Rescuing EXIF GPS from iPhone 17 HEIC, in a browser-only app

📰 Dev.to · Jacob Mei

Extract EXIF GPS data from iPhone 17 HEIC photos in a browser-only app, enabling location-based features for outdoor activities

intermediate Published 22 Apr 2026

Action Steps

Use a library like piexifjs to read EXIF data from HEIC photos in the browser
Configure the library to extract GPS coordinates from the EXIF data
Apply the extracted GPS data to a mapping library like Leaflet or Google Maps
Test the application with sample HEIC photos from an iPhone 17
Compare the extracted GPS data with the actual photo locations to ensure accuracy

Who Needs to Know This

Developers and outdoor enthusiasts can benefit from this technique to build location-aware applications, such as TrailPaint, which utilizes GPS data from photos

Key Insight

💡 iPhone 17 HEIC photos contain EXIF GPS data that can be extracted and used in browser-only apps