Knowing how to edit photo metadata in iOS 15 is sure to come in handy. After all, when you snap a photo on your iPhone, descriptive information called metadata is also gathered and stored along with it and it's good to be in greater control of the information.
In the case of iOS, the metadata enables you to determine when and even where an image was taken, although it also includes details of the iPhone model you used, as well as any lens information, file size, format and resolution.
Such data is stored in the Exchangeable Image File Format and now, thanks to iOS 15 (and iPadOS 15), it is possible to make alterations to some of it without having to install any apps. By editing the date, time and location, you can correct any mistakes or make any shared images more private. After all, you may not always want to show exactly when and where a photo was taken.
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Here we take a look at how it's done, but you must upgrade your device to iOS 15 first; we've got a separate guide for how to download iOS 15 if you're not sure what to do.
These steps work for photos you have taken with your own device (whether iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) or those you have imported.
How to edit photo metadata in iOS 15: Change the date and time
1. Assuming you have updated your iPhone to iOS 15, launch the Photos app then select the image you want to make changes to.
2. Next, either tap the "i" icon, which you'll find at the bottom of the screen, or swipe up on the image.
3. You'll see the date and time that the image was originally taken. To begin changing the metadata, tap "Adjust".
4. Now you can begin altering the date. If the new date is within the same month as the one currently showing on the screen, simply tap the day you want to change it to.
To alter the month and year, you can use the left- and right-facing arrows or swipe left and right on the calendar itself. You can also tap the arrow next to the currently showing month/year and use the carousel to help you quickly find the date you want.
5. You may also want to change the time. Just tap the original time displayed in the gray box and swipe up and down on the carousel to find the time you want.
6. You can also alter the time zone. Tap the current time zone and enter a different location in the search bar. Then tap the closest match in the list of results.
7. When you're satisfied with your changes, tap "Adjust" in the top right-hand corner.
8. If you change your mind, you can repeat all of these steps to make an alteration. You will find an option to tap "Revert" in the top-right corner to go back to the original metadata.
How to edit photo metadata in iOS 15: Change the location
1. In iOS 15, launch the Photos app and select the image you want to make changes to
2. You should see a map peeking from the bottom of the screen. Swipe up to view the map and tap Adjust. If you do not see a map, then it is likely you have turned off location services for the Camera app. See the instructions below to discover how to change this.
3. If you would prefer to hide where the image was taken, tap No Location. Otherwise, search for a new location in the search bar at the top of the screen. Suggestions will be made by Apple Maps. Tap a new location and it will be automatically included in your photo's metadata.
How to include location metadata when taking photographs
1. Location metadata will only be included with a photograph if you allow the Camera app access to your whereabouts. To check, open the Settings app in iOS and tap "Privacy".
2. First, tap "Location Services" and make sure it is turned on. Then scroll down the screen and tap "Camera".
3. Select "While Using the App". You can also use the toggle switch to indicate if you want your precise location to be used. Turning it off will only use your approximate location.
How to edit photo metadata in iOS 15: Change the date, time and location on multiple images
1. If you have a bunch of photos that you want to edit — perhaps all relating to a single event — then launch the Photos app and tap "Select". You can now tap all of the photos that you want to make metadata changes to.
2. Now, tap the "Share" button at the bottom of the screen and swipe up.
3. Either tap "Adjust Date & Time" or tap "Adjust Location". Both work in the same way described in the sections above.
More iOS 15 hints and how-tos
For more guides on iOS and more check out how to use Live Text in iOS 15, how to set up a notification summary in iOS 15, how to use Visual Look Up in iOS 15, how to set up your iPhone 13 using Quick Start, how to use Focus mode in iOS 15, how to use SharePlay in iOS 15 FaceTime, and how to add a drop shadow in Photoshop and how to add a background in Photoshop with these simple steps.
