How to remove location from photos on iPhone and Android

25 October 2026 · 6 min read

Most phone photos carry hidden information, including the exact place they were taken. Share a photo of your child at home and, depending on how you send it, the person who receives it may be able to see your address on a map. Here's how to check whether a photo has location data, how to remove location from photos before sharing on iPhone and Android, and how to stop your camera adding it in the first place.

Where the location comes from

When your camera has access to your location, your phone saves the GPS position inside the photo file, along with details such as the date and the phone model. This hidden data travels with the file. Some apps and websites strip it when you upload, but you can't count on that: photos sent by email, AirDrop or a cloud link usually keep it.

On iPhone

Check a photo's location

Open the photo in the Photos app and swipe up. If it has a location, you'll see it on a map.

Share without the location

1. Select the photos and tap the Share button.
2. Tap Options at the top of the share sheet.
3. Turn off Location, tap Done, and share as usual.

Your iPhone doesn't remember this choice, so you need to do it each time you share.

Remove the location from a photo you've already taken

Open the photo, swipe up, tap Adjust next to the location, and choose No Location.

Stop your camera adding locations

Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Camera and choose Never. Photos you take from then on won't include a location.

On Android

The steps vary from phone to phone, but these cover the most common cases.

Google Photos

• Shared albums: Google says location details aren't included by default. To check, open the album's options and look at Share photo locations.
• Estimated locations: Google Photos can estimate where a photo was taken from landmarks and your other photos. Google says these estimates aren't shared when you share a photo, and you can remove them.
• Locations saved by your camera: these can't be edited or removed in Google Photos, so turn them off at the source (see below).

Samsung Galaxy

In the Gallery app, select the photo, tap Share, and tick Remove location data before choosing where to send it.

Stop your camera adding locations

• Google Pixel: open the Camera app, go to its settings, and turn off Save location.
• Other phones: look for a "location tags" or "save location" option in the camera settings, or turn off the Camera app's location permission in your phone's settings.

Location data isn't the only clue

Even without hidden data, a photo can give away where you are: a house number, a street sign, a school uniform or a well-known landmark. Google itself notes that people may guess a location from landmarks in a photo. Check the background before you share.

A safer default for family photos

If you share photos of your children regularly, use a private, family-only album where location sharing is off and only invited relatives can see the photos. See how to share baby photos privately and what to know before posting your kids' photos.