You can enable the tagging of your current location into the metadata of the photos you take using the default Android Camera application. Having this information stored inside your photos will let you be able to recall the location into an Android map or displayed in your Browser as a googlemap.
To enable GPS-tagging your images: access the Settings menu in the Camera application by either swiping from edge or click the hardware Menu button, followed by Settings, and then click the toggle to enable Store Location.
This feature will remain enabled until you turn it off. Each time you start the Camera app, the phone’s GPS will enable and locate your current position to store within the metadata of the pictures you take.
View the location information of your photos
In Gallery, long-press on a photo’s thumbnail in the icon view and select Show on Maps. If you are viewing the photo full screen, you can click the hardware Menu button, followed by More and then Show on Maps. Show on Maps will be greyed out and unselectable for photos that do not contain location information.
You can then choose to open your Browser with the location in http://maps.google.com or to display the location in the Android Map app or in another location-aware app. I recommend choosing the Android Map app as it allows you to apply layers (satellite, traffic), and get directions / navigate to that location.
Share photos with location information
From within Gallery, selecting to Share a photo provides several options:
Picasa
Photos with geolocation data uploaded to Google’s Picasa web service (which is Google’s competition to Flickr) will display with a googlemap of the location.
Flickr
The best way to upload to Flickr from an Android phone is to enable your Flickr mobile upload email address. Share via E-mail from within Gallery and enter the email address provided by Flickr. You can add a name, description, and tags associated with this image by following the instructions. You can adjust the privacy settings of each image by following these instructions.
You can access your online photostream from your phone and use other Flickr features, including the ability to see pictures that have been taken near your current location, by visiting m.flickr.com.
I tested several of the free Flickr apps, and none seem to support preserving your photo’s geolocation information when uploading to Flickr. I’m hopeful that the upgraded Gallery app in the upcoming Android 2.1 software release will add this functionality.
Email, Messaging, Facebook
Geolocation information is preserved in photos that you share via email and messaging too!
Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t support the display of geolocation information in photos in their standard photo applications.
Privacy Concerns
Please keep in mind that photos you share with geolocation information will reveal the locations in which you took those photos, including possibly your home or workplace. Consider whether the photos you are sharing are going to be publicly viewable and think about whether you want that type of personal information about you available to anyone on the internet.
Resources
- General introduction to GPS photo tagging
- EXIF (photo metadata) information from Wikipedia
- Website that diplays JPG photo EXIF data (including geolocation)
- Firefox Plugin that allows viewing of EXIF data (including geolocation)
- GalleryMap is an Android app that allows you to view all of your geotagged images within the Android map applet at the same time.
QR barcode to GalleryMap app