I always remove this data from my screenshots before sharing, but is there any way to prevent this from happening in the first place? I’ve searched and searched, but all I can find is information about how to remove the data after the fact, which I already know how to do, but it would sure be nice if it never got added in the first place. Thanks.
Is this all the metadata it adds?
Because the information you’ve shown here is not at all sensitive. It’s just the timestamp, Android version and time zone.
No, but when combined with other data it makes identifying someone more accurate. And what is the need for it anyway? OP is reasonable to not want it IMO.
I knew I’d get a comment like this eventually. There’s no rational reason it should be adding this data at all, and there should be a way to disable this behavior. The camera I use doesn’t add this data when I take a photo, and there’s no reason taking a screenshot should do so.
The software version doesn’t just say “Android 14” either. It looks very specific.
No matter how you look at it, this is not an acceptable way for a device to behave, with no way to change it in settings.
There’s no rational reason
I don’t share screenshot frequently, and I store them for a long time, in 10 years in the future this data can be useful, I won’t remember what phone and rom I had, so it can be useful for some people. I also store gps data in my photos’ exifs, but again I never share them on the public internet.
But a button to switch it onoff would be useful, that’s true.
Yeah. In my opinion, it’s more of Samsung’s bullshit. There’s really no conceivable reason not to give users the option to avoid having metadata saved with their screenshots. It’s super annoying because I have to open it with a third-party app, strip the metadata, save the stripped image, then delete the original (which I rarely do, because it’s so time consuming already, so it’s taking up twice the amount of storage for me).
I did find a third-party screenshot app that doesn’t save metadata, but it’s problematic in its own way, so I won’t use it.
I’ll just keep stripping it manually. It’s a pita though, and I feel like there should be an easy solution. A lot of users in this thread say their phones don’t save metadata in their screenshots, but I’m unfortunate enough to have a Samsung.
I’m running official Lineage, and it saves this data and I found no button for it, so I guess it’s not just Samsung only…
You can automate stuff like this on android, Easer and Automation are well known FOSS apps for these kind of tasks. IIRC in Easer you can call terminal commands
Nice. This will take a bit of learning, but if I can figure it out, it can save me a bunch of time! Thanks!
The software version doesn’t just say “Android 14” either. It looks very specific.
Yeah, it’s likely a rather precise Android version.
So what? What does the Android version you use reveal about you? What part of your threat model does it violate?
Here, you can have the exact version of my phone: lineage_FP4-userdebug 13 TQ3A.230901.001 2023111915 test-keys. Can you identify me now?
(In my case, you theoretically actually could because my version is unique because I homebrew my Android but if you didn’t know that, it’d look like any other FP4 with [email protected] on it which is why I’m not at all worried.)
No matter how you look at it, this is not an acceptable way for a device to behave, with no way to change it in settings.
Adding useful metadata that reveals no actual data about the user is a great feature and not worth adding a setting for; especially not in the UI.
I didn’t know about this before but I’ll look out for that whenever sends a bug report of a mobile app with screenshot as it might include the device and Android version used which is super useful info to have when troubleshooting.
A precise android version could for example be used to target you with an exploit for that version.
I agree with OP, it shouldn’t behave like this because the expectation with screenshot software is that it doesn’t add any metadata and if it would it should be explicit and probably opt-in.
because the expectation with screenshot software is that it doesn’t add any metadata
I’m not sure where you got that idea but I assume the opposite. Many devices add metadata by default
If you have the Mossad targetting you, that’s an extreme edge-case which has no place in an argument about online privacy.
Except who’s trying to argue? I’m merely asking if anyone knows a way to prevent metadata from being saved to my screenshots. I’m not looking for an argument.
If this type of inquiry doesn’t belong in this community, I’d gladly take advice on where to ask instead.
If you’re not looking to question your views, then ignore people like me who do. Though as a general rule of thumb, not questioning your own views may not be the best strategy in life but you do you.
Except you aren’t questioning anyone’s views, you’re making an argument that barely touches the subject it responds to. And doing so in a very argumentative and condescending way.
So yeah, it doesn’t really belong in a civil discussion.
It’s fine to as that sort of question; I wouldn’t say it doesn’t “belong in this community”. That doesn’t mean it makes sense to care about this which is what I wanted to point out.
Combined with your user agent string, timezone, IP address etc it allows you to be tracked more accurately through probabilistic matching on the internet. All this stuff gets recorded as a matter of course when you visit websites and send emails.
That argument ignores that you need an account to upload pictures in most places (including here); you’re already identified.
Ignoring that, while it is technically true that the Android version adds a data point and therefore identifying bits of information, you’d still be one of 10^5 - 10^6 people in the same time zone with the same device/version combo unless you’re using some extremely uncommon device or are in an extremely unpopulated time zone. Compared to user agent and IP address, this is extremely little information and I’d argue quite useless without. If you need such strongly identifying data to even make any use of this, I don’t think it’s worth worrying about.
Besides, if you control a forum or other site that allows picture uploads and wanted to identify a user, there are so much better methods than any of this.
So … do you have a way to stop screenshots from saving metadata to my screenshots or not? I’ve indicated my wishes. If you don’t want to help, then please ignore the post.
That’s so weird, exif on a screenshot? Usually my quick fix to remove exif from something when I’m on the go is to take a screenshot of it. I’m on lineage 21 and according to exiftool there’s no exif data on my screenshots.
Do you have a Samsung phone? I’m starting to think it might be yet another Samsung thing.
Google Pixel 5, if you’re using a stock rom then that sounds likely.
