Free tool
Where was this photo taken?
Check what your photo gives away before you share it. See the exact location saved inside the file, when it was taken and on what phone.
- Runs on your device
- Nothing uploaded
- Works in airplane mode
Read on this device. Your photos are never uploaded.
How it works
How to find where a photo was taken
Most phones save hidden details inside every photo, called EXIF metadata. When location is on, that includes the GPS coordinates of where you were standing. This photo location finder, sometimes called an image or picture location finder, reads them for you.
- 1
Choose a photo
Pick one or more photos, or drop them on the box. iPhone HEIC photos work too.
- 2
We read the file on your device
The tool reads the photo's EXIF metadata: the GPS position, date and camera details saved inside the file. Nothing is sent anywhere.
- 3
See what it reveals
You get the exact coordinates, when it was taken and on what device, plus a link to open it in Maps if you want to.
What this tool can’t tell you
- It reads the location saved in the file. It doesn't guess a place from what's in the picture, and it isn't a reverse image search.
- “No location found” only describes this copy. The original on your phone may still have it.
- Screenshots, and photos taken with location turned off for the Camera, don't have a location to find.
- Many apps remove the location when you post or send a photo, but not all do, and sending the original file usually keeps it.
Without a tool
How to see where a photo was taken on your phone or computer
Your own devices can show a photo’s location too. These read the same GPS details as the tool above.
On iPhone or iPad
Open the photo in Photos and swipe up, or tap the Info button. If it has a location, you'll see a map with a pin.
On Android
Open the photo in Google Photos and swipe up. The location appears in the details, with a map if one was saved.
On a Mac
Open the photo in Preview, choose Tools, then Show Inspector, and look for the GPS tab.
On Windows
Right-click the photo, choose Properties, then the Details tab, and scroll down to GPS.
No location in the file? Other ways to place a photo
A missing location is normal, and it doesn’t mean a photo is fake. These can still help, but each one means sharing the photo with someone else, which is why this tool doesn’t do them.
- 01
Ask for the original file
If someone sent you the photo in a chat, the app probably removed the location. The original, sent as a file, may still have it.
- 02
Reverse image search
Google Lens, Bing Visual Search and TinEye can find other copies of a photo online, sometimes on a page that names the place. They work by uploading your photo to them.
- 03
Read the clues in the picture
Signs, shop names, landmarks, the language on posters and which side of the road cars drive on can all narrow it down. Treat any guess as a lead, not a fact.
Why it matters
What one photo can give away
Where you were
Phones save a GPS position in every photo when location is on. It can be precise enough to point to a single house.
When you were there
The date and time the photo was taken, down to the second, travels with the file.
What you used
The phone model, lens and sometimes the editing app are saved too.
Remove the location before you share
On iPhone, tap Share, then Options at the top, and turn off Location. That copy goes without where it was taken. The photo on your phone keeps it.
Stop your camera saving it
On iPhone: Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, Never. On Android, turn off location tags in your camera app’s settings (the name varies by phone).
Some photos shouldn’t be in your camera roll at all
VaultShield keeps private photos and videos encrypted on your iPhone, behind a lock of their own.
FAQ
Questions about photo locations
Ready to share? Remove the metadata from your photos. More free tools are on the way. See all tools. Or read how to hide photos on iPhone
Often, yes. When a phone's camera has location access, it saves the GPS position inside the photo file, as part of its EXIF metadata. This photo location finder reads that position and shows it as coordinates you can open in Maps. If the location was removed, or never saved, there's nothing in the file to read.
It's where the phone thought it was when the photo was taken. Outdoors with a clear view of the sky that's often within a few metres, which is enough to point to a single house. Indoors or between tall buildings it can be less precise.
No. The photo is read by your browser, on your device, and never sent to any server, ours or anyone else's. This page is set up so the browser blocks it from connecting to the internet at all, so you can turn on airplane mode after it loads and it still works.
Either location was off for the Camera when it was taken, or it was removed later. Many messaging and social apps remove it when you send or post a photo, and screenshots never have one. The original photo on your phone may still have its location.
When you share a photo, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and turn off Location. The person you send it to gets the photo without where it was taken. To stop new photos saving a location, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, and choose Never.
Yes. It reads HEIC, the format iPhones use by default, as well as JPEG, PNG, TIFF and AVIF. Some browsers can't show a preview of a HEIC photo, but the location is still read.
Only if the file still has its location saved. Most websites and social apps remove it when photos are uploaded. This tool doesn't guess locations from landmarks or use AI, because that would mean sending your photo to a server.
They can if you send them a photo taken at home that still has its location saved. The coordinates can point to your house. Check a photo here before you share it, and turn off Location in the share options, or stop the Camera saving it at all.
Yes. The location is ordinary metadata, so it can be edited, and an edited or AI-made image can carry any location or none. Treat the coordinates as what the file claims, and check that the place matches what's in the picture.
EXIF is the standard way cameras and phones save details inside a photo file: the date and time, the camera or phone model, settings like exposure, and the GPS location if location was on. You can't see it in the picture itself, but it travels with the file.