Most cameras and phones write precise GPS coordinates into every photo. Before sharing images publicly, sending them to a client, or meeting a privacy or GDPR obligation, you want that location data gone, without degrading the photo or hunting through files one by one.
Do it in Parergon
- 01
Add the photos to Parergon
Drop in the files or folders you are about to share. Parergon shows you exactly which images carry GPS coordinates.
- 02
Apply a redaction template
Use the built-in location template, or the client delivery or GDPR one, to clear GPS and location fields across the whole batch in one action rather than file by file. You can also build your own template. Batch redaction is part of Parergon Pro.
- 03
Write the change
The coordinates are removed and the image itself is untouched, so quality is identical to the original. Field-based redaction keeps a backup for 7 days, so ⌘Z undoes it.
Parergon ships batch redaction templates for location and GDPR cleanup, so you can strip GPS from a whole shoot at once. For a quick one-off check with nothing to install, the free online viewer strips GPS in your browser.
Why this happens
Phones and many cameras write the exact coordinates into every photo, often accurate to a few metres: latitude, longitude, altitude and sometimes the direction the camera faced. Anyone who receives the original file can put it on a map.
Location also lives in more than one place. EXIF holds the GPS tags, XMP can hold a copy, IPTC fields spell out the city and sublocation in words, and videos carry their own QuickTime location. Removing the EXIF coordinates alone can leave a copy behind.
Some social networks strip location on upload, but email attachments, file transfers, client deliveries, portfolio sites and shared cloud links usually pass the original file on as it is.
Other ways to do it on a Mac
- Preview
-
Open the photo, choose Tools ▸ Show Inspector, open the More Info tab, then GPS, and click Remove Location Info. It works one file at a time and only on the coordinates.
- Apple Photos
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When you export, leave Location Information unticked in the export options. The photos in your library keep their location; only the exported copies lose it.
- ExifTool (free, Terminal)
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Remove the GPS tags from EXIF and XMP. Written place names such as City stay unless you clear them too.
exiftool -gps:all= -xmp:geotag= photo.jpg
Questions
Does removing GPS reduce the photo’s quality?
No. Only metadata is removed; the image data is not re-encoded.
Are the city and country removed as well?
That depends on the template. GPS coordinates and the written location (city, sublocation, country) are separate fields. Open the template to see which fields it clears, or make your own that drops the coordinates and keeps the city.
Does it work on RAW files and video?
Yes. Redaction covers RAW formats such as NEF, CR2 and DNG, TIFF, and video, including the GPS embedded in video files.
Can I undo it?
Yes. Field-based redaction keeps a recoverable backup for 7 days, and ⌘Z undoes it.
See the complete workflow: Deliver clean, safe files to clients →
Go deeper: Strip GPS in your browser with the free online metadata viewer.