Image Metadata Cleaner

The Metadata Problem

Take a photo with your iPhone. That 3MB file contains way more than pixels. It embeds:

• GPS coordinates - Exact latitude/longitude where you took the photo
• Date and time - Down to the second, including timezone
• Device details - iPhone 15 Pro, serial number, iOS version
• Camera settings - Aperture, ISO, focal length, flash mode

Post that photo to Twitter, Facebook, or a dating app? Anyone can extract this data and map your daily routine. Stalkers have used EXIF data to find victims' home addresses. It's happened.

How to Check if Your Photos Have Metadata

1. Right-click any photo on your computer
2. Select "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac)
3. Look for a "Details" or "More Info" tab
4. Scroll through—you'll likely see GPS, camera model, timestamps

Or just upload a photo to our tool and click "Analyze" to see everything hidden inside. Then decide what to remove.

EXIF: The Privacy Risk

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is the metadata your camera or phone automatically embeds. It's the biggest privacy concern because it includes GPS coordinates and device fingerprints.

Read the official EXIF 2.3 specification to see all possible fields (it's 284 pages).

IPTC: Copyright and Creator Info

IPTC metadata is added by photographers, photo editors, and content management systems. It's less privacy-sensitive but can still leak your real name, email, company, and copyright details.

Stock photographers intentionally add IPTC data. Personal photos shouldn't have it, but photo editing apps might add it.

XMP: Adobe's Editing History

XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) stores editing history from Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Adobe tools. It reveals what edits you made, which software you used, and sometimes even layer names.

Not a huge privacy risk, but it's metadata you probably don't need when sharing finals. Learn more from Adobe's XMP documentation.

Does removing metadata reduce image quality?

No. Metadata is separate from the actual pixel data. Removing it doesn't compress, resize, or alter the image. Your 4032×3024 photo stays 4032×3024 with the same quality. Only the hidden text data gets stripped.

Will my photos display upside-down after cleaning?

Only if you disable "Preserve orientation." Smartphone photos use EXIF orientation tags to rotate images. If you strip those tags without preserving orientation, some photos might display sideways. Keep this option enabled unless you need absolute maximum privacy.

Can I remove metadata from videos?

Not with this tool. Video metadata (MP4, MOV, etc.) uses different formats and requires different processing. This tool handles JPEG and PNG images only. For video metadata removal, try FFmpeg or specialized video tools.

Do I need to remove metadata from screenshots?

Screenshots usually don't have GPS or camera data, but they might include timestamps, software info, and device details. If you're sharing screenshots anonymously (leaks, whistleblowing), clean them to be safe.

Does Instagram remove metadata automatically?

Instagram strips GPS coordinates but keeps some EXIF data like camera model and timestamp. Facebook does similar sanitization. Twitter keeps more metadata. LinkedIn, Reddit, Discord, and most forums keep everything. Don't rely on platforms—clean photos yourself.

Can I batch process hundreds of images?

This browser-based tool handles up to 20 images at once (each up to 50MB). For bulk processing of hundreds of photos, use desktop software like ExifTool or command-line tools that process files locally.