---
title: "What Is EXIF data on iPhone? Meaning and Settings"
description: "EXIF data is metadata saved inside a photo: date, camera, settings and often GPS location. How to see it on iPhone, and how to remove it before you share."
url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/glossary/exif
lang: en-gb
published: 2026-10-31
updated: 2026-10-31
author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team"
publisher: VaultForYou
---

# What is EXIF data?

Published 2026-10-31 - Updated 2026-10-31 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team

## Quick answer

EXIF data is metadata stored inside a photo file: when it was taken, the camera or phone, the settings used and, if Location Services was on for Camera, the GPS location. Anyone who gets the original file can read it.

- **Contains:** Date, device, lens, settings, GPS location.
- **See it on iPhone:** Open the photo in Photos and swipe up.
- **Remove it:** Share with location off, or use a metadata remover.

Many apps strip EXIF when you upload, but not all do, and AirDrop, email and file sharing can send the full original. Check a file with our [free metadata viewer](/tools/image-metadata-viewer) and clean it with the [metadata remover](/tools/remove-photo-metadata).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a photo show where it was taken?

Often, yes. If Location Services was on for the Camera app, the iPhone saves GPS coordinates in the photo's metadata. Anyone you send the original file to can read them unless the location is removed before sharing.

## Guides that use this term

- [How to remove location from photos on iPhone before you share them](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/blog/remove-location-from-photos-iphone)
- [How to find out where a photo was taken, and why that data should stay private](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/blog/find-where-a-photo-was-taken)
- [Photo metadata viewer](https://www.vaultforyou.app/tools/image-metadata-viewer)

## Related terms

- [Vault app](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/glossary/vault-app)

## Browse

- [All glossary terms](https://www.vaultforyou.app/en-gb/glossary)

---

Our guides are written and fact-checked by the VaultForYou team against Apple's own documentation. We make VaultForYou, a private vault app for iPhone. Download on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/vaultforyou/id0000000000