Do you want to get the GPS coordinates of photos on your iPhone? As long as you enabled the location setting for your camera app, then viewing those longitude and latitude points is simple with a free app or the Photos app.
In this brief tutorial, we’ll show you how to view the GPS coordinates of photos on your iPhone.
Use the Photos app
- Open a photo inside your iPhone’s Photos app.
- Swipe up or tap the ⓘ button.
- From here, tap the place name, which will open the Apple Maps app and show you the coordinates.
Use free apps for viewing GPS metadata
If you search the App Store for tools to give you GPS coordinates for photos, you’ll like see more than enough options. Here are just a few of those apps that do the job well:
- Exif Metadata
- Exif Viewer
- Koredoko
Each of these apps works just fine and provides metadata for photos you open within the app. Overall, obtaining the GPS coordinates for a photo couldn’t be easier.
Exif Metadata
Exif Metadata was developed by iDB to offer multiple metadata-related features to your iPhone and iPad photos. When you open Exif Metadata, you can select a photo or narrow down your search to specific albums.
You’ll get basic metadata in the photo preview, and you’ll also see all of the data with the GPS coordinates along with a map view. In the app’s settings, you can change the format of how GPS coordinates are displayed between Decimal Degrees, Degrees, Decimal Minutes, and Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds. The app also displays altitude in feet or meters.
Download Exif Metadata
Exif Viewer
Exif Viewer also makes it easy to see the GPS coordinates. Tap Open at the bottom to locate your photo. When you select the photo you want, you’ll immediately see the metadata, including GPS coordinates, latitude and longitude references, altitude, direction, and more as you scroll through the data.
Download Exif Viewer
Koredoko
Koredoko is one more app you can use to see the GPS coordinates easily. Tap the three-line button on the bottom left to access your albums and select your photo. You can see as you scroll through your images that photos with those coordinates display them in the preview. And, if you tap a photo, you’ll see these same coordinates with the photo on a map.
Download Koredoko
Do you have a favorite tool for snagging the GPS coordinates for photos on your iPhone? Share your recommendation with us in the comments below!
I’ve run across a few people lately who switched iPhones and were surprised to discover that their shiny new devices weren’t keeping track of the places where their photos were taken. The way I noticed this was by looking at the images after they’d been synced to Photos on the Mac; if you double-click on a picture to open it, you’ll see the place where it was taken on the toolbar at the top.
Alternatively, if an image has no location info attached, you’ll find that data missing in the toolbar.
Plus, if you click the “i” in the toolbar to get the item’s info…
…you’ll note that the location section is blank, with the window instead asking you to “assign a location.”
On iOS devices, you can see if an image has location data by opening it from the Photos app and then, once opened, swiping up.
I swear there’s a map hidden beneath my redacting.
Obviously it’s handy to know where your photos were taken (assuming you aren’t paranoid about your device tracking your location), so how do you enable this if it’s off? Well, first you’ll visit the Settings app on the device you’re taking pictures with…
…then tap on the “Privacy” section.
At the top, you’ll see “Location Services.” Select that.
Finally, find and select the “Camera” settings on the subsequent screen.
You’ll want to make sure that those options are toggled to “While Using the App” and not “Never.”
With Location Services enabled for your iPhone’s Camera pap, the pictures you snap with that device will have the location info attached if it’s available. Which is great, because that means you can search your Photos library by place! Or if you’re like me, it’ll mean that you can just remember where you’ve been. I’m forgetful like that.