What is EXIF data? What your photos reveal, how to read it, and how to remove it

EXIF data is the block of metadata a camera or phone writes inside a photo file when it takes the picture: the camera model and lens, the exposure settings, the date and time, the software that last saved the file and, if location was on, the GPS coordinates of where you stood. It travels with the image wherever the file goes, which is useful when you want to know how a shot was made and a problem when you post a photo taken at home. This guide explains what EXIF holds, how to read it in a browser without uploading the file, how it relates to the newer Content Credentials that generated images carry, and how to remove it before sharing.

What does EXIF data contain?

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) stores the capture facts of a photo: camera make and model, lens, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, the date and time, orientation, colour space, a thumbnail, and optionally GPS latitude, longitude and altitude.

Field group	Examples	Why it matters
Camera and lens	Make, model, lens model, focal length	Identifies the equipment used
Exposure	Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, flash	Lets you learn how a look was achieved
Time	Date and time original, time zone offset on newer cameras	Proves when a photo was taken, and reveals it
Location	GPS latitude, longitude, altitude, direction	Reveals where you were, to the metre
Software	The last application that saved the file, edit history on some	Shows whether and how an image was edited
Orientation and colour	Rotation flag, colour space, white balance	Explains why a photo appears sideways or dull in some viewers
Embedded thumbnail	A small preview image	Can survive edits and show a crop you removed

EXIF lives in JPEG, TIFF and HEIC files. PNG has a different, smaller metadata model, and screenshots typically carry almost no capture data because no camera was involved.

How do you read EXIF data?

Any photo's metadata can be read in the browser with the free image metadata viewer: drop the file in and it lists the camera, software, date, GPS position (with a map link if coordinates are present) and any Content Credentials, and the file never leaves your device, which is the right way to inspect a photo that may contain your location. Operating systems show a subset in the file's properties or info panel, and photo editors show the exposure fields in their metadata panels.

What are Content Credentials, and how are they different?

Content Credentials are a newer, signed provenance record (the C2PA standard) that states how an image was made and edited, including whether AI generated it; EXIF describes a capture, Content Credentials describe a history, and a file can carry both.

Generated images increasingly carry Content Credentials instead of camera EXIF, because there was no camera. PrismPoster's exports carry provenance metadata as described in the help centre's labelling section, and the metadata viewer above reads Content Credentials alongside EXIF so you can see both on one file. The labelling rules for creators, and what the EU AI Act asks of synthetic images, are in the creators' guide to AI content labeling. Removing EXIF from a generated image does not remove its Content Credentials, and stripping provenance from AI-generated media before publishing it is the wrong instinct in most jurisdictions.

How do you remove EXIF data from a photo?

Export a copy from an editor with metadata stripping enabled, use the operating system's "remove properties" option, or take a screenshot of the image; each produces a file without the camera's capture data, and the original keeps its EXIF for your own records.

• Windows: right-click the file, open Properties, then Details, and use "Remove Properties and Personal Information" to create a copy with the fields removed.
• Photo editors: most have an export option to exclude metadata; exporting "for web" usually strips EXIF while keeping the colour profile.
• Screenshots: a screenshot of a photo has no capture EXIF, at the cost of resolution and compression.
• Location only: phones can be set not to record location in photos, which stops GPS being written in the first place; check the camera app's privacy settings.

Note what removal does not do. Most social platforms strip EXIF on upload anyway, so the risk is in files sent directly (email, messaging, cloud links) rather than in feeds. And an image edited with AI tools may carry a Content Credentials record separate from EXIF; the AI image editing guide explains what an edit writes into the file.

Should you keep EXIF data?

Keep it on your originals: it is the record of how you shot the photo, it powers sorting by date and camera in every photo library, and it is evidence of authorship if a photo is ever used without permission. Strip it on copies you send to strangers, and always strip or disable location for photos taken at home, at school or at a workplace. For product and portfolio work, EXIF is mostly harmless and occasionally helpful, since a client can see the shot was made on a real camera; the AI product photography guide covers when a generated product shot and a photographed one are read differently.

Related reading on disclosure and trust: whether AI content is good for SEO, AI content disclosure for brands, AI video without a watermark, and AI music licensing explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is EXIF data on a photo?

Metadata written into the image file at capture: camera and lens, exposure settings, date and time, software, orientation and, if enabled, GPS coordinates. It is stored inside JPEG, TIFF and HEIC files.

Does EXIF data show location?

It can. Phones with location enabled write GPS latitude, longitude and altitude into each photo. Disable location for the camera app, or strip the metadata from copies before sharing.

How do I view EXIF data without uploading my photo?

Use a browser-based viewer that reads the file locally, such as the free image metadata viewer, which shows camera, date, GPS and Content Credentials without sending the file anywhere.

Do AI-generated images have EXIF data?

Usually not camera EXIF, because no camera captured them. They may carry Content Credentials, a signed provenance record that states the image was generated and how it was edited; PrismPoster exports include provenance metadata.