How to strip gps geotags from android photos locally
- Step 1Open the tool and follow the redirect — The GPS / Geotag Remover is a cross-suite shortcut. Selecting it sends you to the EXIF Scrubber at /image-tools/exif-scrubber — that page processes the file. If you see 'GPS / Geotag Remover is a cross-suite tool', a file was sent to the security processor directly; open the EXIF Scrubber page instead.
- Step 2Get the Android photo onto this device as a JPEG — Most Android cameras already save
.jpg. If a Galaxy is set to capture HEIF (Camera settings → Advanced → HEIF pictures), the file won't decode on a Canvas — convert it to JPEG first with /image-tools/heic-to-jpg. Pull the file via USB, Google Drive, or a sync app; you can scrub directly on the phone's browser too. - Step 3Drop the photo onto the scrubber — Drag a JPEG (or PNG/WebP/BMP/GIF) into the upload area. Nothing is sent to a server — the image is read into browser memory and decoded into an
<img>locally. The free tier handles one file up to 10 MB; paid tiers raise both the size cap and the batch count. - Step 4Run the scrub — The tool paints the decoded image onto an HTML Canvas at its native pixel dimensions and exports a new blob. Because the export is a fresh encode, the result has no metadata block to carry GPS — there is no per-tag toggle and no options panel; the scrubber takes no settings.
- Step 5Download the clean copy — Save the file. A single image downloads as
clean.pngregardless of source format; JPEG input still produces JPEG bytes (the.pngin the name is cosmetic — rename to.jpgif a strict viewer rejects the mismatch). A multi-file batch returns each cleaned image. - Step 6Verify the GPS is gone — Re-open the download in the EXIF Map Previewer — a clean file reports 'no location data'. Or load it in /image-tools/exif-viewer; a scrubbed photo shows no GPS, no camera, and no timestamp tags.
What the EXIF Scrubber does to an Android photo, by input format
The redirect target decodes the image and re-exports it through an HTML Canvas at quality 0.95. JPEG input re-encodes as JPEG; every other format exports as PNG. The Canvas export carries no metadata, so all of it is removed regardless of format.
| Input format | Output format / filename | GPS & all EXIF/IPTC/XMP | Pixel fidelity |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg) — the usual Pixel/Galaxy save format | JPEG bytes, named clean.png for a single file | Removed entirely (fresh encode has no metadata block) | Re-encoded at quality 0.95 — visually identical, but not byte-identical (a second lossy JPEG pass) |
| PNG (.png) — Android screenshots | PNG, named clean.png | Removed entirely (PNG rarely carries GPS anyway) | Lossless re-encode of the decoded pixels |
| WebP / BMP / GIF | PNG (re-encoded), named clean.png | Removed entirely | Re-encoded to PNG; first GIF frame only (animation lost) |
| HEIF (Galaxy 'HEIF pictures' mode) | Fails to load on most browsers | n/a — file never decodes | Convert to JPEG first via /image-tools/heic-to-jpg |
Where Android puts location and how to turn it off at the source
Android device-by-device location-tag settings. Disabling these stops new photos from being geotagged; this tool cleans the ones you already have.
| Device / app | Location-tag setting | After scrubbing an existing photo |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel / Google Camera | Settings → Save location (toggle off) | GPS removed (plus device & timestamp tags) |
| Samsung Galaxy Camera | Camera → Settings → Location tags (off) | GPS removed (plus device & timestamp tags) |
| Android system camera permission | App permissions → Camera → Location (deny) | Stops future geotags; existing files still need scrubbing |
| Screenshots | No GPS written by Android | Nothing location-sensitive to remove (still re-encoded clean) |
Tier limits for the image-tools EXIF Scrubber
The scrubber lives in the image tool family, so it uses image-family limits — not the security-family ones. All processing is local; limits are guardrails on browser memory.
| Tier | Max file size | Files per batch |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 10 MB | 1 |
| Pro | 100 MB | 10 |
| Pro-media | 2 GB | 50 |
| Developer | 2 GB | Unlimited |
Cookbook
Concrete Android scenarios with what goes in and what comes out. 'before' rows are the metadata an EXIF reader shows on the original; 'after' rows are what it shows on the downloaded file.
Strip GPS from a Pixel photo before posting it
A JPEG straight off a Pixel with Save Location on carries a full GPS block. After the scrubber, an EXIF reader finds nothing — not just GPS, but the device model and timestamp too, because the re-encode produces a file with no metadata container.
