Add Locations to Photos That Have None
Scenario: your camera doesn't record GPS, so your files contain no location data at all.
This guide is for you if: your photos come from a DSLR, mirrorless or other camera without a GPS module, and both the GPS and the IPTC columns show a grey “no data” icon. You want to add locations from scratch by finding the place on a map.
Nothing is written to your files until you click an Apply button, so you can explore freely.
Step 1: Add your files
Drag the files or folders into the file table. You can also drag them onto the application icon in the Dock, or use File → Open….
Each file appears as a row in the table. The GPS and IPTC columns summarise what location data each file already contains — for this scenario, both show a grey “no data” icon. Hovering over an icon tells you what it means.
Step 2: Switch to the Side-by-Side view
Use the view switcher at the top of the window and select Side-by-Side. This shows the map next to a condensed file table, which is the most convenient arrangement for this task. (The Vertical view works just as well if you prefer the map below the table.)
Step 3: Find the place on the map
Click into the search field on the map — it reads “Search places or enter coordinates” — and type the location: a landmark, a town, a street address. You get the same autocomplete suggestions as in Apple Maps; pick the entry that fits best and the map moves there.
Step 4: Drop a pin
Select the Drop a new pin tool in the map’s toolbar, then click on the exact spot. A pin appears, and a section for it shows up in the sidebar on the right with:
- the pin’s GPS coordinates, and
- suggested place names (Sub-location, City, Province/State, Country) for that position.
The suggestions for a pin come from Apple Maps. You can apply them as they are, or edit any of them before applying — see the place-names guide.
Step 5: Select the files this location applies to
In the file table, select the files that were taken at this spot — one file, fifty, or the whole batch. The usual Mac conventions apply: click, shift-click for a range, ⌘-click to add individual files, ⌘A for all.
Step 6: Apply the coordinates
Click Apply next to the pin’s coordinates. The GPS position is written to all selected files, and the GPS column switches to a green check mark.
Step 7: Add the place names
With the same files still selected, apply the suggested IPTC values from the pin’s section — or edit any of them first if you’d rather have “New South Wales” than “NSW” (see the place-names guide for everything you can do here). Once all four fields are filled, the IPTC column shows a green check mark too.
Multiple locations in one batch
For a trip spanning several places, simply repeat steps 3–7: drop a pin per location, and for each pin select the matching files and apply. You can switch between existing pins with the arrow buttons or Navigate → Next Pin, and use the Select an existing pin and Delete selected pin tools to manage them.