Add logo, animated explainer, trust section and photo-privacy guides

Reposition around EXIF/GPS/C2PA privacy, replace dead HowTo/FAQ schema,
add three guide pages with sitemap and internal links.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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SharifandClaude Sonnet 5.5 committed 2026-10-20 07:23:55 +06:00
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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, viewport-fit=cover" />
<title>Photo privacy guides: EXIF, GPS and C2PA | Untrace</title>
<meta name="description" content="Plain-language guides to the hidden data inside photos: EXIF, GPS location and C2PA Content Credentials, and how to remove them." />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://untrace.realbrain.cc/guides/" />
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<meta property="og:site_name" content="Untrace" />
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<meta property="og:title" content="Photo privacy guides" />
<meta property="og:description" content="Plain-language guides to the hidden data inside photos: EXIF, GPS location and C2PA Content Credentials, and how to remove them." />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://untrace.realbrain.cc/thumb.jpg" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
</head>
<body>
<header class="topbar">
<div class="wrap inner">
<a class="wordmark" href="/" aria-label="Untrace home"><span class="r-mark" aria-hidden="true"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="18" height="18" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" focusable="false"><path d="M15 4.5H8A3.5 3.5 0 0 0 4.5 8v8A3.5 3.5 0 0 0 8 19.5h7"/><path d="M18.5 4.5v.01M18.5 9v.01M18.5 14v.01M18.5 19v.01" stroke-width="2.4" opacity="0.55"/><path d="M21 4.5v.01M21 9v.01" stroke-width="2" opacity="0.28"/><path d="M8 15.5 11 12l2 2.2 1.5-1.7"/></svg></span><span>Untrace</span></a>
<nav class="actions" aria-label="Site"><a class="btn btn-ghost" href="/">Clean a photo</a></nav>
</div>
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<main class="guide">
<div class="wrap">
<article>
<h1>Photo privacy guides</h1>
<p class="lead">Plain-language explanations of the hidden data inside photos, and how to remove it.</p>
</article>
<div class="index-list"><a class="card" href="/guides/remove-gps-from-photo/"><strong>How to remove GPS location from a photo</strong><span>Most phones save the exact latitude and longitude of every photo they take. If the file keeps that data when you share it, anyone who receives it can read where you were.</span></a><a class="card" href="/guides/what-is-exif-data/"><strong>What is EXIF data?</strong><span>EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a block of hidden information that cameras and phones write into a photo file. It travels with the picture unless something removes it.</span></a><a class="card" href="/guides/what-is-c2pa/"><strong>What is C2PA and how do Content Credentials work?</strong><span>C2PA is an open standard from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. It lets software attach a cryptographically signed record to an image describing where it came from and how it was changed.</span></a></div>
</div>
</main>
<script type="module" src="/src/guide.js"></script>
</body>
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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, viewport-fit=cover" />
<title>How to remove GPS location from a photo before you share it | Untrace</title>
<meta name="description" content="Photos can carry the exact coordinates where they were taken. Learn how to check for GPS data and remove it on iPhone, Android or in your browser." />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://untrace.realbrain.cc/guides/remove-gps-from-photo/" />
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<a class="wordmark" href="/" aria-label="Untrace home"><span class="r-mark" aria-hidden="true"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="18" height="18" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" focusable="false"><path d="M15 4.5H8A3.5 3.5 0 0 0 4.5 8v8A3.5 3.5 0 0 0 8 19.5h7"/><path d="M18.5 4.5v.01M18.5 9v.01M18.5 14v.01M18.5 19v.01" stroke-width="2.4" opacity="0.55"/><path d="M21 4.5v.01M21 9v.01" stroke-width="2" opacity="0.28"/><path d="M8 15.5 11 12l2 2.2 1.5-1.7"/></svg></span><span>Untrace</span></a>
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<ol class="crumbs"><li><a href="/">Untrace</a></li><li><a href="/guides/">Guides</a></li><li aria-current="page">How to remove GPS location from a photo</li></ol>
<article>
<h1>How to remove GPS location from a photo</h1>
<p class="lead">Most phones save the exact latitude and longitude of every photo they take. If the file keeps that data when you share it, anyone who receives it can read where you were.</p>
<p class="meta">Updated 2026-10-20 · Written by the Untrace team</p>
<h2>How do you know a photo has GPS data?</h2>
