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. If the street map doesn’t show enough to pinpoint it — a particular beach, viewpoint or trailhead — switch the map to Satellite or Hybrid with the map button in the bottom-right corner (or View → Map Style) and drop the pin on the imagery; see working with the map. 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, change the wording afterwards in the editable item fields, or give the pin your own names in its custom row — 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. Once all four fields are filled, the IPTC column shows a green check mark too. If you’d rather have “New South Wales” than “NSW”, type it into the item fields at the top of the sidebar afterwards and apply it to the same selection, or give the pin your own names in its custom row before applying (see the place-names guide for everything you can do here).
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. Pins stay on the map when you quit and relaunch, so a trip can be tagged over several sessions; Pins → Delete All Pins… clears the map when you are done.
For places you return to — home, the studio, a regular client — save the pin as a place with Places → Save Current Pin as Place…. Next time, pick it from the Places menu or type its name into the map’s search field, and the pin is dropped with your place names already filled in. See the place-names guide for details.