How to see the metadata of an image: EXIF, XMP and C2PA
Every viewer shows a different slice of image metadata. How to read it on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and the command line, and which fields reveal AI.
4 min read
On this page11 sections
Short answer. Phones show the camera, date and location in the photo's info panel. Preview on Mac and Properties on Windows show EXIF and GPS. None of them show C2PA Content Credentials or the AI fields platforms read; for those use the free on-device AI label checker, the Content Credentials Verify tool, or ExifTool, which prints everything.
What an image can carry
| Block | Typical fields | Written by |
|---|---|---|
| EXIF | Make, model, lens, focal length, ISO, shutter, date, orientation | Cameras and phones |
| GPS | Latitude, longitude, altitude | Phones, GPS-enabled cameras |
| XMP | Edit history, software, creator tool, the IPTC digital source type, AI tool names | Editors, generators |
| IPTC | Caption, creator, copyright | Photographers, newsrooms |
| C2PA | Signed Content Credentials: the tool, the actions, an AI source type, ingredients | AI generators, Adobe apps, newer cameras |
| PNG text chunks | Prompt and settings (parameters, workflow) | Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI |
The AI-relevant fields are in the XMP, C2PA and PNG rows. Most consumer viewers show only the first two rows.
iPhone
Open a photo in Photos and tap the info button, or swipe up. You get the camera model, lens, resolution, file size, exposure settings and a map if the photo has a location. On recent iOS versions, photos edited with AI tools may show a note about it. XMP, IPTC and C2PA are not shown.
Android
Google Photos shows camera, date, size and location in the details panel (swipe up or tap the info icon). Samsung Gallery's Details view shows the same. On Pixel phones, Google Photos adds an "AI info" line for photos edited with AI features and shows Content Credentials when present. Other XMP data is not shown.
Mac
Open the image in Preview and choose Tools > Show Inspector. The tabs show general file data, EXIF, TIFF, GPS and sometimes IPTC. The Finder's Get Info panel shows a shorter version. Neither shows C2PA or the PNG prompt chunks.
Windows
Right-click the file, open Properties and the Details tab. It lists EXIF, some XMP (title, tags, authors) and GPS. Content Credentials are not shown.
Online and in the browser
- The AI label checker reads the file on your device and reports the fields platforms act on: C2PA Content Credentials and their signer, the IPTC AI source type, AIGC labels, AI generator names, and the camera make and model. It also tells you when a file has no camera data at all. Images and video, nothing uploaded.
- Content Credentials Verify at contentcredentials.org shows the complete C2PA manifest after you upload the file.
- Google's "About this image" in Search and Chrome shows credentials and other context for images found online.
- General EXIF viewer sites show EXIF, GPS and XMP in full, and most upload the file to do it.
The command line
ExifTool shows everything in one listing, grouped by block:
exiftool -a -G1 -s image.jpgFor a video, the same command works on MP4 and MOV. c2patool prints and validates the C2PA manifest:
c2patool image.jpgWhich fields reveal AI
Look for these when you want to know whether a file will be labeled or identified:
DigitalSourceTypecontainingtrainedAlgorithmicMedia(AI generated) orcompositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia(partly AI). Meta reads this.- Anything in the
JUMBFgroup, which is a C2PA manifest. The claim generator names the tool. CreatorTool,SoftwareorHistorySoftwareAgentnaming a generator or an AI feature.ParametersorWorkflowin a PNG: the prompt itself.- An
AIGCblock in XMP from Chinese tools. - The absence of
MakeandModel, which marks a file as an export rather than a photo.
What viewers cannot show
SynthID and other invisible watermarks are in the pixels, not the metadata, so no viewer lists them. Google's SynthID Detector is the only reader for Google's mark. How to detect AI watermarks covers the difference.
Removing what you find
Remove metadata from photos covers the built-in options on each platform, and how to remove AI metadata from images covers the AI fields. The image remover rebuilds the file so nothing survives and writes real iPhone camera data in its place.
FAQ
How do I see the metadata of a photo on iPhone?
Open it in Photos and tap the info button. You see the camera, lens, settings, date and location. For XMP, C2PA and AI fields, use the on-device checker or ExifTool.
Can I see who made an AI image from its metadata?
Often. Content Credentials name the signer (OpenAI, Google, Adobe), and XMP fields name tools such as Midjourney. Images from open models may carry nothing.
Does WhatsApp or Instagram keep the metadata?
Messaging apps and social platforms strip most metadata from the copies they deliver. Email, AirDrop and file transfers keep it.
Is there a C2PA viewer?
Yes: the on-device checker for a summary, Content Credentials Verify for the full manifest, and c2patool on the command line.
Can metadata be faked?
Yes. EXIF and XMP are plain fields that any tool can write. C2PA manifests are signed, so a tampered manifest fails validation, but a manifest can be removed entirely.