<p>Location is stored in the photo's EXIF block, in fields called GPSLatitude and GPSLongitude, usually accurate to a few metres. Phones add it whenever the camera app has location access. The simplest check is to drop the photo into <a href="/#tool">Untrace</a>: it lists every metadata block it finds, including GPS, before changing anything.</p>
<h2>Option 1: turn off location tagging in the camera</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>iPhone:</strong> Settings, Privacy &amp; Security, Location Services, Camera, then choose Never.</li>
<li><strong>Android:</strong> open the camera app, open its settings and switch off Location tags (the wording varies by manufacturer).</li>
</ul>
<p>This only protects photos you take from now on. Photos already on your phone keep their coordinates.</p>
<h2>Option 2: remove location when you share from your phone</h2>
<p>On iPhone, the share sheet has an Options button with a Location switch you can turn off for that share. Google Photos on Android offers a Remove location action in a photo's details. Both remove coordinates only. The camera model, timestamps and other EXIF fields stay in the file.</p>
<h2>Option 3: remove all metadata in your browser</h2>
<ol>
<li>Open <a href="/#tool">Untrace</a> and add the photo.</li>
<li>Review the list of what it found, GPS included.</li>
<li>Choose Clean image and download the copy.</li>
</ol>
<p>Untrace redraws the picture to pixels and writes a new file, so GPS, camera and time data are not carried over. It works offline from your file's point of view: nothing is uploaded.</p>
<div class="callout"><p><strong>Check the result.</strong> Drop the cleaned file back into Untrace. It should report that nothing was found.</p></div>
<h2>Does social media remove GPS for you?</h2>
<p>Some large platforms remove location data from the version they display, but not all do, and policies change. Photos sent as an original file by email, a chat app's file option or a cloud link usually keep everything. Cleaning the file yourself means you do not depend on the platform.</p>
<div class="cta"><p><strong>See what your own photo is hiding.</strong> Untrace lists every metadata block, then removes it, all inside your browser.</p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/#tool">Scan a photo</a></div>
<h2>Common questions</h2>
<h3>Does removing GPS data change the picture?</h3><p>The visible image stays the same. Untrace re-encodes it, so the file size and format can change slightly.</p><h3>Can someone find my location from a photo without GPS data?</h3><p>Yes, from what the picture shows, such as street signs or landmarks. Metadata removal does not hide what is visible.</p>
<nav class="related" aria-label="Related guides"><h2>Keep reading</h2><ul><li><a href="/guides/what-is-exif-data/">What is EXIF data?</a></li><li><a href="/guides/what-is-c2pa/">What is C2PA and how do Content Credentials work?</a></li></ul></nav>
</article>
</div>
</main>
<script type="module" src="/src/guide.js"></script>
</body>
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<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, viewport-fit=cover" />
<title>What is C2PA? Content Credentials explained, with their limits | Untrace</title>
<meta name="description" content="C2PA Content Credentials are a signed record of how an image was made and edited. Learn what they contain, what they can and cannot prove, and what they mean for privacy." />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://untrace.realbrain.cc/guides/what-is-c2pa/" />
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<article>
<h1>What is C2PA and how do Content Credentials work?</h1>
<p class="lead">C2PA is an open standard from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. It lets software attach a cryptographically signed record to an image describing where it came from and how it was changed.</p>
<p class="meta">Updated 2026-10-20 · Written by the Untrace team</p>
<h2>What is inside a C2PA manifest?</h2>
<p>The record, called a manifest, can list the tool that created or edited the file, the actions taken, when they happened and who signed it. In a JPEG it is stored in JUMBF boxes inside an APP11 segment. Cameras, editing apps and some AI image generators write these manifests, and some platforms read them to show a Content Credentials or AI info label.</p>
<h2>What can it prove?</h2>
<p>A valid manifest shows that a signer vouches for the recorded history and that the file has not been altered since signing. It does not prove the picture is true, and a missing manifest does not prove the picture is fake or real.</p>
<h2>Why does it often disappear?</h2>
<p>The manifest lives in the file, not in the pixels. Taking a screenshot, converting the format or re-saving through many apps drops it. Some platforms remove it on upload, others keep or read it. Researchers are pairing metadata with invisible watermarks and fingerprints so provenance can survive, but support is uneven.</p>
<h2>What does it mean for your privacy?</h2>
