Remove location and metadata from photos on your Mac, before you share them
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To remove location from photos on a Mac with FileDial, select them in Finder, hold the right Option key and choose Privacy › Remove location. Each photo gets a copy without GPS data, with the pixels untouched. To strip everything, choose Privacy › Remove all metadata instead. It works in bulk and runs on your Mac, so the photos are never uploaded.
How to do it with FileDial
- Select the photos in Finder.
- Hold right ⌥ to open the dial.
- Choose Privacy › Remove location, or Privacy › Remove all metadata to strip everything.
- Share the new copies; the originals keep their data for your own library.
- Optional: save Convert to JPG → Remove location as a recipe for iPhone photos.
Your original file stays untouched. The result is saved beside it, and every result has Undo.
Which option to pick
| Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Remove locationPrivacy | Before sharing: a copy without GPS coordinates, pixels untouched, other details kept. |
| Remove all metadataPrivacy | For maximum privacy: a copy without metadata, pixels untouched. |
| Remove camera infoPrivacy | When you want to hide camera details but keep the rest; copy with pixels untouched. |
| Edit metadata…Privacy | To change specific fields; empty fields are left as they are. Pixels untouched for JPG, PNG, HEIC and TIFF. |
What photo metadata reveals
Most photos carry hidden information called metadata, usually in the EXIF format. Phones record the date and time, the camera model, lens and exposure settings, and, when location services are on for the camera, GPS latitude and longitude precise enough to identify a building.
That is helpful in your own library, where it powers maps and search. It becomes a risk when the file itself is shared. A photo of your new sofa, posted to a marketplace or sent to a stranger, can carry the coordinates of your home. Photos taken at a child's school or a regular running route can reveal routines.
Some platforms strip metadata from uploads and others do not, and the original file you email, AirDrop or attach to a message usually keeps it. Removing the location yourself, before the file leaves your Mac, means you do not have to rely on each service.
- GPS coordinates: where the photo was taken.
- Date and time: when it was taken.
- Camera and lens details: which device took it.
Why not strip metadata with an online tool
Using a website to remove location data has an obvious flaw: to protect where a photo was taken, you first send the photo, coordinates included, to someone else's server. The FBI Denver Field Office warned on 7 March 2025 that free online file tools are increasingly used to spread malware and scrape personal data.
And uploaded files do not always stay private. In 2024 Cybernews found 89,062 user-uploaded files exposed through open Amazon S3 storage at two online PDF services, including passports and IDs. FileDial edits metadata on your Mac and never uploads files.
Other ways to remove location from photos on a Mac
The Photos app can leave location out when you export: choose File › Export and look for the option to include or exclude location information. On recent macOS versions, Finder's Quick Actions › Convert Image has a Preserve Metadata option you can turn off when making a copy. Preview's Inspector (Tools › Show Inspector) shows a photo's details and, in many versions, offers a way to remove location info.
Those options are scattered and mostly one photo or one export at a time. FileDial is better for batches, for choosing exactly what to remove (location only, camera details only, or all metadata), for editing specific fields with Edit metadata…, and for recipes and watched folders that strip location from everything you plan to share.
Questions
Does removing location change how the photo looks?
No. Remove location, Remove all metadata and Remove camera info all make a copy with the pixels untouched. Only the hidden data changes, and the original stays as it was.
What is the difference between Remove location and Remove all metadata?
Remove location takes out GPS data only. Remove all metadata makes a copy without any metadata. Remove camera info takes out camera details while keeping the rest. All three leave pixels untouched.
Are my originals changed?
No. Each tool saves a new copy beside the original, so your own library keeps its dates and places. Undo on the result card removes the copy if you made it by mistake.
Can I change a photo's date or other fields?
Use Privacy › Edit metadata… Fields you leave empty are left as they are, and pixels are untouched for JPG, PNG, HEIC and TIFF files. The result is a copy, so the original keeps its data.
Does FileDial see my photos or their locations?
No. Tools run on your Mac and files are never uploaded. Optional anonymous usage counts record which tool ran, never file names, paths or contents, and can be turned off in Settings › Privacy.