Follow the position of a photo: methods and tricks to succeed

Every time we take a photo, the information about the place where we took the recording is stored with it, via the EXIF ​​data. This means that when we open a photo view -app (such as Google photo It’s Android or the App Photo On iPhone) we can see exactly where a photo was taken or find all the photos taken in a precise place, without using special search engines or other useless apps.

Google photo actually makes Search for shots based on the position or for a precise geographical place Both on Android and on the iPhone.

Also read: How you can trace location and movements at any time with Google Maps

What are the exif measurements and how they work

When a smartphone or digital camera takes a photo, not only records the image. Records information as a date, time, the device model and, if the geolocation is active, the Coordinate GPS. This data called Exif (Interchangeable image format), are a kind of photo identity card. Not all images contain them: the formats JPEG one Tiffen support them while PNG O Poison No. And when the photo is taken in mode RAW Or adjusted, the metadata can be absent or changed.

Geolocation is often active on smartphones as standard, but can be switched off manually. Many social networks such as Instagram or Facebook remove exif data for privacy problems, making it more difficult to trace the place. But with the right tools you can still discover something.

How to find the GPS coordinates of a photo

Is the photo contains Exif metadatiExpleasing the GPS coordinates is the first step. Click on a Windows computer with the right button on the image, select “Properties” and go to the “Details” tab. Here, in the section GPSThere are latitude and longitude. On macOS, the app Sample Show a card with the exact place if you select “Tools” and then “Show information about the position”.

For those who prefer the internet, there are free tools that analyze metadata without installing the necessary software:

• Exif.tools: Upload the photo and show all EXIF ​​data, including the GPS coordinates, in a few seconds.
• Metapicz: simple and fast, the metadata and, if present, a map with the location.
• Jeffrey’s image metadata -kijker: Perfect for those who are looking for full technical details, with a somewhat dated but effective interface.

As soon as the coordinates have been obtained, simply add them Google Maps Or another map service to view the place. But be careful: if the photo is downloaded from a social or sent via WhatsApp, the metadata may have been removed. Alternative approaches are needed in these cases.

Read too -> Edit or delete the EXIF ​​data of photos, images and files

When metadata is not enough

If the EXIF ​​data is absent, you can try to identify the place via visual details. A famous monument, a traffic sign or even a sign of a store can be valuable instructions. Here comes the Reverse images of imagesComparing the photo with other online images to find correspondences.

Useful tools include:

• Google images: By clicking on the camera icon, you can load an image or stick the URL. It works well for iconic places, but less for few well -known corners.
• Tineye: Specialized in reverse research, allows you to filter the results to find older or more manipulated versions of a photo.

An alternative Google -Lensintegrated in Google photo Or available as an app on Android and iOS. Just aim the photo and, if she recognizes a reference tip point, the place suggests. It is not infallible, but it can be surprised for its ability to identify apparently insignificant details.

Smartphone -Tools: Simplicity at hand

Native apps often simplify work on mobile devices. On iPhone, the app Photo Show a card with the location of the recording by clicking on the “I” icon under the image.

Su android and iOS, Google photo It is just as handy: open a photo, touch the information icon (three points or the “i”) and scroll to the position section. As me Exif metadati They include the GPS coordinates, a map with the exact place is displayed. The “Placing” tab of the app automatically organizes photos per location, but only if geolocation was active at the time of recording.

For those who are looking for more technical details, apps look like Photo metadata -viewer (Android) O Photo researcher (iOS) extract the EXIF ​​data directly from the telephone. They clearly show coordinates, date and settings of the camera. However, when the photo is received via WhatsApp, the metadata is often removed. In these cases, requesting the original E -mail file can make a difference.

Google Photo offers much more: we can view all the photos taken in one place, it seems that the data stored in the individual EXIF ​​files. To continue, we open the app, we print on the sun below Collection And we open one of the automatic albums made by the app (Viaggo A” Day a” Evening a), so that all photos have been taken in a precise place or in a certain city.

If we want to look for photos of a precise place, we have to do nothing but press at the bottom of the menu ResearchOpen the screen Places And search for all indexed places; As an alternative, we can always use the search bar at the top, the name of the city, nation or place type that we have certainly visited in the past.

For more information we can read our guide How Google Photo works with editor, research and automatic management.

Deactivate the location of the photos

The GPS coordinates in the photos can be a gold mine for curious, but also a risk. Sharing an image with the intact exif data means revealing where it was taken, sometimes with disturbing precision. The great technology, with their social networks, often deletes this data, but not always.

To prevent surprises, geolocation can be switched off in the camera app. Just go on iPhone to Settings> Privacy> Location services> Camera and choose “Never”. On Android the option is usually in the camera settings.

As an alternative, tools such as Exiftol (Available for Windows, MacOS and Linux) You can delete the metadata before sharing a photo. Su WindowsYou can also use the option “Remove personal characteristics and information“From the” Details “tab of a photo.

Also read: Inspect a photo to find out where it was taken, when and with which camera

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