Metadata Remover
Strip hidden metadata from images, PDFs, and documents before sharing. GPS coordinates, device info, author names, and timestamps — removed instantly in your browser. Your file never leaves your device. For a broader check beyond file metadata, see the full privacy scan or test your browser fingerprint.
Drag and drop your file here
JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, MP4, MOV — up to 50 MB
Your file never leaves your device — processing is 100% local
What metadata reveals about you
Supported file formats — metadata removed per format
JPEG / JPG
Photo (most common)
Strips: EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP
PNG
Lossless image
Strips: tEXt, zTXt, iTXt chunks
WEBP
Modern web image
Strips: EXIF, XMP chunks
HEIC
Apple photo format
Strips: EXIF, GPS, metadata box
PDF
Document
Strips: Author, dates, XMP, DocInfo
DOCX
Word document
Strips: Author, revision history, comments
XLSX
Spreadsheet
Strips: Author, company, creation date
MP4 / MOV
Video
Strips: GPS, device, creation time
How the metadata remover works — 4 steps, all in your browser
File is read locally
The browser's FileReader API reads your file directly from your device. Nothing is sent to any server — the file stays entirely on your machine.
Metadata is parsed
The JavaScript library reads the binary structure of the file — EXIF headers, PNG chunks, PDF dictionaries — and identifies every metadata field present.
Fields are stripped
Each metadata segment is removed by rewriting the file's binary structure without it. The image pixels or document content are completely unchanged.
Clean file downloaded
The cleaned file is offered as a download using a Blob URL. The original on your device is untouched — you receive a separate clean copy.
What cropping and blurring don't actually remove
Visually editing a file — cropping a photo, blurring a face, redacting a paragraph — doesn't necessarily touch its metadata. These are the specific ways that gap has caused real leaks.
Cropping a photo doesn't remove the original from its EXIF thumbnail
Most cameras and phones embed a small preview thumbnail directly inside the JPEG's EXIF data at capture time. If you crop or blur the visible image afterward in an editor that doesn't regenerate this thumbnail, the original, uncropped preview can remain recoverable inside the file's metadata — a well-documented cause of real redaction failures where a "blurred" face or cropped detail was still visible in the embedded thumbnail. Stripping metadata removes this thumbnail along with everything else.
"PNG has no metadata" is a common but outdated assumption
PNG traditionally stored only text-based ancillary chunks (
tEXt, zTXt, iTXt) rather than EXIF. That changed in 2017, when the PNG specification added an eXIf chunk allowing cameras and editing software to embed full EXIF — including GPS — directly in PNG files. A PNG exported from a modern phone or camera app can carry the same location data as a JPEG.Most social platforms already strip metadata on upload — direct file sharing is the real exposure
Facebook, Instagram, X, and most major platforms strip EXIF server-side when you upload a photo through their app, specifically because of the GPS-leak risk. This means the highest-risk sharing channels are the ones people think about least: email attachments, Slack/Discord uploads, cloud storage share links, and USB transfers — none of which touch a platform that sanitizes metadata for you.
Document revision history can outlive the "final" version
DOCX and XLSX files store a revision history and tracked-changes log separately from the visible document — deleting comments or accepting all tracked changes in the visible view doesn't always purge the underlying revision metadata. Even "printing" a Word document to PDF can carry over the original author field from the source file's properties unless it's explicitly cleared first.
EXIF timestamps are usually local time with no timezone recorded
Classic EXIF
DateTimeOriginal has no timezone offset field by default — it records whatever the camera's clock said, in whatever timezone the camera was set to. This means the GPS coordinates in a photo are typically more forensically reliable than its timestamp for establishing where something happened; the "when" can be off by hours if the device's clock was never corrected for travel.Why this matters for your privacy
Photos reveal your home address
A photo taken at home and posted publicly contains GPS coordinates accurate enough to locate your front door. Anyone can extract this with free tools in seconds — no technical skill required.
Documents expose your organisation
Word files and PDFs embed your name, company, and email from Office settings. Sending a proposal to a client reveals your internal username and software versions.
Serial numbers link files to you
Device serial numbers in EXIF data can link multiple photos taken on the same device — even years apart and under different names — creating a permanent trail across all files you share.
Cleaning doesn't change the content
Removing metadata strips only the hidden data in the file's header — the image, text, or video content is pixel-for-pixel identical. The clean file looks and works exactly the same.
Frequently asked questions
“Does removing metadata change the image or document content?”
No. Metadata removal only rewrites the file's header and embedded data fields — GPS, author, timestamps, device info. The visible pixels in an image or the visible text in a document are byte-for-byte identical before and after cleaning.
“Do Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms already strip metadata when I upload?”
Most major platforms strip EXIF data server-side on upload, specifically to prevent GPS leaks. This tool matters most for channels that don't sanitize automatically — email, direct messaging apps, cloud storage links, and USB or AirDrop transfers.
“Can metadata be recovered after this tool removes it?”
No. The fields aren't hidden or masked — they're deleted from the file's binary structure entirely. There's no metadata left to recover from the cleaned file itself. (The original file on your device is untouched, so it still has its original metadata unless you delete it separately.)
“If I crop or blur part of a photo, is the removed part still recoverable?”
Sometimes, yes — and this is worth understanding. Many cameras embed a preview thumbnail inside the EXIF data at the moment the photo is taken. If your editing tool doesn't regenerate that thumbnail after you crop or blur the image, the original uncropped preview can remain inside the file's metadata. Running the file through a metadata remover after editing closes this gap.
“Is PNG safe from GPS and EXIF metadata since it's a different format from JPEG?”
Not necessarily. The PNG specification added an
eXIf chunk in 2017 that lets modern cameras and apps embed the same EXIF data — including GPS — that JPEGs carry. Don't assume a PNG is metadata-free just because PNG predates widespread EXIF support.“Will removing metadata reduce my file's quality or increase its size?”
Quality is unaffected — image and document content isn't re-encoded, only the metadata segments are removed. File size typically decreases slightly, since metadata (especially embedded thumbnails and revision history) takes up space that's now gone.
“Should I clean metadata from screenshots too?”
Screenshots usually don't contain GPS data, but they can still embed the device model, OS version, and app name depending on the capture tool. If a screenshot was cropped from an original photo rather than captured directly, it's worth checking — see the redaction-thumbnail point above.
“Can I clean metadata from multiple files at once?”
Check the drop zone above — if bulk upload isn't currently supported, process files one at a time and repeat. For a broader check beyond just file metadata, pair this with a full privacy scan.