Plugin.Maui.Exif

Plugin.Maui.Exif provides the ability to read EXIF metadata from image files in your .NET MAUI application across iOS, Android, and Windows platforms.

Learn more about this plugin in this video.

Features

• Read EXIF metadata from image files and streams
• Write EXIF metadata to image files and streams
• Extract common metadata like camera make/model, date taken, GPS coordinates, camera settings
• Cross-platform support (iOS, macOS Catalyst, Android, Windows)
• Easy-to-use API with both static and dependency injection patterns
• Extension methods for common EXIF data operations

Installation

<PackageReference Include="Plugin.Maui.Exif" Version="1.0.0" />

Usage

Basic Usage

// Using the static API
var exifData = await Exif.Default.ReadFromFileAsync(imagePath);

// Using dependency injection
builder.Services.AddSingleton<IExif>(Exif.Default);

// In your class
public MainPage(IExif exif)
{
    var exifData = await exif.ReadFromFileAsync(imagePath);
}

Reading EXIF Data

var exifData = await Exif.Default.ReadFromFileAsync("path/to/image.jpg");

if (exifData != null)
{
    // Basic image info
    Console.WriteLine($"Camera: {exifData.Make} {exifData.Model}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Date taken: {exifData.DateTaken}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Dimensions: {exifData.Width}x{exifData.Height}");
    
    // Camera settings
    Console.WriteLine($"F-number: f/{exifData.FNumber}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Exposure time: {exifData.ExposureTime}s");
    Console.WriteLine($"ISO: {exifData.Iso}");
    Console.WriteLine($"Focal length: {exifData.FocalLength}mm");
    
    // GPS coordinates
    if (exifData.HasGpsCoordinates())
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Location: {exifData.Latitude}, {exifData.Longitude}");
        Console.WriteLine($"Altitude: {exifData.Altitude}m");
    }
}

Reading from Stream

using var stream = File.OpenRead("path/to/image.jpg");
var exifData = await Exif.Default.ReadFromStreamAsync(stream);

Writing EXIF Data

// Create or modify EXIF data
var exifData = new ExifData
{
    Make = "Canon",
    Model = "EOS R5",
    DateTaken = DateTime.Now,
    Artist = "John Doe",
    Copyright = "© 2024 John Doe",
    Latitude = 37.7749,
    Longitude = -122.4194
};

// Write to file
var success = await Exif.Default.WriteToFileAsync("path/to/image.jpg", exifData);

// Write to stream
using var inputStream = File.OpenRead("input.jpg");
using var outputStream = File.Create("output.jpg");
var success = await Exif.Default.WriteToStreamAsync(inputStream, outputStream, exifData);

Fluent API for Writing

// Read existing EXIF data and modify it using extension methods
var originalExifData = await Exif.Default.ReadFromFileAsync("path/to/image.jpg");

if (originalExifData != null)
{
    var updatedExifData = originalExifData
        .WithCameraInfo("Canon", "EOS R5")
        .WithGpsCoordinates(37.7749, -122.4194)
        .WithMetadata("John Doe", "© 2024 John Doe", "Beautiful sunset")
        .WithDateTaken(DateTime.Now);

    await Exif.Default.WriteToFileAsync("path/to/image.jpg", updatedExifData);
}

// Remove GPS coordinates for privacy
var exifWithoutGps = originalExifData?.WithoutGpsCoordinates();
if (exifWithoutGps != null)
{
    await Exif.Default.WriteToFileAsync("path/to/image.jpg", exifWithoutGps);
}

Extension Methods

The plugin includes useful extension methods:

// Check if GPS coordinates are available
if (exifData.HasGpsCoordinates())
{
    // Get formatted GPS string
    var coordinates = exifData.GetFormattedGpsCoordinates();
    // Result: "37.421998°N, 122.084000°W"
}

// Get formatted camera settings
var settings = exifData.GetFormattedCameraSettings();
// Result: "f/2.2, 1/120s, ISO 100, 24mm"

// Get camera information
var camera = exifData.GetCameraInfo();
// Result: "Apple iPhone 12 Pro"

// Check if image needs rotation
if (exifData.NeedsRotation())
{
    var angle = exifData.GetRotationAngle();
    // Rotate the image by the returned angle
}

Available EXIF Properties

Basic Image Information

• Width / Height - Image dimensions
• Orientation - Image orientation
• DateTaken - Date and time the photo was taken

Camera Information

• Make - Camera manufacturer
• Model - Camera model
• Software - Software used to process the image

Camera Settings

• FNumber - Aperture f-number
• ExposureTime - Shutter speed in seconds
• Iso - ISO sensitivity
• FocalLength - Focal length in millimeters
• Flash - Flash mode used

GPS Information

• Latitude - GPS latitude
• Longitude - GPS longitude
• Altitude - GPS altitude in meters

Additional Information

• Copyright - Copyright information
• Artist - Photographer/artist name
• ImageDescription - Image description or comment
• AllTags - Dictionary containing all available EXIF tags

Platform Support

Platform	Supported	Implementation
iOS	✅	ImageIO Framework
macOS Catalyst	✅	ImageIO Framework
Android	✅	AndroidX ExifInterface
Windows	✅	Windows Runtime BitmapDecoder

Permissions

Android

Add the following permissions to your AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES" />

Note

When using MediaPicker.PickPhotoAsync(), the selected image may not include GPS EXIF data due to Android privacy restrictions (API 29+).
To access GPS metadata in this case, you must declare and request the ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION runtime permission.

When using MediaPicker.CapturePhotoAsync(), the GPS data may be missing unless your app has location permissions (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION or ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) and the selected camera app supports embedding location info.
Note that the camera app behavior varies across devices and cannot be controlled by your app.

iOS

No special permissions required for reading EXIF data from files accessible to your app.

Windows

No special permissions required.

Sample App

The repository includes a sample app demonstrating how to:

• Select images using FilePicker
• Read and display EXIF metadata
• Write and modify EXIF metadata
• Show formatted camera settings and GPS information
• Display all available EXIF tags

Future Enhancements

• Additional metadata formats support
• Batch processing capabilities
• Advanced EXIF tag manipulation

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.