About EXIF Viewer
EXIF is the block of details a camera or phone writes into each photo. This page reads it and lays it out in plain terms. It helps when you want to know how a shot was made, settle when a picture was really taken, or check whether a photo reveals a location before you send it to someone.
The most important line sits at the top: whether the file contains GPS coordinates. Those are followed by camera and lens, then date and exposure settings, and the complete list of tags for anyone who wants the raw values. The file is read inside your browser and stays on your device.
How it works
EXIF data is a small TIFF structure stored inside the file, either in a JPEG's APP1 block or in a PNG's eXIf chunk. The parser reads the byte order, walks the image, EXIF and GPS directories, and names the tags it knows, including make, model, lens, exposure time, aperture, ISO, focal length, flash and serial number. Offsets that point outside the file are skipped, so a damaged block produces fewer tags and no crash.
Raw values are then turned into readable ones. An exposure time of 1/250 becomes 1/250 s, an FNumber stored as the fraction 14/5 becomes f/2.8, and a flash code of 16 becomes Did not fire. GPS is stored as degrees, minutes and seconds with a separate hemisphere letter, and the tool converts that into decimal coordinates. If the date has a time zone tag, it is shown with the offset.
How to use EXIF Viewer
- Press Select a photo, or drop the file on the box. Use the original from the camera or phone if you can.
- Check the location message at the top, then read the Camera, Date and settings and Image groups.
- Open All tags to see every value with its group.
- Press Download as JSON to save the data, or Remove this metadata to go to the remover.
A real run on a test photo
photo-with-gps.jpgWarning: this photo reveals where it was taken.
37.774900, -122.419400 (37° 46' 29.64" N, 122° 25' 9.84" W), altitude 52 m
Camera: Canon EOS R6
Lens: RF35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
Serial number: 012345678901
Date taken: 2023-05-14 10:33:11 (UTC+02:00)
Exposure: 1/250 s
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 400
Focal length: 35 mm
Flash: Did not fire
Orientation: Rotated 90 degreesThis is a test file, so its values are not from a real shoot. Notice that a camera serial number is in there too, which can link a photo to its owner.
When it helps
- Checking a photo for a GPS position before sending it to a stranger
- Seeing what settings produced a shot you liked, including lens and exposure
- Finding the real capture date of a picture when the file date has changed
- Checking whether a photo really came straight from a camera, or has been through editing software
Tips for a better result
- Ask for the original file when you need real data. Messaging apps and social sites often remove EXIF when they process an upload, so a saved copy from one of them may show nothing.
- Compare
DateTimeOriginalwithDateTimein All tags. The first is the moment of capture, and the second usually changes when software saves the file. - Use the JSON download to compare several photos side by side, or to keep a record of the details before you strip them.
Good to know
- JPEG and PNG only. WebP, GIF and HEIC files get a message rather than a result.
- Only EXIF is shown here. XMP and IPTC blocks are not listed as tags, though the Image Metadata Remover does find and remove them.
- Maker notes, the private block each camera brand writes, are not decoded.
- Metadata can be edited with common software, so it is evidence and not proof. A date or location here is only what the file claims.
- A PNG without an
eXIfchunk shows no result, which is normal for screenshots and most exports.
Questions people ask
Why does my photo have no EXIF data?
Editing apps, messaging apps and most social sites often remove it when they process a picture. Screenshots never had any. Try the original file from the camera or phone.
Does the map link send my location anywhere?
Only if you press it. Reading the file happens on your device, and coordinates go to OpenStreetMap only when you follow the link. The page tells you this beside the link.
Can I tell exactly where a photo was taken?
If GPS tags are present, you get coordinates usually accurate to the phone's position fix at that moment, which can be off by several meters or more. If there are no GPS tags, the file does not say.
What does Rotated 90 degrees mean?
Cameras usually store the pixels as the sensor saw them and add an orientation tag telling viewers how to turn the picture. It does not mean the image was edited.
What to use next
- Image Metadata Remover: to delete what you found before sharing the photo
- Image Compressor: if the photo also needs to be smaller for sending
- Image Resizer: to reduce the dimensions of a camera original
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