Every photo your iPhone takes carries a hidden layer of data: GPS coordinates precise to a few meters, the exact camera and lens, exposure settings, and timestamps down to the second. Sometimes you want to read that data — which lens shot this? where exactly was I? — and sometimes you want to make sure it's gone before a photo leaves your phone. Here's the complete picture of what iOS shows you, what it doesn't, and how to get at the rest.
What the built-in Photos app shows
Since iOS 15, swipe up on any photo (or tap the ⓘ button) and you get an info panel: capture date and time, camera model, lens, some exposure basics (ISO, focal length, aperture, shutter speed), file name, resolution and size, and a small map if the photo has a location. You can even adjust the date or location right there.
For a quick "when and where," that's enough. But the panel is a summary, not the record. It doesn't show the full EXIF tag set, any IPTC data (copyright, creator, captions), color profile details, or timezone offsets — and there's no way to export what you see, or to check exactly which fields a photo will carry when you share it.
Seeing everything
A dedicated metadata viewer reads the actual tag tables. Peekmeta shows the complete set on one screen — full EXIF (make, model, lens, aperture, shutter, ISO), GPS with an interactive map, timestamps with timezone, IPTC copyright fields, and file internals (format, color model, bit depth). It runs entirely on-device: you pick photos through the system picker, nothing is uploaded, and the app can't see the rest of your library.
Two things the built-in panel can't do that matter in practice:
- Export. Peekmeta Pro writes the whole metadata set out as JSON, CSV or plain text — useful for cataloguing a shoot, documenting evidence, or debugging why a photo tool behaves oddly.
- Verify before sharing. Reading the tags is how you know whether a photo still carries GPS. Guessing isn't verification.
The other direction: removing metadata
Reading and stripping are two halves of the same privacy story. iOS itself offers a partial answer — when sharing, tap Options at the top of the share sheet and switch off Location (and "All Photos Data"). That covers the common case but is easy to forget and only handles the share-sheet path.
For deliberate cleaning, the catalog has purpose-built tools: Pixveil inspects and strips metadata by category (keep the date, drop the GPS), and Metaless writes clean copies while leaving originals untouched. Our guide to removing GPS location from photos before sharing walks through the whole workflow.
FAQ
Can I see EXIF data on iPhone without an app? Yes — swipe up on a photo in the Photos app (iOS 15+) for date, camera, lens, basic exposure and a location map. For the full tag set, IPTC fields, or export, you need a metadata viewer.
Does the iPhone strip EXIF when I share a photo? Not by default in most paths. Messages, Mail and AirDrop keep metadata unless you disable Location in the share sheet's Options. Many social platforms strip it server-side — after you've already uploaded it.
Can I export a photo's metadata as a file? Not with built-in tools. Peekmeta Pro exports the full set as JSON, CSV or text.
Is it safe to use a metadata app with my photos? Check two things: on-device processing (no uploads), and library access (system picker only, not full-library permission). Peekmeta does both — nothing leaves the phone, and it only ever sees the photos you hand it.