Location Tag on Photo

GI1

I tried turning on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning.

It does work with the full Google play services installed. Am I right in thinking I need to have the full Google Play Services to tag my location?

ve3jlg

GI1 Interesting.

I had assumed my photos were being geotagged, as I wanted that. (I strip out metadata I don't want to share before sharing.) I just checked with exiftool. There is no location metadata in the photos.

The photos were made with the GrapheneOS Camera app. I do not have Play Services installed/enabled. (Fine) Location permission is enabled for GrapheneOS Camera and gallery. I just checked Osmand and it shows my current location correctly on the map.

Puzzled. Does the GrapheneOS Camera app not add Location metadata?

matchboxbananasynergy

ve3jlg Did you turn out geotagging for it in the camera app's settings?

ve3jlg

matchboxbananasynergy Did you turn out geotagging for it in the camera app's settings?

The pin on the left side is blue (enabled) if that's what you are refering to.

Location settings "Last accessed" showed that camera accessed Location at the same time as the photo metadata I see it missing in.

I will check and test again but the reason for this missing data is not obvious. The GrapheneOS doc page states that it is "experimental" so it may not be turned on or working - but in that case it should not show as accessing location nor allow me to toggle the Location pin in Camera.

The closest metadata to Location I get is this:
GPS Altitude : 0 m Above Sea Level
(should be about 100m)

ve3jlg

matchboxbananasynergy Could you check with another gallery app please?

Certainly.

I will transfer the photos directly via USB next and look at the metadata.

I will have to install one first though, lol. Which is funny because I got the P7P because of its cameras (1st reason was to run GOS :-) ). Been too busy figuring out GrapheneOS security, etc. the past few weeks...

I know that the project considers Gallery to be minimal and that's fine. I normally do my processing of images on my desktop with calibrated monitor, which is why I haven't yet been too concerned about the lack of a better gallery app on the phone - and also why I keep the metadata until just before export, and keep some metadata even when exporting to others.

Off to get a F/LOSS gallery app. Recommendations from readers are welcomed!

I accidentally deleted my whole previous message here. Here it is again

matchboxbananasynergy Did you turn out geotagging for it in the camera app's settings?

The pin on the left side is blue (enabled) if that's what you are refering to.

Location settings "Last accessed" showed that camera accessed Location at the same time as the photo metadata I see it missing in.

The closest metadata to Location I get is this:
GPS Altitude : 0 m Above Sea Level
(should be about 100m)

Edit: I just emailed a photo directly from Camera while still open after just having made a photo. I sent it via Fairemail. Exiftool shows the GPS data as Iwould expect.

I also emailed the photo via gallery. GPS has been nulled:
GPS Date/Time : 00:00:00Z GPS Latitude : 0 deg 0' 0.00" N GPS Longitude : 0 deg 0' 0.00" E GPS Position : 0 deg 0' 0.00" N, 0 deg 0' 0.00" E

So at this early stage, Gallery appears to strip GPS.

matchboxbananasynergy

ve3jlg Thank you for the details. Could you check with another gallery app please?

matchboxbananasynergy

ve3jlg Case solved. The AOSP Gallery app isn't particularly good and will be replaced eventually and this is a prime example of why. :P

I'd suggest looking into Aves Gallery as an alternative gallery app.

ve3jlg

matchboxbananasynergy I'd suggest looking into Aves Gallery as an alternative gallery app.

Thanks. In fact that was one which caught my attention since your last post and I was about to install.

newbie24689

matchboxbananasynergy , would there be a down side to replacing the AOSP Gallery: that being it was reviewed and compiled using hardened techniques, whereas Aves source code was neither reviewed by GOS Geeks, nor compiled using a hardened toolchain?
If so one may want to stick with the GOS native app!?

matchboxbananasynergy

newbie24689 Sure, but it realistically won't be an issue. As long as you're choosing apps that are modern, target recent SDK (Aves targets the latest, 33) and that don't ask for unessecary permissions, you're more or less going to be okay.

It depends on your threat model/concerns, though, and at the end of the day, if the gallery that comes with GrapheneOS atm suits your needs, you don't have to change.