How to Remove EXIF Data from Photos on Mac
Photos can contain location, camera, and other identifying metadata. Before sharing a photo, check what the file contains and share a cleaned copy when you want to leave that information out.
Inspect the Photo First
Preview can show a photo's stored location.
- 1Open the photo in Preview.
- 2Choose Tools > Show Location Info. Apple notes that this is unavailable when the image has no location information.
- 3Check the exact file you plan to share, including any exported copy.
Create a Clean Copy with SaneClick
Select photos in Finder and choose the enabled Remove Photo Info action.
- ✓New copy: Creates a file such as photo_clean.jpg beside the original.
- ✓Personal metadata: Omits the source GPS, camera, and identifying EXIF fields when writing the copy.
- ✓Local processing: Uses macOS image frameworks without a separate image tool.
- ✓Batch selection: Process several selected photos in one action.
Share the Cleaned Copy
The original is unchanged and still contains its original metadata. Share the new _clean file. If that name already exists, SaneClick chooses another name instead of replacing the existing file.
What Changes in the Copy?
SaneClick decodes the photo and writes a new image without copying the source metadata dictionaries. The encoder may still include basic technical fields such as pixel dimensions and color space. This is not a promise that the file contains no metadata at all.
JPEG sources produce JPEG copies; other supported inputs produce PNG copies. Orientation is applied to the pixels so the photo stays upright. Re-encoding can change quality, color, and file size. Keep the original, and inspect the cleaned image before sharing it.
Check the Picture Too
Removing file metadata does not hide information visible in the picture, such as an address, face, or document. Review both the image and its saved file before sharing.