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Remove GPS from HEIC
Erase only the GPS location from the HEIC itself. Same pixels, same file size, camera details kept, and a verification pass over the result.
Input
Drop HEIC or HEIF files here
or choose them from your device
HEIC or HEIF · up to 100 MB per file · processed on your device
At a glance
- Input
- HEIC/HEIF, up to 50 files
- Output
- Still a HEIC, same size, same pixels
- Removes
- Location only
- Checked
- Cleaned file is re-read for GPS
What this tool does
This tool erases the GPS location from a HEIC and changes nothing else about it. The result is still a HEIC, the same length as the original, with identical pixels and every other tag in place: camera, lens, exposure and dates. In my test on a 5.9 MB, 12-megapixel file, 67 bytes out of 6,171,062 differed from the original, and decoding both files gave the same pixels. There is no re-encode and no format change, so there is no quality loss.
What counts as location is wider than the obvious latitude and longitude. The tool removes the GPS block from the Exif (position, altitude, speed, direction), including copies in secondary Exif sections and in the thumbnail's own Exif, and blanks location properties in XMP. In my test the XMP City property was removed as well. The privacy report then shows how many location tags each file had before and none after, with the coordinates themselves masked until you reveal them.
Before it gives you the file, the tool checks its own work. It re-reads the cleaned file with independent readers, searches the raw bytes for the original GPS values, and decodes the image to compare pixels. The result line reads, for example, "Re-read the cleaned file: 0 location tags. Image data identical." A file that fails any check is not returned. Because only the location is removed, serial numbers, the owner name, MakerNote and dates stay in the file; if you are sending a photo to strangers, read the limits below and consider the metadata page.
How to use it
- 01
Add your HEIC photos
Up to 50 files. A single file or a whole batch both work.
- 02
Keep Output on Cleaned HEIC
The page shows a notice that only location data is removed. There are no other settings to choose.
- 03
Press Remove location data
Each file is edited and then verified. Progress names the step: removing, then verifying.
- 04
Read the report
The Before and After table shows the Location row going from some tags to None. Removed and Kept list what changed and what did not. Switch on "Show values that were found" if you want to see the coordinates that were there.
- 05
Download the cleaned file
Files are named with -no-gps. A batch downloads as heic-cleaned.zip.
- 06
Use the JPG or PNG copy only if needed
If a file cannot be cleaned safely, you are offered a re-encoded JPG or PNG copy of it instead. It always works, but it is a new file.
When to use it
A marketplace or classified listing
A photo of an item taken at home carries your home's position. Remove it and keep the HEIC, so you do not lose quality or change the file you post.
Posting a travel batch while keeping dates
Strip the places, keep the capture times and camera settings, and the photos still sort correctly in a gallery or timeline.
A photo that has to stay a HEIC
A print service, editor or workflow that wants original HEIC files can still be given one without a location in it.
Checking a file you were sent
If the Before column shows no location, the file carries none now (it may have been stripped earlier), which is worth knowing before you decide whether to clean it.
Good to know
- 01Only location is removed. Serial numbers, the owner name, unique image IDs, dates, camera model and MakerNote all stay, and MakerNote is treated as an opaque block whose contents are not examined. For sharing with strangers, use the Privacy-safe preset on Remove HEIC Metadata.
- 02The picture itself is not analysed. A street sign, a recognisable skyline or a reflection still shows where you were.
- 03Tested on pillow-heif output and hand-built files, not on a broad set of genuine iPhone and Android photographs. The re-read after cleaning is the safeguard, and a file that fails it is rejected rather than returned half-cleaned.
- 04Location hidden in places other than Exif and XMP, such as inside a
freebox, cannot be scrubbed, so verification fails and you get nothing for that file. Metadata items of an unknown kind are left unchanged and listed as warnings. - 05Depth maps and HDR gain maps are kept, because they are image data, not metadata.
- 06It takes a few seconds per photo, because verification decodes the image: 7.7 seconds for a 12 MP file in my test.
Technical notes
Privacy and limits
Your file stays on your device
This tool runs in your browser with WebAssembly. The file is read into the tab, processed there and discarded when you close it — there is no upload and no account. You can check this yourself in your browser's network panel, and the privacy page lists what analytics does and does not receive.
Limits and checks
Up to 100 MB and 100 megapixels per file; batches of up to 50 files and 500 MB. Files are treated as untrusted input and every output is re-opened and validated before it is offered — see how we handle untrusted files.
Frequently asked questions
Related tools and reading
Last updated: . Something wrong or out of date? Tell us — corrections are recorded in the changelog.