<p>Credentials can name your software, your account or organisation, and your editing steps, and that record goes wherever the file goes. If you want to share a picture without that history, you can <a href="/#tool">scan and clean it in Untrace</a> first, with nothing uploaded.</p>
<div class="callout"><p><strong>Use it responsibly.</strong> Removing credentials is a privacy choice, not a licence to mislead. If you publish AI-generated or heavily edited work where disclosure is expected, such as news, contests or advertising, disclose it yourself. Pixel-level detectors and invisible watermarks are not affected by metadata removal.</p></div>
<p>Related: <a href="/guides/what-is-exif-data/">What is EXIF data?</a></p>
<div class="cta"><p><strong>See what your own photo is hiding.</strong> Untrace lists every metadata block, then removes it, all inside your browser.</p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/#tool">Scan a photo</a></div>
<h2>Common questions</h2>
<h3>Is C2PA the same as EXIF?</h3><p>No. EXIF records camera and location details. C2PA records a signed history of creation and edits. Untrace reads and removes both.</p><h3>Can C2PA be forged?</h3><p>The signature protects the manifest from tampering, but anyone can create a manifest with their own certificate, so trust depends on who signed it.</p>
<nav class="related" aria-label="Related guides"><h2>Keep reading</h2><ul><li><a href="/guides/remove-gps-from-photo/">How to remove GPS location from a photo</a></li><li><a href="/guides/what-is-exif-data/">What is EXIF data?</a></li></ul></nav>
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<title>What is EXIF data? What your photos reveal and how to remove it | Untrace</title>
<meta name="description" content="EXIF data is hidden information stored inside every photo: location, camera, time and software. See what it contains, who can read it and how to remove it." />
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<ol class="crumbs"><li><a href="/">Untrace</a></li><li><a href="/guides/">Guides</a></li><li aria-current="page">What is EXIF data?</li></ol>
<article>
<h1>What is EXIF data?</h1>
<p class="lead">EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a block of hidden information that cameras and phones write into a photo file. It travels with the picture unless something removes it.</p>
<p class="meta">Updated 2026-10-20 · Written by the Untrace team</p>
<h2>What does EXIF data contain?</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Location:</strong> GPS latitude, longitude, altitude and direction.</li>
<li><strong>Device:</strong> camera or phone make and model, lens, and sometimes a serial number.</li>
<li><strong>Time:</strong> when the photo was taken and when it was edited.</li>
<li><strong>Settings:</strong> exposure, aperture, ISO, focal length and flash.</li>
<li><strong>Software:</strong> the app or editor that last saved the file.</li>
<li><strong>A thumbnail:</strong> a small embedded preview, which can differ from the visible image if the photo was cropped.</li>
</ul>
<p>Related blocks sit alongside EXIF: XMP and IPTC hold captions, creator names and copyright, and C2PA content credentials can hold a signed edit history (see <a href="/guides/what-is-c2pa/">What is C2PA?</a>).</p>
<h2>Why does it matter for privacy?</h2>
<p>A photo of your front door shared with its GPS data tells the recipient where you live. A date and device model can link photos to one person. Journalists, sellers on marketplaces and anyone posting from home have good reason to check before sharing.</p>
<h2>How can you view EXIF data?</h2>
<p>On most computers, right-click the file and open its properties or info panel. The quickest complete view is to add the file to <a href="/#tool">Untrace</a>, which lists every metadata block, including ones the operating system does not show.</p>
<h2>How do you remove it?</h2>
<p>Editing tags one at a time risks missing a block. Untrace instead decodes the image to pixels and writes a fresh file, which leaves every metadata container behind, then re-reads the output to confirm nothing survived. For the location case specifically, see <a href="/guides/remove-gps-from-photo/">how to remove GPS from a photo</a>.</p>
<div class="cta"><p><strong>See what your own photo is hiding.</strong> Untrace lists every metadata block, then removes it, all inside your browser.</p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/#tool">Scan a photo</a></div>
<h2>Common questions</h2>
<h3>Is EXIF data bad?</h3><p>No. It is useful for organising your own photos. It becomes a privacy problem only when you share the file with people who do not need it.</p><h3>Do screenshots have EXIF data?</h3><p>They usually carry far less, often no location, but they can still include device and time information.</p>
<nav class="related" aria-label="Related guides"><h2>Keep reading</h2><ul><li><a href="/guides/remove-gps-from-photo/">How to remove GPS location from a photo</a></li><li><a href="/guides/what-is-c2pa/">What is C2PA and how do Content Credentials work?</a></li></ul></nav>
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