Behind the product

Behind the product: how MetaPhoto handles photo metadata and privacy

A practical look at what happens between choosing a photo and saving a stamped copy: which metadata the app reads, what stays on your device, when coordinates leave it, and how to handle the surprises in a real photo library.

A photo has pixels and context

MetaPhoto is now named Metadata Engraver. It adds a visible date, place, camera detail, map, or other chosen label to a new image. The text you see on the picture is an overlay; EXIF, IPTC, and other embedded metadata are separate information stored in the file. Changing one does not automatically change the other.

When you choose a photo, the app reads its original image data and metadata on your iPhone or iPad. It can use fields such as capture date, camera, and GPS coordinates to prepare the stamp. The original remains available in Photos; export creates a new image.

What happens to metadata

The app asks Photos for the original resource when the selected item has a Photos asset. It reads the file’s embedded fields first. If date or GPS values are missing there, it can fill those fields from the creation date or saved location attached to that selected Photos asset. Embedded values take priority. For an image supplied without a Photos asset, it uses the image data and embedded metadata available in that file.

This distinction matters with edited images and photos received through messaging or social networks: a service may strip metadata from the copy it sends. If the selected item is still in your Photos library, its asset record may retain a date or location even though the image file does not. If neither source has the field, the app cannot infer where or when it was taken. A blank location is better than a guess.

The “Keep original file metadata” setting is on by default. Turn it off to remove source camera, date, and location fields from the exported file while leaving the visible stamp unchanged. HEIC photos can stay HEIC; other images export as JPEG when matching the original format. In a batch, each output keeps only its own source metadata, rather than borrowing details from another photo.

Privacy: local work, optional map requests

Choosing a photo, reading its metadata, rendering the overlay, and preparing the export happen on device. The app does not upload your photo or finished image to the developer. It has no sign-in, advertising, advertising identifier, third-party analytics SDK, or cross-app tracking. A small history of recent app actions is kept locally and is not transmitted.

The app does not poll your device’s current location or track it in the background. It works with location saved on the selected photo or Photos asset. If you turn on a readable address, nearby places, or a map inset, it sends the relevant coordinates to Apple Maps for that lookup or image. Photo pixels are not sent for those requests; Apple’s handling is covered by Apple’s privacy terms.

Purchases are handled by Apple. An anonymous RevenueCat app identifier supports the Pro offer and entitlement checks; it is not tied to a name, email, or account. For the complete current disclosure, see the privacy notice.

Common photo-library surprises

The GPS field is blank. The photo may never have recorded location, or a sharing app may have removed it. Check the original in Photos; do not assume a visible place label is embedded GPS.
The date looks different. Capture time can differ from file creation or import time. Time-zone changes and edited copies can also affect what another app displays. Compare the original and exported file before relying on the date for records.
A screenshot has no camera details. A screenshot or re-saved copy is a different image file and often lacks the original camera and capture fields. The app can only use metadata that remains in the file or selected Photos asset.
The overlay is visible but metadata is gone. This is expected if you switch off metadata preservation or a later sharing service strips fields. A printed date or map is part of the pixels; it does not restore the original EXIF record.
You want a clean sharing copy. Disable file-metadata preservation before export when you do not want source GPS or camera details attached. Review the receiving app’s behavior too; it may transform images.

A simple way to use it

Select the original in Photos where possible, especially if you want the app to use its saved date or location when the file fields are missing.
Choose the visible details deliberately. Only enable address, nearby-place, or map features if you want the coordinate lookup described above.
Decide whether the export should retain source metadata. Keep it for continuity, or turn it off for a cleaner copy to share.
Save as a new image. Check a sample export in another photo app if exact file metadata or format matters to your workflow.
Keep a separate backup of irreplaceable originals. An overlay is useful context, but it is not a backup or a substitute for the source file.

The principle behind the product

A photo should stay useful without forcing you to give up control of the original. Metadata Engraver is designed to make helpful context visible while keeping the source image and your choices in your hands. For more on EXIF, IPTC, and XMP, or on preserving a photo collection, see the related guides.

Metadata Engraver privacy and metadata questions

Does MetaPhoto upload my photos?

No. MetaPhoto, now Metadata Engraver, processes the selected image and renders the export on your device. Photos and finished images are not uploaded to the developer.

Does Metadata Engraver use my current location?

It does not read your device’s current location or track you in the background. For a selected Photos asset, it can use that asset’s saved location when embedded GPS is missing. Optional address, nearby-place, and map features send coordinates to Apple Maps.

Can I remove location data but keep the visible date stamp?

Yes. Turn off “Keep original file metadata” before exporting. This removes source camera, date, and location fields from the file; the visible overlay remains.

Why is a photo’s location missing?

The source file may not contain GPS, or a service may have stripped it. If the selected Photos asset has no saved location either, there is no location for the app to display.

Does the app change my original photo?

No. It creates a separate stamped export and saves it as a new image. Your original remains in the library.