Windows 11 / How to View, Edit, and Remove Photo EXIF Information

In Windows 11, you can inspect photo metadata by opening the file’s Properties → Details tab. You can edit some fields there and remove available properties before sharing, but the supported fields depend on the file format and the Details tab does not necessarily reveal every piece of metadata.

What is EXIF?

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a metadata format that a camera or phone can write into an image file. Metadata describes the image rather than its visible pixels. Depending on the photo, it can include the capture time, camera and lens model, exposure settings, orientation, and GPS coordinates if location recording was enabled.

Not every image contains these values, and an editor or format conversion can change or remove them. Windows may also display properties from metadata formats other than EXIF, such as XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform); Microsoft explains these distinctions in its image metadata overview.

Capture date and file modification date are different properties. Copying or editing a file can change the modification date, while an incorrect camera clock or time-zone setting can make the recorded capture time inaccurate. EXIF can also be edited, so it should not be treated as conclusive proof of when or where a photo was taken.

View photo information

The Windows Photos app can show information about an image, although its controls and displayed fields vary by app version. To inspect the file directly in File Explorer:

1. Right-click the photo in File Explorer and choose Properties, or select the file and press Alt+Enter.
2. Open the Details tab and inspect fields such as date taken, camera model, exposure, and GPS information. An absent field can mean the metadata field has no stored value or that Windows cannot read it for that format.

Edit available information

The fields you can change depend on the property and file type. Some values, such as title or tags, can be edited when an input box appears; the same interface cannot necessarily change every camera or exposure field. Microsoft notes that support depends on the file container and codec in its image metadata documentation.

1. If you need to preserve the original, first copy the image and open Properties → Details on the copy.
2. Click the value of the field you want to change. If an input box appears, enter the new value and select Apply or OK.
3. Reopen Properties and confirm that the value was saved. If the value cannot be selected or does not persist, Windows may not support editing that field in the file.

For a capture time or location that cannot be edited here, first check whether your chosen metadata editor supports the specific file format and field. Verify the result in another viewer as well.

Remove information before sharing

If a photo contains location or capture-time information, decide what to remove before sharing. The Properties dialog can make a copy without removable properties or remove selected available properties from the file. A copy helps preserve the original.

1. Open Properties → Details and select Remove Properties and Personal Information near the bottom.
2. To keep the original, choose the option to create a copy with all possible properties removed. To modify the original instead, choose the option to remove selected properties and select the fields. Available choices vary with the file and its format.
3. Select OK, reopen the actual file you intend to share, and check whether the location, capture time, author, or other intended fields remain. If you created a copy, check and share that copy rather than the original.

Do not assume this removes all metadata: other metadata formats or fields may remain, and an absent GPS field in Details does not prove the file contains no location information. If location privacy matters, inspect the shareable copy with a tool that supports its format. Information visible in the photo itself, such as a street sign or address, and information in the filename are not removed by deleting metadata. The ExifTool FAQ discusses format-specific limitations and preserving necessary information when removing metadata.