Android's Photo Picker will let you choose whether to share photo location data

Full text

Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

TL;DR

Google is introducing a new Photo Picker API that allows users to choose if location data is included with the photos they share.

If the user agrees to share location data with an app, they won’t be asked again for that app.

Users will be able to revoke access or regrant access by tapping on the location info button in the bottom right corner of the Photo Picker UI.

By default, Android’s Photo Picker strips location data (EXIF data) from the photos you choose to share with apps. While this is great for those who care deeply about privacy, certain apps rely on EXIF data (for non-invasive reasons) to function properly. Back in June, we spotted code that suggested Google was working on giving you more granular control over your location data in the Photo Picker UI. The company has now confirmed that the change will be rolling out soon.

In a Reddit post , Mishaal Rahman, who manages community engagement for Android at Google, revealed that the company is introducing a new Photo Picker API to address a “common pain point” app developers have with how the Android Photo Picker currently behaves. While the previous API removes location data by default, this new API will allow users to choose whether to include it with the photos they pick to share with an app.