# Can a Recipient of a Photo in an iPhone Text See the Metadata

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 26, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120 "2025-03-26T01:41:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120/1 "2025-03-26T01:41:28Z")

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Can the recipient of a photo attached to an iPhone text see the metadata, particularly the location associated with a photo taken on that phone?

I am baiting a fraudulent transaction phishing scammer from way back in December. I haven’t heard from him since then so I sent him a random picture of a horse I took before he ever texted me. Of course, the picture was taken no where near where I am staying. He does have my phone number obviously, but almost all the time they trace it to someone who had this number before I did. I think I got him a little stirred up with one text today when I said, “Don’t act like you don’t know me. I got the test results back. They were positive!”

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120/2 "2025-03-26T01:46:43Z")

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Yes. It is possible.

> **[See photo and video information on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/see-photo-and-video-information-iph0edb9c18f/ios)**
>
> In Photos on your iPhone, view metadata about a photo or video, like the date and time it was taken, the people identified, and any special camera metadata.

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**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120/3 "2025-03-26T01:54:13Z")

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I can view the metadata just fine on photos I took but I haven’t figured out how to do it on a photo that someone sent to me in a text.

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120/4 "2025-03-26T01:56:53Z")

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From Google (bolding mine):

> …you can view photo metadata, including the date and time the photo was taken, and potentially location data (if enabled), on an iPhone after **saving a photo received in a text message** by going to the Photos app, opening the photo, and swiping up or tapping the “i” button

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**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-recipient-of-a-photo-in-an-iphone-text-see-the-metadata/1016120/5 "2025-03-26T02:07:14Z")

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Thanks. Got it. I was at first confused by the iCloud propaganda in the process. I know that I can edit the metadata. This could be fun.