Remove EXIF Data from Photos

How to use the Remove EXIF Data

1. Drop one or more photos on the box, or click it to choose files.
2. Leave “Keep the picture upright” ticked unless you do not want an orientation flag in the clean file (more below).
3. Open “What was in the file” on a row to see the camera, date and GPS values that were found.
4. Download the clean copy of each photo, or all as a ZIP.

What is hidden in a photo

Most cameras and phones write a block of information called EXIF into every picture. Depending on the device and settings it can contain:

• Where you were: GPS latitude and longitude, often accurate to a few metres, and sometimes the altitude and direction.
• When: the date and time the picture was taken and edited.
• What with: the make and model of the phone or camera, the lens, the exposure settings and sometimes a serial number.
• Which software: the editing program and its version.
• Extras: a small thumbnail of the original picture, and XMP or IPTC fields such as the author, copyright and keywords.

Phones usually record the location by default if you have allowed the camera app to use it. A picture of your garden, your child’s school or your front door can therefore reveal exactly where it was taken to anyone who downloads the original file.

Who removes metadata, and who does not

Many large social networks remove location data from pictures that you publish, but this behaviour differs between services and changes over time, so do not depend on it. Metadata normally survives when you send a photo as an email attachment, upload it to a forum, a classified-ads or marketplace site, a personal website or a cloud folder that you share by link, and when you send it as a “file” or “document” in a messaging app. If you do not control where a picture ends up, clean it first.

What this tool does

• JPEG: the Exif, XMP, IPTC and comment blocks are cut out of the file. The image data is not decoded or re-encoded, so the picture is pixel-for-pixel identical and the file only gets smaller.
• PNG: text blocks, embedded Exif and timestamp blocks are removed, again without touching the pixels.
• WebP, GIF, BMP and others: these are redrawn and saved as PNG, which contains no metadata. The result row says so.
• Orientation: the rotation flag is the one piece of metadata that affects how a picture is displayed. By default the tool keeps it so a portrait photo stays upright. If you untick the box, the picture is turned upright, saved again at quality 95 and carries no flag.

Other ways to protect your privacy

Turn off location tagging in the camera settings of your phone if you do not need it. Look at the picture itself: street signs, house numbers, car number plates, a view from your window or a reflection can reveal as much as GPS data. Also remember that cleaning a photo does not change its file name, and that screenshots do not usually include the location but may show notifications and personal details. To resize or compress a photo at the same time, the image compressor also drops metadata, because it saves a fresh copy.

Frequently asked questions