Where the coordinates live
On a phone JPEG they are inside the EXIF GPS sub-block: a latitude, a longitude, and a reference for north or south. The checker prints them as degrees when the tags parse. HEIC from an iPhone stores the same idea in a HEIF metadata item. A screenshot almost never has GPS, because the screenshot is a new image made by the phone UI.
Lightroom and similar exporters pass the location through when you allow it. They do not usually invent one. If you already turned location off in the export dialog, the checker will not show coordinates. See the Lightroom page for that dialog.
This pass also removes camera model, timestamps, software, XMP, IPTC, and any C2PA credential. That is broader than “delete the pin.” It is the right trade for a public upload and the wrong trade if the only copy of the shoot is the file you are about to clean. Keep a master.
Remove GPS from a photo
- 1
Use the original, not a screenshot
Screenshots have already lost GPS. They are also a worse image.
- 2
Confirm the coordinates
Drop the file on the checker. If no GPS line appears, this copy has no location tags.
- 3
Strip and download
The tool above removes the EXIF block. The card should not list GPS after that. JPG pixels are unchanged.
- 4
Upload the new file
AirDrop the cleaned copy if you are posting from a phone. The original in the camera roll still has the location.
GPS is not the only way a photo reveals a place
A street sign, a skyline, or a reflection can identify a location with no EXIF at all. Removing GPS does not crop the picture. It also does not remove SynthID or any other pixel watermark.
Questions
Does this remove GPS and leave the rest of the camera data?
No. The EXIF block is removed together, so shutter, lens, and timestamps go with the coordinates. Keep a private master.
Will the photo move on a map inside my phone?
Only the cleaned copy loses GPS. The camera-roll original is unchanged unless you delete it yourself.
What about HEIC?
HEIC location is stripped inside the file when the metadata item can be found without moving the image. Preview depends on your browser.
Is the file uploaded?
No. GPS is read and removed on this device.