Before (exiftool on PXL_20260518_142207.jpg): GPS Latitude : 47 deg 36' 22.0" N GPS Longitude : 122 deg 19' 49.0" W Make : Google Camera Model : Pixel 8 Pro Date/Time : 2026:05:18 14:22:07 Action: drop onto EXIF Scrubber -> download clean.png After (exiftool on the download): (no EXIF / IPTC / XMP tags found) -> rename to .jpg if a strict viewer dislikes the name
Plot a Galaxy photo's location, then scrub it
Before trusting the scrubber, confirm the Samsung photo actually carries GPS using the EXIF Map Previewer (it plots the coordinates on a map). Scrub, then re-check — it should now say no location data. The verify-scrub-verify loop.
Step 1 EXIF Map Previewer on original
-> marker drops on your home street
Step 2 EXIF Scrubber on the same file
-> download clean.png
Step 3 EXIF Map Previewer on clean.png
-> 'no location data' (= geotag-clean)Galaxy HEIF photo that won't load
If a Galaxy is set to 'HEIF pictures', the file is HEIF. Browsers can't paint HEIF onto a Canvas, so the scrubber can't decode it. Convert first, then scrub the resulting JPEG.
Drop 20260601_090210.heic onto EXIF Scrubber -> image fails to load (no clean output) Fix: 1. /image-tools/heic-to-jpg -> 20260601_090210.jpg 2. EXIF Scrubber on the .jpg -> clean.png (or disable 'HEIF pictures' in Galaxy camera settings)
Batch-clean a set of photos (Pro)
Cleaning a whole album of geotagged shots one at a time is tedious. On a paid tier the EXIF Scrubber takes a multi-file selection and returns a cleaned copy of each. Free tier is one file per run.
Free tier : 1 file <= 10 MB per run Pro : up to 10 files, <= 100 MB each Pro-media : up to 50 files, <= 2 GB each Drop 12 Pixel JPEGs (Pro) -> 12 clean images, each with GPS + device fingerprint removed.
Android screenshot — nothing to strip
Android screenshots are PNGs with little to no metadata, and photos taken with Save Location off carry no GPS. The scrubber still runs (producing a metadata-free re-encode), but there was nothing private to remove. Use the Map Previewer to tell the difference first.
Screenshot_2026-06-01.png EXIF reader: no GPS, no device tags Scrub anyway -> clean.png (metadata-free, same pixels) Photo with Save Location OFF EXIF reader: device tags present, NO GPS Scrub -> removes device tags too (full re-encode)
Edge cases and what actually happens
It strips everything, not just GPS
By designThere is no 'GPS only' switch. The scrubber decodes the image and re-exports it through a Canvas, and a Canvas export has no metadata container — so EXIF, IPTC, XMP, device make/model, software build, and timestamps are all removed in one pass. More thorough than a tag-by-tag delete. If you need to keep, say, the capture date while dropping GPS, this tool can't do that; it is all-or-nothing.
JPEG output is re-compressed, not a byte-copy
ExpectedThe pixels don't come through bit-identical for JPEG: the file is re-encoded at quality 0.95, a second lossy pass. The result is visually indistinguishable in normal use, but it is not the same byte stream, and file size usually drops. PNG and other formats export as a lossless PNG of the decoded pixels.
HEIF input fails to load
Unsupported inputGalaxies set to 'HEIF pictures' save HEIF, which most browsers can't decode onto a Canvas, so the image never loads and you get no output. Convert to JPEG first with /image-tools/heic-to-jpg, or disable HEIF in the camera's advanced settings so it captures JPEG.
Output is named clean.png even for a JPEG
Cosmetic mismatchA single-file run always downloads as clean.png. For JPEG input the bytes are real JPEG despite the .png name. Most viewers sniff the content and open it fine; a strict tool that trusts the extension may complain — just rename to .jpg. A naming quirk, not corruption.
Android 'remove location on share' isn't the same thing
Different scopeAndroid Photos can strip location from the *shared* copy, but the original file in DCIM, Drive, or a backup still has the GPS. This tool rewrites the actual file you feed it, so the saved copy you keep is clean — not just one outgoing send.
Animated GIF loses its animation
Lossy by designA GIF is decoded as a single frame and re-exported as PNG, so only the first frame survives and the animation is gone. The scrubber is built for still photos; don't use it to clean metadata from animated GIFs you want to keep moving.
Reached the security processor directly
ErrorThe GPS / Geotag Remover is a cross-suite tool that redirects to the EXIF Scrubber. If a file hits the security processor for this slug, it throws: 'GPS / Geotag Remover is a cross-suite tool. Open it at /image-tools/exif-scrubber to process files.' Use the EXIF Scrubber page.
