EXIF Metadata Viewer
View a photo's hidden EXIF metadata - free, no upload.
Your file is read entirely in your browser. It is never uploaded - which matters here, since EXIF data can include your exact GPS location.
What this tool does
Upload a JPEG photo and see its embedded EXIF metadata - camera make and model, the date it was taken, exposure settings, and GPS coordinates if present - read directly from the file on your device, never uploaded anywhere.
Reads camera make and model, capture date, exposure time, aperture, ISO and focal length from a JPEG's EXIF data.
Reads embedded GPS coordinates when present, converting them from the raw degrees/minutes/seconds format to plain decimal coordinates.
Reads directly from the file's raw bytes on your device - nothing is uploaded, which matters because EXIF data can include your exact location.
Displays the orientation tag as its raw stored number rather than a rotated preview, since this tool is for inspecting metadata, not correcting the photo.
Detects whether the file's embedded TIFF data is little-endian or big-endian and reads every tag accordingly, since JPEG EXIF data can be written in either byte order.
How to use it
- Choose a JPEG photo.
- Read the metadata found below.
Why use this viewer
Photos carry hidden details - camera, date, settings and sometimes location. Seeing them shows what you are about to share and helps verify an image.
Why we built it
We built the EXIF viewer to read the file's raw bytes on your device, so checking a photo for location data does not upload it. Remove the data with the EXIF remover and rotate with the rotate and flip tool.
If your task goes further, try the TIFF to JPG Converter and the ICO Converter.
Who this tool is for
- Photographers checking camera settings
- Privacy-conscious users looking for embedded GPS
- Investigators and journalists
When to use it
- Checking what a photo reveals before posting.
- Reading camera settings.
- Finding where a photo was taken.
- Verifying image details.
Why this matters for privacy
A photo can carry your exact location without it being visible anywhere in the image itself.
Many phone cameras embed the exact GPS coordinates where a photo was taken directly into its EXIF metadata - invisible when you look at the image, but readable by anyone who checks. Sharing an unedited photo from home can unintentionally share your home address. Checking a photo's metadata before posting it - which this tool does entirely on your device, with the photo never uploaded anywhere - is a real, practical privacy step, not just curiosity.
How EXIF is actually parsed from the file's bytes
The metadata lives inside a miniature TIFF file embedded in the JPEG, read directly by tag number rather than through an image-decoding library.
A JPEG's metadata lives inside its APP1 marker segment, tagged with the six bytes 'Exif\0\0', which wraps a small TIFF structure: a header naming the byte order (little-endian or big-endian), followed by an Image File Directory (IFD) of tag-ID/value entries. This tool walks that structure directly - reading the byte order first, then each entry by its numeric tag ID (0x010F for camera make, 0x0112 for orientation, and so on) - rather than depending on an image library. Exposure time, aperture, ISO and focal length live in a separate Exif sub-IFD, and GPS coordinates in a separate GPS sub-IFD; each is only reached if a pointer tag in the main directory names its location in the file.
GPS coordinates aren't stored as plain decimal numbers - they're three rational values for degrees, minutes and seconds, plus a reference letter for hemisphere. This tool converts them with the standard degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600 formula, then flips the sign when the latitude reference is 'S' or the longitude reference is 'W', arriving at the plain decimal coordinates shown in the results.
What you give it, and what you get back
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Input | A JPEG photo. |
| Output | Camera, date, exposure, ISO, focal length and GPS if present. |
| Privacy | Read in your browser. |
Issues you may run into
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing is found | The file has no EXIF, or is PNG or WebP. | Use an original JPEG. |
| Location is missing | The device or app removed it. | Many platforms strip EXIF. |
| Date seems wrong | The camera clock was off. | Compare with other evidence. |
Assumptions and limitations
- EXIF is a JPEG/TIFF feature - PNG and WebP files don't carry metadata the same way, so there's usually nothing to find in those formats.
- Many platforms (social media, messaging apps) strip EXIF data automatically before you ever download a shared photo, so a re-downloaded image often shows no metadata even if the original had some.
Frequently asked questions
How do I view a photo's EXIF data online for free?
Choose a JPEG and its metadata - camera, exposure settings, GPS location if present - appears instantly.
Can this reveal where a photo was taken?
Yes, if the photo has embedded GPS coordinates - which is exactly why checking before sharing matters, and why this tool never uploads your photo anywhere.
Why does my photo show no metadata?
Either it never had any (some cameras and editing apps strip it), or it's already been stripped by a platform - social media and messaging apps commonly remove EXIF data automatically.
Does this work with PNG or WebP files?
EXIF is primarily a JPEG/TIFF feature, so PNG and WebP files typically don't carry the same metadata to read.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Reading happens entirely in your browser - nothing is sent to a server, which matters given what EXIF data can contain.
Does the orientation field show a rotated preview of my photo?
No - it shows the Orientation tag's raw numeric value exactly as stored in the file, rather than rotating the image, since this tool inspects metadata rather than modifying the photo.
How are GPS coordinates converted from EXIF's format to plain coordinates?
EXIF stores GPS coordinates as degrees, minutes and seconds rather than decimal degrees. This tool converts them with degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600, then applies the sign for a South latitude or West longitude reference, producing the standard decimal coordinate pair shown in the results.