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EXIF metadata

How to remove EXIF metadata from photos (iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows)

Published · 6 min read · Français

A digital photo holds more than pixels. Inside the file, the camera records information you never see on screen: the date and time it was taken, the phone model, the camera settings, and often the exact GPS position where it was shot. This is EXIF metadata.

For a holiday picture, that's handy. For a patient photo, it's a risk. A carefully anonymized before/after can still reveal, to anyone who looks, the date of a procedure, a home address if a follow-up photo was taken at the patient's house, or the personal phone of a team member.

This guide explains what that metadata contains, then how to remove it on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows.

1. What photo metadata contains

Depending on the device and its settings, a JPG or HEIC file can include:

The thumbnail is the sneakiest item. If you crop a photo to hide a face in a tool that doesn't rewrite the metadata, a small version of the original can stay inside the file. It's uncommon with modern tools, but it's one more reason to start from a clean file.

2. Why it matters for a clinic

Metadata creates three practical problems:

  1. Indirect identification. A capture date, combined with other details, can help someone recognize a patient even when the face is masked. We cover the other clues to watch in our guide to anonymizing before-and-after patient photos.
  2. Location. A photo taken at home or somewhere recognizable can carry a precise address.
  3. Consistency with consent. If the patient agreed to anonymized publication, posting a file with hidden personal data goes against what was agreed. It's worth covering this in your patient photo consent form.

Many social networks and messaging apps strip some metadata on upload, but their practices vary and can change. Your website, an email attachment, a shared folder or a file sent to a colleague often keep the file exactly as it is. The simplest rule: never rely on the platform, and clean the file before it leaves the clinic.

3. Prevention first: turn off location for the camera

The most effective way to keep GPS out of clinical photos is not to record it at all on the device you use at work.

The other metadata (date, model) is still recorded, so you still need to clean files before sharing them.

4. On iPhone

When sharing. In the Photos app, select the photo, tap Share, then Options at the top of the share sheet. Turn off Location before sending. Depending on your iOS version, there may also be an option to leave out other photo data. This setting only applies to that share.

For a photo you've already taken. In Photos, open the photo, swipe up or tap the info button (i), then use the option to adjust the location and choose "No Location". That removes the position, but not the date or device model.

Good to know: HEIC photos are often converted to JPG when sent, but metadata can come along. Check a test file (see section 8) before trusting a method.

5. On Android

Menus differ by manufacturer (Samsung, Google Pixel, Xiaomi and others), but you'll usually find:

Again, location is usually removed, but not necessarily the date or device model.

6. On Mac

With Preview. Open the photo, then Tools > Show Inspector. In the location (GPS) tab, click Remove Location Info, then save. Preview removes the position, but not every other piece of metadata.

With the Photos app. When exporting (File > Export), untick Location Information. You can also hide a photo's location from the Image menu.

To remove everything at once. The free command-line tool ExifTool strips all metadata:

exiftool -all= photo.jpg

By default ExifTool keeps a copy of the original named photo.jpg_original, so delete it afterwards if you don't want to keep the version with metadata.

7. On Windows

File Explorer has a built-in option:

  1. Right-click the photo (or several selected photos) and choose Properties.
  2. Open the Details tab and click Remove Properties and Personal Information at the bottom.
  3. Choose Create a copy with all possible properties removed and confirm.

Windows creates a cleaned copy next to the original. From then on, work only with that copy. ExifTool also runs on Windows if you want a more thorough method.

8. Check that a file is really clean

Never assume a method worked: test it once on a sample file.

If the capture date or device model still shows up, the method you used only removes location.

9. A simple routine for your clinic

The safest approach is a habit, not a case-by-case check:

  1. Turn off location on the clinic's camera device.
  2. Take photos with a consistent protocol (see our guide on lighting, angles and background).
  3. Anonymize: face, eyes, tattoos, jewellery, surroundings.
  4. Export a fresh file without metadata, with a neutral file name (not the patient's name or the date).
  5. Spot-check an exported file now and then with one of the methods above.
  6. Archive the originals in secure storage, separate from files meant for publication.

Rules on health data protection vary by country. Check with your professional body, your data protection authority or a lawyer about what applies to your practice.

How Lumipair handles metadata

Lumipair was built to remove this manual step. Every before/after collage is exported as a fresh JPG with no EXIF, no GPS, no device model and no capture date. The tool also suggests a neutral file name, alt text and caption, and lets you mask the eyes or a tattoo before export. You can try it free for 14 days.

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Rules vary by country: check with your professional body or health authority.