iPhone photo guide

Put GPS coordinates directly on a photo

Photos can show a map privately; a coordinate overlay makes latitude and longitude visible on the image itself. This guide covers both steps and the privacy trade-off.

Check that GPS exists

In Photos, open the image and swipe up or tap Info. A map or location details indicate that location was saved. If there is no location, check the original photo; the current copy may have had metadata removed. Coordinates cannot be reconstructed from pixels alone.

Add latitude and longitude to the image

  1. Open the photo in Metadata Engraver.
  2. Open Content, then Location. Confirm that the app found coordinates for the selected photo.
  3. Enable Latitude and Longitude and choose a layout and position for the fields.
  4. Review the preview for legibility, then export a new copy to Photos or share it.

The app can also display an address, nearby place, or map inset when selected. Those optional lookups use Apple Maps; the coordinate stamp itself is processed on-device. A visible coordinate is a convenience, not independent proof that the camera clock or GPS was accurate.

Think about privacy before sharing

Coordinates can reveal a home, workplace, school, or sensitive site. A visible overlay will remain readable even if a service removes hidden EXIF data. Separately, export settings can keep or remove the original metadata. Review both the visible stamp and hidden file metadata before posting publicly.

Get the app

Download Metadata Engraver on the App Store to make a coordinate stamp from existing photo data. For checking a location privately, read Apple’s guide to browsing photos by location.

GPS coordinate overlay questions

Can I add coordinates to a photo that has no GPS?

You can type coordinates as ordinary text, but the app cannot recover or verify missing GPS metadata.

Does a coordinate stamp replace EXIF GPS?

No. The visible overlay and hidden EXIF are separate. Export settings control whether source metadata is retained.

Can people read the coordinates after social sharing?

The visible text is part of the image and usually remains readable. Hidden metadata may be treated differently by each service.

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