Metadata Viewer & Cleaner
View hidden metadata (EXIF, GPS, etc.) in your files and remove it for privacy.
Drag & drop files here
or click to browse from your device
About Photo Metadata Inspection & EXIF Privacy Sanitization
The Metadata Cleaner tool analyzes, displays, and strips hidden Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) metadata from photos and digital images. Designed for privacy advocates, journalists, and online sellers, it scrubs sensitive embedded data—including exact GPS coordinates, camera serial numbers, and capture timestamps—before you share pictures online.
Popular Real-World Use Cases
Classified & Marketplace Listings (Craigslist, eBay, Facebook)
Scrub exact home GPS location tags and device identifiers from photos of items for sale before posting publicly.
Social Media & Public Forum Photo Sharing
Protect personal privacy and child safety by removing location coordinates and timestamps from photos shared on Reddit, blogs, or forums.
Journalism & Whistleblower Source Protection
Sanitize sensitive photo evidence to remove camera serial numbers, lens profiles, and creation dates that could identify sources.
How In-Browser Processing Works
The tool uses exifr to inspect binary TIFF, EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata chunks in the image header, presenting all stored tags (GPS latitude/longitude, device make, aperture, shutter speed) in an interactive table. When you clean the photo, our canvas re-encoder parses the raw image pixel array and exports clean image data with freshly sanitized headers devoid of tracking metadata.
Pro Tips for Best Results
- Smartphones automatically embed precise GPS coordinates into photos by default unless manually disabled in camera settings.
- Stripping EXIF metadata does not degrade visual photo resolution or color quality.
- Inspect the metadata report table before cleaning to see exactly what hidden information was stored in your photo.
How It Works
Upload Photo
Select any JPG, PNG, or HEIC photo from your phone or camera.
Processed on your device
Inspect hidden GPS coordinates and camera tags, then strip metadata locally in your browser.
Download Clean Photo
Export your sanitized, privacy-safe photo free of tracking tags.
Frequently Asked Questions
What dangerous information is stored in photo EXIF metadata?
Modern smartphones and digital cameras embed precise GPS coordinates (often accurate to within a few meters of your home), capture timestamps, device model, camera serial numbers, and software versions directly into photo file headers.
Does stripping EXIF metadata reduce photo quality or resolution?
No. EXIF data is merely text metadata stored in header tags. The visual pixel data of your photo remains completely untouched and full resolution is preserved.
How do I verify that GPS coordinates were truly removed?
After downloading your sanitized photo, you can re-upload it into this tool or open its file properties on your computer. You will see that the GPS and camera tags are completely empty.
Does this tool work on iPhone photos (HEIC/JPEG)?
Yes. It inspects and scrubs metadata from all standard smartphone photo formats including JPEG, PNG, and WebP.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No — everything happens in your browser, your file never reaches a server.
Do I need to create an account?
No, no sign-up required.
Is this really free?
Yes, no hidden charges, no watermark on your output.