Photos sent the normal way through WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, and photos posted publicly on Facebook, Instagram and X, generally have location and camera data stripped. Photos sent as a file or document, through iMessage, by email, or as a Google Drive, Dropbox or iCloud link usually keep everything, including GPS.
The comparison
Most messaging apps don't officially document what they strip, so much of this comes from independent tests. Behaviour can change with app updates. The safest habit is to remove metadata yourself, or test once: send a photo to yourself and drop the received file into our EXIF viewer.
| App or method | Location and camera data | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp, normal photo | Removed | Sending as document keeps everything |
| Signal, normal photo | Removed | Sending as a file attachment may keep it |
| Telegram, compressed photo | Removed | Send as file keeps everything |
| iMessage / Messages | Kept | Unless you turn off Location in share Options |
| Facebook, Instagram, X: public posts | Removed from the public copy | The platform still receives the original |
| Instagram DMs | Reported inconsistent | Don't rely on it |
| Discord | GPS removed | Other data reported inconsistent |
| Slack | GPS removed (since 2020) | Camera make and model reported to remain |
| Email attachment | Kept | Sent exactly as the file is |
| Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud links | Kept | Recipients download the original |
| AirDrop | Kept | Unless you turn off Location in share Options |
Why "send as file" keeps everything
Messaging apps strip metadata as a side effect of compressing photos to save data. When you send a photo as a document or file, the app sends the original bytes untouched, metadata and all. People often do this to keep full quality, without realising their location goes along with it.
The platform still sees it
When a social network strips metadata, it removes it from the copy other people see. The original upload, with your location, still reaches the company. If that matters to you, remove the metadata before you upload.
The reliable way
Rather than remembering which app does what, clean the photo before you share it:
- On iPhone: turn off Location in the share sheet. See the iPhone guide.
- On Samsung: tick Remove location data when sharing. See the Android guide.
- Anywhere: drop the photo into the photo metadata remover and share the clean copy. It removes location, camera details and dates, keeps the image quality, and runs in your browser.