When the “Location Services” feature is turned-on for the Camera App on iPhone, it results in the Camera app being able to automatically attach geotags (latitude, longitude and altitude coordinates) to photos and videos that you take by using the front and rear-camera of your iPhone.
The Location Information attached to the photos by the Camera App is gathered by using Mobile Data, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & GPS Networks and it can precisely pin-point the exact geographical location of the place where a particular photo or video was taken.
Why Disable Location Data for Photos on iPhone
While allowing the Photos app to attach geotags or Location Information to photos allows you to organize, categorize and search photos by location, it can allow other people to access the location data attached to your photos.
- Privacy & Security: When photos with attached geotag data are shared with family, friends and social media, they can end up revealing your home/office address and your daily routines.
- Monitoring/Stalking: Photos shared on social media can expose details and locations of the people that you meet; which can potentially expose you to the risk of being monitored or stalked.
- Business Activity: Geotag data attached to your photos & that of your employees can be used by competitors to track facility, storage and meeting locations.
Luckily, all that is required to turn-off geotagging for new or upcoming photos on iPhone is to prevent the Photos App from accessing the Location information stored on your device for essential apps like Apple & Google Maps.
In the case of existing photos, the location data is already attached to photos (If Location Services is switched ON) and it can only be removed by manually editing the photos.
1. Turn Off Geotagging for New Photos On iPhone
As mentioned above, you can easily prevent geotags being attached to New Photos on iPhone by preventing the Camera App from accessing your Location Data.
1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. On Location Services screen, scroll down and select Camera.
3. On the next screen, select the Never option to completely Turn OFF Geotagging for Photos on your iPhone.
This setting will prevent the Photos App from accessing the Location Data stored on your device and it won’t be able to attach Location information to photos.
2. Remove Location Data from Existing Photos on iPhone
You can remove Location Data from existing photos by making use of “Adjust Location” option as available within the native Photos App on iPhone.
1. Open the Photos App on your iPhone.
2. Select the Photos that you want to Edit
3. Once the Photos are selected, tap on 3-dots Icon and select Adjust Location option.
4. On Adjust Location screen, select the No Location option.
The edited photos will be stored on your iPhone with no location data associated or attached to them.
3. Hide Location While Sharing Photos on iPhone
If you like the idea of Location Information being attached to photos, you can take the precaution of hiding Location information; while photos are being shared on social media or being sent to someone by iMessage, WhatsApp or Email.
1. Open Photos App and select the Photo that you want to share.
2. Once the Photo is selected, tap on the Share Icon.
3. On the Sharing screen, tap on Options.
4. On the next screen, disable Location for the photo by moving the Slider to OFF position.
5. Make sure you tap on Done to save this change.
This will ensure that the Location information is removed/not available in the photo that is being shared on social media.