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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>
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          <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/remove-exif-data-iphone/">How to remove EXIF data from photos on iPhone</a></li><li><a href="/guides/remove-exif-data-android/">How to remove EXIF and location data from photos on Android</a></li><li><a href="/guides/remove-exif-data-windows-mac/">How to remove EXIF data from photos on Windows and Mac</a></li><li><a href="/guides/how-to-view-exif-data/">How to view the EXIF data of a photo</a></li><li><a href="/guides/do-social-media-sites-remove-exif-data/">Do social media sites remove EXIF data from photos?</a></li><li><a href="/guides/photo-metadata-privacy-checklist/">Photo metadata privacy checklist</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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