# EXIF Metadata Viewer

> Pull camera, GPS and authoring metadata out of an image file.

- Page: https://decoder.tools/exif-viewer
- Category: Image, Media & Steganography
- Status: live, runs in the browser
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-23

An EXIF viewer reads the metadata blocks a camera or editor embeds in an image file — camera and lens model, exposure settings, timestamps, GPS coordinates and editing history — without altering the image itself.

## What is the EXIF Metadata Viewer?

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a metadata block written into JPEG, TIFF and HEIC files by virtually every camera and phone. It records the technical shot data — make, model, lens, aperture, shutter, ISO, focal length — plus the capture timestamp and, when location services are on, precise GPS coordinates.

That last field is why EXIF matters beyond photography. A photo posted online can carry the exact latitude and longitude where it was taken, accurate to a few metres, alongside the device's serial number. Major social platforms strip metadata on upload; direct file sharing, email attachments and many smaller sites do not.

Two related standards sit alongside it: IPTC carries editorial fields (caption, credit, copyright, keywords) and XMP is Adobe's XML-based container that most editors use for edit history and rights information. This viewer surfaces all three, locally, so checking a sensitive photo doesn't mean uploading it.

## How to use the EXIF Metadata Viewer

1. Upload the image; it is read locally and never transmitted.
2. Review the camera, exposure, timestamp and GPS sections of the metadata.
3. Strip the metadata before publishing if any field is more than you meant to share.

## When to use it

- Checking whether a photo you're about to publish carries GPS coordinates.
- Verifying the capture date and device of an image during an investigation.
- Recovering the camera settings behind a shot you want to reproduce.

## EXIF Metadata Viewer at a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Formats | JPEG, TIFF, HEIC (PNG carries little to none) |
| GPS precision | Latitude/longitude to within a few metres |
| Also present | IPTC editorial fields and XMP edit history |
| Stripped by | Most large social platforms — not by email or direct sharing |

## FAQ

### Do photos contain GPS location?

Often, yes — if location services were enabled when the photo was taken. The coordinates are accurate to a few metres and are readable by anyone with the file.

### How do I remove EXIF data?

Export a copy without metadata from your photo tool, use exiftool -all= on the file, or take a screenshot of the image. Note that a screenshot loses quality along with the metadata.

### Does uploading to social media strip EXIF?

Large platforms generally do strip it, but do not rely on that: messaging apps, email attachments, cloud links and smaller sites frequently preserve the original file intact.

### Is my image uploaded to your server?

No. The file is parsed in your browser's memory and nothing is transmitted — which is the point of checking a sensitive photo here rather than on a server-side tool.