# Photo Investigator: GPS & EXIF — Edit Metadata + Detect AI Art > View, edit, and remove photo and video metadata, including location and EXIF data. (iPhone/iPad app by Daniel Anderson.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-investigator-gps-and-exif/id571574618 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Daniel Anderson](https://appshunter.io/developer/434333497) - Category: Photo & Video, Utilities - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.40/5 from 1,451 App Store ratings · 526 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 74 MB - Languages: American English, Arabic, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Hebrew, Hindi and 13 more - Released: 2012-11-26 - Data updated: 2026-08-26 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-investigator-gps-and-exif/id571574618/reviews.md ## What is Photo Investigator? Your photos know more than you think. Every image your iPhone takes secretly stores GPS coordinates, timestamps, and device details. And in the age of AI, it stores fingerprints that reveal whether the picture came from a camera or a machine. Photo Investigator shows you exactly what's hidden, and gives you the tools to remove what you don't want to share. NEW IN 8.1: AI IMAGE DETECTION Photo Investigator now flags AI-generated images using on-device metadata signals. No image leaves your phone. We check three layers: • C2PA Content Credentials: the signed provenance standard backed by Adobe, Microsoft, and others. When an AI tool signs an image cryptographically, we read the manifest and surface it. • XMP DigitalSourceType: the field that conforming AI generators write to declare origin (trainedAlgorithmicMedia). Used by Instagram, Facebook, and X for their "Made with AI" labels. • EXIF fingerprints: the gaps real cameras don't have. Authentic photos carry focal length, lens model, ISO, and a shutter timestamp. AI-generated images often don't, and some generators name themselves in the CreatorTool field. No signal is perfect. Screenshots and recompression erase a lot, but for unmodified AI exports the signals are usually there. We put them in front of you, on the metadata you already trust. THE PRIVACY TOOLS • Strip GPS: remove precise coordinates, altitude, and compass direction before sharing • Clear timestamps, device details, copyright, and creator fields • See at a glance whether a photo reveals where you live, work, or travel • Use the Photos editing extension to clean metadata without leaving Photos • Templates for one-tap presets across an entire photo selection • Edit confirmation: review every change before it's saved THE DEEPEST METADATA VIEWER ON iOS • Every EXIF, IPTC, and XMP field in one place: nothing hidden from you • GPS coordinates, altitude, direction, and UTC capture time • Camera make, model, lens, focal length, ISO, shutter speed, aperture, color space • IPTC: creator, copyright, description, keywords, credit, source • XMP: edit history, ratings, Content Credentials, AI provenance • Video: codec, resolution, frame rate, HDR data, plus audio export • Extended attributes (xattr): which app created the file, original filename, timezone, system-level fields iOS doesn't surface anywhere else • Depth maps, Live Photo flags, HDR flags, WebP hidden metadata, RAW support INSPECT FROM ANYWHERE • Photos editing extension: review and edit metadata without leaving Photos • Share sheet extension: inspect any file's metadata from Messages, Files, or any app • Open any location instantly in Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, or Maps.me • Browse your full photo and video library with metadata visible at a glance MADE FOR • Privacy-conscious users who share photos online and want to know what they're broadcasting • Journalists and investigators verifying image authenticity and provenance • Photographers managing camera settings, copyright, and editorial metadata • Researchers and forensic analysts who need a full technical record, including xattr and C2PA Content Credentials • Anyone curious about what their phone quietly records every time they tap the shutter THE MAP Every geotagged photo in your library plotted on a satellite map. Tap any pin to open the photo and its metadata. The arrow shows which way the camera was pointing. Note: viewing all metadata is free. Editing and removing metadata requires a one-time in-app purchase. In the App Store since 2012. Built and maintained by a single developer who cares about your privacy. ## Key features - View all photo and video metadata - Edit/remove location data - Edit/remove captions and copyright - Edit/remove date metadata - Open location in map apps - View depth maps - See photo versions ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Complete Unlock | $2.99 | one-time | | Photo Investigator 7.0 Unlock | $4.99 | one-time | | 7.0 Loyalty Unlock | $2.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Photo Investigator? