Getting rather frustrated that the latest Android strips location EXIF from the web file picker.
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Getting rather frustrated that the latest Android strips location EXIF from the web file picker.
Doesn't seem to be any workaround that'll let you pick a photo and have a web browser see the geolocation.
Like, I get the privacy issues, but it is rather frustrating for location-based web apps.
(Before reply-guying, please test if the code you found on a 4 year old StackOverflow post actually works on modern Android, thanks.)
@Edent Doesn't appear to be unique to the Web based file picker. I've just had a little go with the CycleStreets app (which I wrote). Taking a photo using the stock intent is geolocated, using the built in image picker to select an existing photo is not geolocated.
If I get a chance, I'll apply the change @dracos made in his code, and let you know if it makes any difference
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Anyway, if you think the web should have a way to get the *full* photo a user uploaded - including geolocation metadata - please leave a
reaction on this request https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11724#issuecomment-4192228562@Edent As long as it can be overruled by the user/owner I'd have no problem with it, but I can't see any purpose it would serve me.
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Getting rather frustrated that the latest Android strips location EXIF from the web file picker.
Doesn't seem to be any workaround that'll let you pick a photo and have a web browser see the geolocation.
Like, I get the privacy issues, but it is rather frustrating for location-based web apps.
(Before reply-guying, please test if the code you found on a 4 year old StackOverflow post actually works on modern Android, thanks.)
@Edent Ironically, libvips in it current settings in Mastodon adds a exif header to PNG-files and change to color mode from palette to truecolor, making optimized png larger in file size.
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@Edent Doesn't appear to be unique to the Web based file picker. I've just had a little go with the CycleStreets app (which I wrote). Taking a photo using the stock intent is geolocated, using the built in image picker to select an existing photo is not geolocated.
If I get a chance, I'll apply the change @dracos made in his code, and let you know if it makes any difference
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Anyway, if you think the web should have a way to get the *full* photo a user uploaded - including geolocation metadata - please leave a
reaction on this request https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11724#issuecomment-4192228562I actually logged in to Github to upvote this.
Slightly tangentially I get why back in the mists of time sites stripped metadata, all those bytes add up in bandwidth.
But it absolutely infuriates me that what was once done of necessity now seems to be blind habit — because that's the way it's always been done.
Regardless of the site I find an image on I want to be able to see *all* the metadata the original author provided.
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Anyway, if you think the web should have a way to get the *full* photo a user uploaded - including geolocation metadata - please leave a
reaction on this request https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11724#issuecomment-4192228562I've also raised a bug with Firefox. Android has a specific permission which will allow the browser to access the *full* location metadata of a photo.
2029620 - Geolocation EXIF stripped from media due to lack of Android Permission ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION
UNCONFIRMED (nobody) in Firefox for Android - Media. Last updated 2026-04-11.
(bugzilla.mozilla.org)
Not sure if it is worth raising bugs for Chrome and Samsung as well. Can't easily test them. If someone else wants to - please go ahead!
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Getting rather frustrated that the latest Android strips location EXIF from the web file picker.
Doesn't seem to be any workaround that'll let you pick a photo and have a web browser see the geolocation.
Like, I get the privacy issues, but it is rather frustrating for location-based web apps.
(Before reply-guying, please test if the code you found on a 4 year old StackOverflow post actually works on modern Android, thanks.)
@Edent I’m so very divided on this. I think it’s absolutely the right behaviour for photo sharing to strip location data by default, and I see the use cases for allowing it with user consent, what I’m struggling with is how to expose that to users in an understandable way because “this photo has high precision location data attached” is still really surprising behaviour to most people I think.
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@Edent I’m so very divided on this. I think it’s absolutely the right behaviour for photo sharing to strip location data by default, and I see the use cases for allowing it with user consent, what I’m struggling with is how to expose that to users in an understandable way because “this photo has high precision location data attached” is still really surprising behaviour to most people I think.
@jon agreed. Most services (FB, Insta, WhatsApp, etc) automatically strip it.
I remember when they didn't and it was very easy to find celebs accidentally sharing their home locations.
Given we have geolocation prompts in the browser, I don't think it is too much of a hardship - but I too am wary of prompt fatigue.
