How to find where a photo was taken
The location is often written inside the photo itself.
In short
Photos taken with location enabled store GPS coordinates in their EXIF metadata. On iPhone, swipe up on the photo in the Photos app to see a map. For any file, a metadata viewer shows the coordinates. If they are missing — removed by an app, or never recorded — only clues in the picture itself remain.
Key takeaways
- GPS coordinates are often stored in the file.
- Social networks usually remove them when you upload.
- Locating a person from their photos without consent can be stalking.
Reading the location
On iPhone
Open the photo in the Photos app and swipe up, or tap the info button. If the photo has a location, a map shows where it was taken.
For any file
The photo metadata tool on this site reads the GPS coordinates of a JPEG, PNG or WebP without uploading it, along with the date and device.
When there is no location
- The camera had no access to location.
- The photo went through a messaging app or social network, which removed it.
- It is a screenshot, which never carries the original photo’s location.
What remains are visual clues — signs, landmarks, vegetation — and reverse image search, which can find where else the picture appears.
A word of caution
Finding where your own photo was taken is harmless. Using someone else’s photos to work out where they live or are can be stalking, and is illegal in many countries. And the same applies to your photos: check what they reveal before sharing them.
Photo metadata viewer and remover
Check what a photo gives away before you send it. Runs entirely in your browser.
Open the tool