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iPhone · Photo privacy

How to share iPhone photos without location data

Keep the location in your own photo library while choosing what accompanies the copy you share.

1. Leave location out of a share in Apple Photos

  1. Open Photos and select the photo or photos to send.
  2. Tap Share, then open Options at the top of the share sheet.
  3. Switch Location off and confirm with Done.
  4. Choose the recipient or destination from the share sheet.

This changes that sharing choice. It is a different operation from editing the photo’s saved location in your library. Menu labels and available options can vary with the iOS version and sharing route.

These steps follow Apple’s location-metadata instructions. Apple documents this as a location control; it is not a promise that every other metadata field is removed.

When a separate copy makes sense

A location-only share may be all you need. A separate copy is useful when you want to inspect other supported fields, keep a file you can check again, or prepare several photos for sharing.

For example, a photo of an item you are selling may also contain capture-time or device details. The relevant question is which fields are actually present in that file, not whether every photo is dangerous.

EXIF Metadata Scrubber is my app for that second workflow. It creates JPEG copies, so it is not the right choice when preserving the original HEIC format is essential.

2. Inspect, create, and recheck a copy

The steps below describe the public EXIF Metadata Scrubber 1.3 workflow. Start with a non-sensitive sample while learning the controls.

  1. Choose a supported still photo. Select a JPEG or HEIC/HEIF image. The app keeps the original unchanged.
  2. Review the fields it can read. Supported categories include location, capture time, device, software, description, and copyright. Unknown fields are shown separately.
  3. Choose the supported fields to remove. Review the selection before creating the copy. If there are no supported fields to remove, there is no reason to generate another file for that operation.
  4. Create the JPEG copy and read the result. The app reads the output again. A successful check refers to the selected supported fields.
  5. Save or share the checked output. Select the newly generated copy, rather than accidentally sending the original from your library.
EXIF Metadata Scrubber: inspect a photo before sharing

EXIF Metadata Scrubber: inspect a photo before sharing

Inspect the source photo. Public App Store screenshot.
EXIF Metadata Scrubber: read the recheck result

EXIF Metadata Scrubber: read the recheck result

Review the output check. Public App Store screenshot.

Free inspection has no daily limit. The free allowance covers one successfully checked copy per local day. Failed checks and photos with no supported fields to remove do not use that successful-copy allowance. Optional Lifetime Pro supports batches of up to 20 photos and batch saving; check the current local purchase price in the app.

3. Check the output and the picture itself

  • File format: HEIC/HEIF inputs become JPEG. File size, color, and image appearance can change; inspect the result before sending it.
  • Scope: “Verified” describes selected supported fields, not every unknown field, hidden payload, or possible identifying detail.
  • Visible content: An address label, face, reflection, or landmark can still be visible in the photo. Metadata removal does not edit those pixels.
  • Destination: A receiving app or service may change a file or add information of its own. This guide does not claim that every sharing service preserves or removes the same fields.

PNG, RAW, video, and full Live Photo pairs are outside the app’s current processing support. Photo inspection and processing happen on your iPhone; purchases and restoration connect to Apple.

Choose the smallest workflow that fits

If all you need is to exclude location from a Photos share, use the built-in switch. If you need a separate JPEG with supported fields inspected and checked again, compare that workflow with the app’s current capabilities and limits.

Sources and version notes

Instructions reviewed September 20, 2026. This is a product guide, not a claim of complete anonymity.

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