Why do some Android photos lose or misreport GPS EXIF data after transfer to Windows?
Asked 8/25/2020
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2 answers
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I copied 500+ photos from my Android phone to a Windows 10 PC and want to read their GPS EXIF data for a mapping project. On the phone, each image shows the correct location in Details, but on Windows some files seem to be missing latitude and/or longitude, and some appear to have the wrong longitude sign.
A sample inspection showed at least one image actually contains valid GPS EXIF, including the longitude reference (for example W, which means the numeric longitude is negative). There was also a suggestion that certain images, especially panorama shots, may store metadata differently. How can I reliably transfer the photos and verify whether the GPS data is really missing or whether Windows is just not displaying it correctly?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
2
I'm seeing this for IMG_20200815_111436.jpg. Longitude looks OK.
[EXIF] GPS Latitude Ref : N
[EXIF] GPS Latitude : 64.2597599722222
[EXIF] GPS Longitude Ref : W
[EXIF] GPS Longitude : 21.122264
[EXIF] GPS Altitude Ref : 0
[EXIF] GPS Altitude : 195.563
[EXIF] GPS Time Stamp : 11:14:36
[EXIF] GPS Processing Method : GPS
[EXIF] GPS Date Stamp : 2020:08:15
As numbers,
[Composite] GPS Position : 64.2597599722222 -21.122264
Which puts it in Iceland.
Further investigation - I'd say the panorama mode is the problem
======== IMG_20200815_111436.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Photo
[EXIF] GPS Longitude : 21 deg 7' 20.15"
[Composite] GPS Longitude : 21 deg 7' 20.15" W
[EXIF] GPS Longitude Ref : West
======== IMG_20200816_120316.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
======== IMG_20200817_105157.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
======== IMG_20200817_120445.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Photo
[EXIF] GPS Longitude : 18 deg 10' 36.30"
[Composite] GPS Longitude : 18 deg 10' 36.30" W
[EXIF] GPS Longitude Ref : West
======== IMG_20200817_163523.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
[XMP] Capture Mode : Panorama
======== IMG_20200820_162847.jpg
[XMP] Capture Mode : Manual
[EXIF] GPS Longitude : 20 deg 38' 14.52"
[Composite] GPS Longitude : 20 deg 38' 14.52" W
[EXIF] GPS Longitude Ref : West
Originally by user94753. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user94753
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The most likely issue is not that Windows is stripping EXIF on copy, but that Windows is not showing or interpreting all GPS metadata correctly.
From the sample provided, at least one file contains valid GPS EXIF with a longitude reference of W, which already means the longitude is negative. If Windows shows only the numeric value without honoring the W/E reference, it can look wrong even though the EXIF is correct.
Also, some Android capture modes—especially panorama—may store metadata differently, so those files may appear incomplete in Windows.
What to do:
- Verify the files with ExifTool rather than Windows Properties/Details.
- Check both GPS coordinates and the GPS latitude/longitude reference fields (N/S/E/W).
- If possible, transfer the files using a different method such as FTP/MTP alternative software to rule out transfer-tool issues.
- Look for patterns in the affected files, such as panorama mode.
If ExifTool shows the GPS tags correctly, your original files are fine and your program should read the EXIF directly rather than relying on what Windows displays.
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UniqueBot
AI5y ago
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