How to View, Edit, And Add Metadata to A Photo

Metadata is information about information. Sounds confusing? At first, it might be.

You can organize your data with this embedded information, and it is especially useful when you are handling a massive folder of images. Metadata could describe a photo with details like the caption, author, legal information, title, author, or method used to capture the image.

You may also use metadata to act as proof of ownership and provide information like usage rights when you publish work online. Let’s now find out how you can attach metadata to the photos you use.

Default addition of metadata

There’s automatic addition of some metadata to an image. To cite an example, your camera adds details about the lens used to take the photo and information about itself. The device you use automatically edits the metadata telling you the last time the file was opened.

Viewing metadata in Photoshop

Here’s how you can learn an image’s metadata on Photoshop.

• Open the photo you want to analyze.
• After going to the File menu, click on File info. Another option is to press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + I on Windows and on Mac, it’s Command + Option + Shift + I.
• You can copy or edit the metadata from there.
• To save your changes, click OK.

Exporting files in Photoshop without metadata

You’ll have to remove the metadata it contains before uploading an image to a site if it includes personal information like a person’s name. You can avoid editing the information manually by using the Export As feature in Photoshop. Here’s how:

• After opening the file menu, go to Export > Export as.
• Select the “none” option on the right pane below metadata.
• Finally, click Export.

Viewing and adding metadata on Windows

Even if Photoshop isn’t installed on your device, you can still edit and view metadata in an image. Here are the steps to do it on Windows:

• Select properties after right-clicking on the image.
• Select the details tab.
• Now, add the metadata to description, origin, author, and go through the steps that follow.

At the bottom of the properties, click on remove properties and personal information and select the data you want to delete if you’re looking to remove any metadata.

Viewing and adding metadata on Mac

To view and add metadata on Mac, you’ll have to use the Photos app. Having to import the photos into the app beforehand is the only disadvantage in this process. Here are the steps you need to go through to get started:

• First of all, the photo has to be imported into the app.
• Open the photo and click on the information icon on the toolbar.
• To view or edit the title, keywords, description, and more, you’ll have to select on the info panel.

Is removing metadata possible?

Until you decide to remove it, metadata stays within a file. The metadata continues to remain with the file even after you’ve changed the type. After you’ve posted a photo on a website, anyone may download it. By using Photoshop or any other editing software, they may check the metadata. And, in some cases, it might violate your privacy.

Certain web services can partially or fully remove a photo’s metadata. Some metadata information, like the camera information, is kept by default. To save space, Instagram is one of the platforms to remove everything, including copyright details and contact information. To test the details of the information preserved, you can upload some photos on a site and then download them to see what metadata remains. On some smartphones, you can remove metadata automatically from every photo you take.

Protecting all data online

Your privacy is precious. Your photos carry sensitive information about you. Malicious people mustn’t be able to track you through your photos. However, there are other online threats that might expose you more than you would like. For instance, online tracking is a big issue that netizens attempt to minimize as much as possible. Thus, they use tools that guarantee more privacy and anonymity. Private browsers are one of the available options, next to encrypted instant-messaging tools.

Furthermore, you can download a VPN. A Virtual Private Network hides your online identity by encrypting the connection between your device and the internet. It thereby obscures your online identity making it impossible for someone to track you online. Covering your tracks online prevents any intrusion into your privacy.

Conclusion

With metadata, you can protect and organize the digital work you do. If you publish your photos on sites, you’ll have claims to their ownership by adding metadata. You can also better organize your photos with the metadata telling you where and why a photo was taken even after years. We have shown you how to view, add, and alter metadata on various platforms. You are now better prepared to use your photos judiciously.