On lineageOS 20 it records the exact android build string as the Software for me, so “Android lineage_pdx215-userdebug 13 TQ3A.230901.001 b30079afa2”. Which is probably enough to uniquely identify me, and you if you have a less common phone or are on an older or uncommon version.
Needless to say I am pissed.
I actually just realized lineage 21 does this too - I didn’t notice because cropping a screenshot with Google photos seems to remove all the fields (I also have the build string and timezone offset). Which is weird because cropping an actual photo the same way - as you would expect - preserves all the notable fields like timestamps, phone model / lens info, and the same “Software” field which for my photos is just “HDR+ 1.0.commithashlookingstring”
Wtf. What phone are you using?
Basically all new phones have that.
GrapheneOS Camera is very nice. May only work on Pixels, but on stock android (which is an insane tracking platform you should ditch) too.
Https://github.com/grapheneos/apps/releases/latest
Download their appstore, there you get the camera app.
Thanks. I’ve been looking for a replacement app for the camera since the one I use was bought out.
This was about screenshots, sorry. No idea, dont think you can change that without a different android OS
Same here, but no “sensitive” information like what Android version I use or anything like that. It depends on what phone you use, I guess. I use a Pixel 6a with GrapheneOS.
Mine’s a Samsung S21FE so I don’t think I can use that OS
ObscuraCam of Guardian Project doesn’t save metadata. OpenCamera is highly configurable.
edit: ah, screenshots. I think in LineageOS it’s part of the launcher (app-switch doesn’t work with default launcher disabled) or backed into the system. If it’s the second and you have a vendor OS, guess you can only flash a custom ROM to fix it.
Yeah, unfortunately I don’t believe I can flash a custom rom onto a Samsung. Ugh.
Thanks for responding!
You can, but, it’s a select few models and most are older.
Edit: personally I don’t flash my phone because I’m poor and can’t risk bricking it
Honestly, hard bricking (damaging the bootloader beyond repair) is really hard and soft bricking is solved by getting to download mode and flashing the correct version. While starting with custom roms, having no idea what i do, i flashed my Galaxy Xcover 1 with the OS for a sub-version of the device and it almost worked.
That’s good to know, thank you.
I’m poor and can’t risk bricking it
Truth, I feel this too. My phone was a birthday present from my husband too, so I’d feel really bad if I bricked it.
What phone, what camera app, what Android version (and be specific if the manufacturer or service provider added their own customizations, as is common with Samsung and most major service providers).
Android 14, and it’s Samsung so I know they add their own restrictions, etc., but I’m not sure what they all are. Nothing good lol
I’m using Simple Camera, which I do plan to replace, but it doesn’t save exif data to the photos I take. It happens when I use the volume + power button combo to take screenshots.
When I open any photo taken with my camera, I see no exif data at all.
Oh, yuck. Yeah, I have a Samsung phone, too, and can’t figure out how to strip exif data from screenshots. You might be stuck with a third-party exif-stripper app.
Yeah that’s what I’ve been using. I was hoping there’d be a way to just not include exif data in the first place.
The only meta data saved is the Android software version.
My Samsung S21 screenshots show “Android UP1A.231005.007.G991BXXS9FXAK”
Generally when you share media via social and messaging apps the meta data is stripped automatically. So for the most part everyone is perfectly fine even with regular media where you have things like geolocation meta data enabled.
I don’t know of a screen shot app that works without addind metadata to screen shots. What I use is “Metadata Remover” from Fdroid: https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/rocks.poopjournal.metadataremover
You take a screen shot, open the screen shot image from Metadata Remover, click on “Remove metadata”, and the moment it’s done, it’ll take you to share automatically.
I hope this helps you.
What app are you using to see the exif data? Perhaps my screenshot has this info as well but the different apps I use to view exif data do not show it.
I’m using an app called Image Toolbox
I use a FOSS camera, and when I take photos I can see there’s not any exif data, but there is when I use the volume/power combo to take screenshots.
Screenshots are taken using a different app (screenshot utility). Camera apps have nothing to do with it. Who is your phone’s manufacturer?
I don’t see a screenshot app in the apps list, even when I select to show system apps.
I believe it can be a part of a system app (Core API, Android System etc)
It’s Samsung
I looked in settings, but I didn’t see anything that looked relevant to metadata
I don’t think Samsung has the feature to disable it
Yeah, that’s what I’m starting to think. Ugh, so frustrating! I’ll just keep removing it after the fact. Thanks!
Ok, yes, my phone (which is not a Samsung) also includes some info in screenshots.
Is there a way to prevent this?
It’s a standard Android thing.
Do you care if people know what Android device you’re using?
Nah. Not an issue really for me.
I love when people post well known and obvious information. if you hadn’t realized metadata is present then idk what to tell you.
Why do you care if people know what Android device you’re using? To me this is a non-issue.
Social media and messaging apps strip meta data when you share media, so for the most part no one can see the information you care about. It’s only when you start sharing content via services like OneDrive where people will be able to see the meta data.
To me this is a non-issue.
Clearly, I feel differently. This may blow your mind, but people have different feelings about sharing information that is so specific that it can be identifying information.
Did you come here just to insult me, or do you have any actual insight into my inquiry? I really don’t understand people like you. Just ignore the post if you don’t care or don’t want to be helpful.
Clearly you didn’t read my comment… Did you read the first thing I said and went full on blind rage or something? Read it again for the insight
This shows how to disable it on the default camera app: https://www.techbone.net/samsung/user-manual/geotagging
This only works for photos taken with the camera, not for screenshots
I can’t find anything in the settings, sorry
No worries. Thanks for responding.
