What is the difference between EXIF, IPTC and XMP?

EXIF is technical data recorded automatically by the capture device. IPTC is editorial data usually added by a person, like captions and copyright. XMP is a newer Adobe standard that bundles both in an extensible XML format.

Can the tool guess where a photo was taken if there is no GPS data?

No. The tool only displays coordinates that are actually recorded inside the file. It does not visually analyze the image to guess a location, since that would be inaccurate and raises real privacy concerns.

EXIF · IPTC · XMP · GEOLOCATION

See everything your photo is hiding — free, and never uploaded

Upload any image and this tool reads every metadata field actually stored inside the file itself — all EXIF fields (device, model, lens, shooting settings), GPS coordinates if recorded, plus full IPTC (caption, keywords, copyright), XMP and ICC data. Processing happens entirely inside your browser; the photo is never sent to any server.

No upload, no server

100% free, no account

Instant results

Drag a photo here, or click to choose one

JPG · PNG · HEIC · WEBP · TIFF · AVIF

All reading happens locally in your browser via JavaScript — the photo is never sent to or stored on any server.

Full metadata report

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▸ View all raw fields, unfiltered (raw JSON)

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How the tool works

Almost every digital photo carries an invisible layer of metadata alongside the pixels, and the most common standard for it is EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format). This tool uses an open-source EXIF parsing library that runs entirely inside your browser (JavaScript). It reads the binary structure of the image file directly — the same way desktop software like Adobe Lightroom or a file explorer's "Properties" panel does — without sending a single byte of the file to any server.

Choose or drop a photo

The file is read directly from your device's memory — it is never transmitted anywhere.

The browser parses the file structure

JavaScript walks the image's binary segments to locate EXIF, IPTC, XMP and ICC blocks.

Fields are organized into a report

Camera details, capture settings, timestamps, and location (if present) are grouped into readable cards.

Nothing is saved

Close the tab, and the photo and its data are gone. There was never a server copy to begin with.

EXIF

Technical data recorded automatically by the capture device: camera, lens, settings, date and sometimes location.

IPTC

Editorial data usually added by a person: description, keywords, byline and copyright notice.

XMP

An Adobe standard in XML format that bundles EXIF and IPTC data together with extra edit history.

Features

Full field coverage

EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP and ICC color profile data in one report, not just a handful of common tags.

Runs entirely client-side

No file is ever transmitted. Everything happens with JavaScript inside your own browser tab.

Interactive GPS map

When coordinates are present, they're plotted on an embedded map with a direct link to open it in Google Maps.

Wide format support

JPG, PNG, TIFF, WEBP, HEIC and AVIF are all supported, with results adapting to what each format stores.

Raw JSON export view

Every parsed field is also available unfiltered, useful for developers or closer inspection.

No account, no limits

No sign-up, no watermark, no daily cap on how many photos you can inspect.

Pros and cons

Advantages

Private by design: since nothing is uploaded, there's no server-side copy of your photo to worry about.
Fast: results appear in under a second for most images, with no network round-trip.
Free and unrestricted, with no registration wall.
Transparent: the tool only shows what's actually written in the file, never a guess.

Limitations

If a photo has already had its metadata stripped (e.g. by a messaging app), there's nothing left to read.
Very large image files can take a moment longer to parse on older devices.
Some proprietary maker-specific tags from certain camera brands may not be labeled in plain language.
It cannot recover metadata that was never recorded, or restore data a platform deliberately removed.

EXIF vs. IPTC vs. XMP

Standard	Who writes it	Typical content
EXIF	Camera or phone, automatically	Make, model, lens, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, timestamp, GPS
IPTC	A person, manually	Caption, keywords, byline, credit, copyright
XMP	Editing software (e.g. Photoshop)	Combines EXIF + IPTC in XML, plus edit history

Why do some photos show no data at all?

This is common and is not a bug in the tool. The usual reasons metadata is missing:

Social and messaging apps: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and X strip most EXIF data automatically when a photo is uploaded or sent, specifically to protect the sender's privacy (especially location).
Screenshots: they carry no camera data because they were never captured with a lens.
Phone privacy settings: some devices don't enable GPS tagging for photos by default.
Deliberate cleaning tools: some editing or sharing software strips EXIF on purpose before a photo is shared.

Common uses for checking photo metadata

Verify a photo's origin

Check the device and capture date before publishing an image or citing it as a source.

Organize a photo archive

Sort images by camera, date, or shooting settings for professional photography workflows.

Protect your own privacy

Confirm there's no GPS location embedded before posting a personal photo publicly online.

Learn photography settings

Review the ISO, aperture and shutter speed behind a shot to improve your own technique.

Frequently asked questions

Is my photo uploaded to a server?

No. All analysis happens inside your browser via JavaScript. The photo never leaves your device.

Why is GPS data missing from some photos?

Because social and messaging platforms strip EXIF automatically on upload, and some phones don't enable location tagging by default. See the section above for more detail.

What's the difference between EXIF, IPTC and XMP?

EXIF is automatic technical data, IPTC is editorial data added by a person, and XMP is a modern XML format that bundles both. More detail in the full EXIF guide.

Can the tool guess where a photo was taken if there's no GPS data?

No. The tool only shows coordinates actually recorded in the file, and never visually analyzes the image to guess a location.

See all frequently asked questions →