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Great for beginners - 🚀 Intuitive and clean UI - 🚀 Helpful and responsive developer - 🚀 Excellent metadata extraction - 🚀 Useful for fact-checking images/videos - 🚀 Reliable and solid app **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy after updates - 🐛 Sluggish performance - 💰 Requires paid upgrade to edit metadata - 💰 Asks to pay again after previous purchase - 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection - 🔍 Lacks bulk editing options **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes after recent update - Metadata editing not working as expected - Incorrect file size and video info displayed - Location mapping inaccurate in certain regions **Most requested features** - Add ability to edit IPTC metadata - Implement dark mode option - Allow batch processing of photos - Add option to automatically remove metadata - Improve integration with iCloud Photo Library ## Recent user reviews (10 of 526) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-investigator-gps-and-exif/id571574618/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Indispensable - I use this every day! *2026-07-01, version 8.1.1* This utlilty beats any other EXIF app I've tried and I've tried about 20 of the best I could find! (Metapho, View EXIF, PhotoMeta, EXIF Wizard Pro, etc) This is the only one to truly show all the stuff! I absolutely CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT. Trust me, THIS IS THE ONE YOU WANT. Also - buy the upgrade. I did just to help encourage this developer to keep this app going for years to come because I can’t imagine not having it. 10Y Update: I’ve had this app over 10 years now! Still use it every day. ### 5/5 — Great app, responsive dev *2026-06-25, version 8.1.1* Previous build's bug fixed, plus at least one of my suggestions implemented--thanks! A useful, fast, sleeper app. 👌 ### 5/5 — Indispensable for Photographers *2026-06-25, version 8.1.1* Photo Investigator has been my go-to when it comes to searching/indexing my photos online. For example, though VSCO embeds information that allows quick searches using Google Photos or Flickr, Snapseed does not. Photo Investigator allows me to create a template that embeds that info, all while preserving location data, etc. It’s been my most commonly used app, tbh. The developer has also been very responsive when I reported any issues. ### 3/5 — getting there but a few issues *2026-06-25, version 8.1.1* Thank you for quickly dealing with the Files issue, but there’s a couple of things (one quite crucial) that are a problem for my work. 1] To open from Files, we have to allow Photos access in System Settings or else the open dialogue won’t load - so in Settings I have to set Photos access to ‘Limited Access’ to keep my photos private (ok so far), but then what happens is upon opening the App it shows all the thumbnails of Recent Files - which is a big no go for me as I work on multiple cases and often have clients looking at my screen. 2] Much less important a problem, but the ‘Saved From’ field shown on all images says: Investigator (which doesn’t seem right?) ### 3/5 — Only works with Photos app *2026-06-22, version 8.1* Unfortunately I can’t use or even test this app as it only opens images that are in your Photos app, and not in Files (where all of the images are that I need to check). The images I want to check are client related and will never be in my Photos app I’m afraid. Having said that, it looks well made and if you only use your Photos app then this should be ok for you. I tried it on my MacBook too. ### 5/5 — Doesn’t work for Photos to be posted to FB. *2026-06-21, version 8.1* Converter photo. Used the web version of FB with Google Chrome as browser but not displayed as 3D photo. ### 4/5 — 8.1 bug workaround... *2026-05-30, version 8.1* Always a great app--I use it dozens of times/day, happily. New update (~ 5/28/2026) introduced a bug where: after doing a multiple-select, I'll hit DONE button, but it takes me to thumbs selection in FILES. No way to process further. Workaround: after selecting multiple thumbs, rotate iPhone to Landscape orientation, then hit that DONE button. Continue as usual. (Bug: overlapping touch targets.) ### 5/5 — Old and Useful Friend *2026-05-30, version 8.1* Dunno know how long I’ve used this app for the purpose of adding, editing, and deleting metadata. Map is very usefully to jiggle a marker onto just the right location. Never a fail or mess up experienced on this rock solid app. Do appreciate the idea of simple edits UI and in-depth option. Absolutely worth the shekels the developer requests for this primo editing app. Thanks VanDersons! ### 2/5 — I like this, but .. *2026-05-20, version 8.0.1* Update: Changed to different mobile phone but unable to restore my purchase. ——————- Easy to use, and does what it promises. Kudos to developer(s) ### 5/5 — The best for location & date edits ! *2026-03-29, version 8.0.1* Not only is this app easy to use, it can modify EXIF info and metadata that other apps can’t. If you need to correct the location or the time and date of pictures, this app is the best one. I must’ve tried a half-dozen before I landed on this one and I highly recommend it. It’s straightforward and it always works, even on the latest model iPhones. Get it, you won’t regret it. Thank you to the creator of this app from Canada ! ## Frequently asked questions about Photo Investigator ### What kind of metadata can I see with this app? You can view a comprehensive range of metadata for your photos and videos. This includes location data (if enabled), file size, date and time of capture, camera model and software versions, album information, and much more. The app also allows you to see depth maps for portrait photos and different versions of edited images. ### Can I edit or remove metadata like location? Yes, you can edit or remove sensitive metadata such as location (including direction and altitude), captions, copyright information, and the date. Please note that these editing features require an in-app purchase to unlock. ### How much does it cost to edit metadata? The app itself is free to download and allows you to view all available metadata. However, the ability to edit or remove specific metadata fields like location, captions, copyright, and date is a premium feature that requires an in-app purchase. ### What devices is this app compatible with? Based on the description, the app is designed for iOS devices, as it mentions integration with Messages, Photos, and other iOS apps, as well as compatibility with Apple Maps and Google Maps. Specific iOS version compatibility is not detailed but is generally expected to work on recent versions. ### What are the main use cases for this app? The primary use cases include protecting your privacy by removing location data from photos before sharing them, managing copyright information, correcting inaccurate date stamps, and simply understanding the technical details of your captured media. It's also useful for photographers who want to examine depth maps or different versions of their edited images. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 8.1.1 — 2026-06-23 Version 8.1.1 + AI detection, using C2PA metadata and other common metadata Bug fixes and stability improvements - Fixed multiple selection in the image picker for bulk editing - Fixed a crash when viewing or editing photos with certain timezone metadata - Fixed a crash in the analog clock metadata display - Fixed video playback being hijacked by Photo Investigator in Photos and Files apps Thank you for using Photo Investigator! ### 8.1 — 2026-05-28 Version 8.1 + Refreshed UI + Is it AI? Badge and Metadata + Edit history on videos (epstein cell footage reveals an edit history) More info: Tap the AI badge on a photo to jump straight into its AI Generated metadata New metadata type for videos, XMP: Edit Sessions, Source Clips, and Project File IPTC date/time now saves correctly using the IIMv4 format standard Limited Photo Library Access banner so you always know which photos the app can see Improved EXIF enum decoding for more informative camera setting values explanations Thank you for using Photo Investigator! ### 8.0.1 — 2023-03-29 - Fixed bugs that popped up in the latest large update: + Templates for editing metadata quicker + Edit metadata with action extension or the new Photos editing extension. Thank you! ### 8.0 — 2023-03-26 + Templates for editing metadata quicker + Photos.app editing extension + Now you can also edit metadata in the action extension or in the new Photos editing extension. - Fixed bug when editing both photos and videos while bulk editing - Fixed bug when removing all metadata - Many other bug fixes Thank you! ### 7.0.2 — 2022-07-19 + The extension now displays the altitude over the map, and other changes from the main app. + "Highest Quality" new on/off setting in the sidebar. Disable this if you want edited photos to have smaller filesizes. Thank you. ## Apps similar to Photo Investigator | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [InstaSize: AI Photo Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/instasize-ai-photo-editor/id576649830) | 4.7 (325,314) | Free | Photo & Video | | [Photomator – Photo Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photomator-photo-editor/id1444636541) | 4.5 (3,732) | Free | Photo & Video | | [Photoshop Express Photo Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photoshop-express-photo-editor/id331975235) | 4.7 (740,747) | Free | Photo & Video | | [Photo Lab PROHD picture editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-lab-prohd-picture-editor/id476312888) | 4.8 (11,422) | $29.99 | Photo & Video | | [VSCO: Photo & Video Editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vsco-photo-and-video-editor/id588013838) | 4.7 (276,797) | Free | Photo & Video | | [No Crop Photo Video Resize](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/no-crop-photo-video-resize/id914020246) | 4.9 (7,735) | Free | Photo & Video | ## More apps by Daniel Anderson - [Sudoku Solver: Hint or Solve](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-solver-hint-or-solve/id434333494) - [Vivid: Color Sudoku Puzzle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vivid-color-sudoku-puzzle/id756176898) - [Era: Daily Selfie Journal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/era-daily-selfie-journal/id1078155639) - [Custom Bubbles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-bubbles/id1163368797) - [Ramp Map: World Skatepark List](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ramp-map-world-skatepark-list/id1181566227) All apps by Daniel Anderson: https://appshunter.io/developer/434333497 ## Related topics [metadata viewer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metadata-viewer) · [photo analysis](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-analysis) · [metadata2go](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metadata2go) · [photo exif editor](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-exif-editor) · [photo metadata viewer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-metadata-viewer) · [photo data](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-data) · [metadata](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metadata) · [photo metadata](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-metadata) · [photo location](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-location) · [drone exif viewer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/drone-exif-viewer) · [exif tool](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/exif-tool) · [metadata remover](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metadata-remover) · [photo metadata inspector](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/photo-metadata-inspector) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*