File over the tier size limit
RejectedThe free tier caps a single file at 10 MB (a typical Android JPEG is 2-6 MB, so most fit). A 200 MP Samsung shot or a stitched panorama can exceed it. Pro raises the cap to 100 MB and Pro-media/Developer to 2 GB. Very large dimensions can also hit browser Canvas size ceilings independent of the byte limit.
Photo had no GPS to begin with
PreservedScreenshots, photos taken with Save Location off, and many downloaded images carry no GPS. The scrubber still runs and produces a metadata-free copy, but there was nothing location-sensitive to remove. Use the EXIF Map Previewer first to check whether a photo actually leaks a location.
Free tier is single-file only
Tier limitOn the free tier you scrub one photo per run. To clean a whole album in one go, the multi-file batch needs Pro (10 files), Pro-media (50), or Developer (unlimited). The per-file privacy result is identical across tiers — only throughput differs.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Android photo get uploaded?
No. The GPS / Geotag Remover redirects to the EXIF Scrubber, which runs entirely in your browser using an HTML Canvas. The photo is read into memory, decoded, and re-encoded locally — no bytes leave your device. Verify it by opening the browser Network tab while you scrub: no upload requests appear.
How is this different from Android's 'remove location on share'?
Android's option strips location only from the copy you're sending out that one time; the file in your DCIM folder, Drive backup, or gallery still has the GPS. This tool rewrites the actual file you feed it, so the saved copy is clean. It also removes everything else (device model, timestamps), not just location.
Does this strip every EXIF tag, or just GPS?
Every tag. The scrubber re-encodes through a Canvas, and the result has no metadata container at all — GPS, device make/model, software build, timestamps, IPTC, and XMP are all removed together. There is no GPS-only mode, so it can't keep some tags while dropping location.
Will the photo look different after scrubbing?
Visually, no. Dimensions and content are preserved. The one caveat: JPEG input is re-encoded at quality 0.95, a second lossy pass — visually identical but not byte-for-byte the same pixels. PNG and other inputs re-encode losslessly to PNG. For normal sharing it's imperceptible.
My Galaxy saves HEIF — can I scrub that?
Not directly. Most browsers can't decode HEIF onto a Canvas, so it won't load. Convert to JPEG first with /image-tools/heic-to-jpg, then scrub the JPEG. To avoid HEIF entirely, turn off 'HEIF pictures' in the Galaxy camera's advanced settings.
Why is the download called clean.png when I gave it a JPEG?
A single-file run is always named clean.png. For JPEG input the bytes are still real JPEG — the name is cosmetic. Most apps detect the actual format and open it fine; if a strict viewer rejects it, rename the file to .jpg.
How do I confirm the GPS is actually gone?
Re-check the downloaded file. Drop it into the EXIF Map Previewer — a clean file reports 'no location data'. Or open it in /image-tools/exif-viewer, which lists all metadata and shows no GPS, no device, and no timestamp tags on a scrubbed image.
Can I clean a whole album at once?
Yes, on a paid tier. The EXIF Scrubber accepts multiple files: up to 10 on Pro, 50 on Pro-media, unlimited on Developer. The free tier processes one file per run. Each photo gets the same full-metadata removal regardless of tier.
What's the largest file I can scrub for free?
10 MB on the free tier, which covers a typical Android JPEG (2-6 MB). High-resolution 200 MP shots or stitched panoramas can exceed it — Pro raises the cap to 100 MB and Pro-media/Developer to 2 GB. These are image-family limits, since the scrubber lives in the image suite.
Does it remove data hidden in the pixels (steganography)?
No. Metadata scrubbing doesn't touch the pixel values' least-significant bits, so LSB-hidden data in a PNG can survive a lossless re-encode. That's a separate problem — use the Steganography Decoder to detect hidden payloads. (Re-encoding a JPEG does tend to destroy LSB data, since JPEG is lossy.)
Can I scrub on the phone's browser, or do I need a computer?
Either works. The EXIF Scrubber runs in any modern browser, including mobile Chrome on Android, because processing is entirely client-side. Open /image-tools/exif-scrubber, drop the photo from your gallery, and download the clean copy back to the device.
What about location metadata in videos or documents?
This tool is for image files. For audio, the Audio ID3 Ghoster removes ID3 tags and album art; for Office documents the Office Doc Property Wiper strips author and comments from .docx/.xlsx/.pptx. To find redundant embedded preview thumbnails inside a file, use the Hidden Thumbnail Extractor.
Privacy first
Every JAD Security operation runs entirely in your browser. Files, passwords, and PGP private keys never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.