP/IPTC fields, though not in a copyable table.