# Does a Screenshot Have Metadata? What Screenshots Reveal > Screenshots carry some metadata but not the rich EXIF a camera writes. Here is what a screenshot reveals, what it does not, and how to check or strip it. *Published: 2026-06-16* ยท *5 min read* Canonical URL: https://timestampcamera.net/photo-guides/does-a-screenshot-have-metadata **Quick answer:** Yes, screenshots have *some* metadata, but usually **not** the rich EXIF a camera writes. A screenshot typically records the **date and time it was captured**, the **device and operating system**, the **screen dimensions**, and the **software** that made it. But it has **no GPS location**, **no camera or lens fields**, and **no shutter or exposure data**, because nothing was actually photographed; the device just saved what was on screen. So a screenshot can reveal *when* and *on what device* it was made, but not *where*. To see exactly what a given screenshot carries, drop it into our free browser-based [EXIF viewer](/exif-viewer); nothing uploads. It is a common worry: you grab a screenshot, share it, and wonder whether you just leaked your location or some hidden detail. The honest answer is that screenshots are far less revealing than camera photos, but they are not blank either. Here is exactly what they hold and what they do not. ## What metadata a screenshot DOES contain A screenshot is a digital image file, so it carries the basic technical metadata every image file has. What you will typically find: - **Capture date and time**: when the screenshot was taken, stored as a file timestamp and often in the EXIF or PNG metadata too. - **Pixel dimensions**: the width and height, which usually match the device's screen resolution. - **Device and operating system**: many platforms stamp the device model or OS into the file. - **Software**: the screenshot tool or OS component that created the image. - **Color profile and orientation**: standard image-rendering fields. The exact fields differ by platform: | Platform | Format | Typical metadata stamped | | --- | --- | --- | | **iPhone (iOS)** | PNG (or HEIC) | Capture date/time, pixel dimensions, often a "Screenshot" user comment; no GPS, no camera | | **Android** | PNG | Capture date/time, dimensions, sometimes device model and software; no GPS | | **Windows** | PNG | Capture date/time, dimensions, software (Snipping Tool / Snip & Sketch); minimal else | | **Mac (macOS)** | PNG | Capture date/time, dimensions, a "Screen Capture" software tag and resolution; no GPS | So a screenshot is enough to tell someone roughly when it was made and what kind of device made it. For the general background on these fields, see [what is EXIF data](/photo-guides/what-is-exif-data). ## What it does NOT contain This is the reassuring part. A screenshot is missing everything that makes a camera photo revealing: - **No GPS coordinates.** The device did not take a picture of the world, so there is no location to record. This is the single most important difference. - **No camera Make, Model, or LensModel.** No physical camera was involved. - **No exposure data.** No FNumber, ExposureTime, ISO, FocalLength, Flash, or WhiteBalance, because there was no shutter and no light meter. In short, the entire "where and with what" half of EXIF that a normal photo carries is simply absent from a screenshot. ## Can a screenshot reveal your location? Generally, **no**. Because screenshots have no GPS metadata, the file itself does not give away where you were. This is the opposite of a camera photo, where location often leaks through embedded GPS coordinates. There is one important exception, and it is about the **pixels, not the metadata**: if the screenshot *shows* something locating, the location is right there in the image. A screenshot of a map with a pin on your house, a navigation app showing your address, an email signature with your office address, or a check-in post all reveal location through what is visible on screen. No metadata tool would catch that, because it is part of the picture itself. So before sharing a screenshot, look at what is *in* it, not just what is attached to it. ## How to check a screenshot's metadata yourself Do not guess; look. Drop any screenshot into our browser-based [EXIF viewer](/exif-viewer) and it lists every field the file actually carries, with nothing uploaded. You will typically see the capture date, dimensions, and software, and you will notice the GPS and camera sections are empty, which confirms the screenshot has no location data. You can also check natively: on **Mac**, right-click then Get Info, or open in Preview then Tools then Show Inspector; on **Windows**, right-click then Properties then Details; on **iPhone**, open the screenshot in Photos and tap the info icon, where you will see a date but no map. If you have ever been confused about which date a file shows, our explainer on [date taken vs date created vs date modified](/date-taken-vs-date-created-vs-date-modified) covers why the timestamps can differ. ## How to strip it before sharing Even though a screenshot's metadata is light, you may still want a clean file before posting publicly, for example to remove the exact capture timestamp or device hints. Our browser-based [EXIF remover](/exif-remover) wipes all metadata in one click and downloads a clean copy; nothing uploads. Remember the two layers, though. The remover handles the *metadata* layer. It cannot touch the *pixel* layer, so if the screenshot visibly shows an address, a map pin, a name, or a private message, you must crop or redact those parts of the image before sharing. Stripping metadata and reviewing the visible content are two separate steps, and screenshots need both. ## Bottom line A screenshot carries modest metadata: a capture date and time, screen dimensions, and a hint of the device or software, but **no GPS, no camera, and no exposure data**. It can reveal *when* and roughly *on what* it was made, but not *where*, unless the location is visible in the picture itself. To see exactly what yours holds, use our [EXIF viewer](/exif-viewer); to clean it before sharing, use our [EXIF remover](/exif-remover). Both run in your browser, and nothing uploads.