Since iOS 11 an iPhone saves photos in the HEIC format by default (Settings, Camera, Formats, High Efficiency). A HEIC file is smaller than a JPEG at the same quality, and it holds the same kinds of records: the position, the date and time, the camera and lens, the phone model and software version, and Apple’s own maker notes.
What a HEIC photo reveals
| Record | Example |
|---|---|
| GPS | Latitude, longitude, altitude and direction |
| Camera | iPhone model, lens, exposure settings |
| Date and time | When the shutter was pressed |
| Software | The iOS version and any editing app |
| Maker notes | Apple-specific data, including an identifier that links a still with its Live Photo video |
Option 1: switch location off when you share
In the Photos app, select a picture, tap Share, then Options at the top of the share sheet, and turn Location off. The shared copy has no position. This works for that share only.
Option 2: stop recording the location
Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, then choose Never. New photos will have no position, but your Photos app can no longer show them on a map.
Option 3: clean the file
The HEIC Metadata Remover deletes the position, the camera and phone details, the dates and the maker notes without re-encoding the image, so the quality is unchanged. The colour profile stays, so the photo looks the same.
Live Photos and videos
A Live Photo is a HEIC still plus a short MOV video. Clean the still with the HEIC tool and the video with the Video Metadata Remover, which removes the position and device tags from the clip.