Skip to content
Utilboxes

EXIF Viewer and Remover

To remove EXIF data, add JPG, PNG or WebP photos, review what each one reveals — GPS location, device and dates are flagged first — and press Remove metadata. Only the metadata blocks are cut out, so the image is not re-compressed. The colour profile and JPG rotation are kept by default. Nothing is uploaded.

Files never leave your device

Updated

How to use the EXIF Viewer and Remover

  1. 1Add one or more JPG, PNG or WebP photos.
  2. 2Review the metadata found in each photo — location, device details and dates are flagged at the top.
  3. 3Choose whether to keep the colour profile and, for JPGs, the rotation setting.
  4. 4Press Remove metadata, then download the cleaned photos.

How it works

Photos carry more than pixels. A camera or phone writes EXIF data into the file — usually the date and time and the device make and model, often lens and exposure settings, sometimes a serial number and, if location services were on, GPS coordinates precise enough to identify a home. Editing apps add XMP and IPTC blocks with software names, authors and edit history.

This tool reads that metadata, then removes it by cutting the metadata blocks out of the file's structure: EXIF, XMP, IPTC and comment segments in a JPEG; EXIF, text and timestamp chunks in a PNG; EXIF and XMP chunks in a WebP. The compressed image data is copied byte for byte, so there is no re-encoding and no loss of quality.

Two things are kept by default because removing them changes how the photo looks. The ICC colour profile tells software how to display the colours. And phones often store a picture sideways with an EXIF instruction to rotate it; deleting that would show the photo on its side, so for JPGs a new, minimal EXIF block containing only the rotation value is written back. Both can be switched off.

After cleaning, each file is read again with the same metadata parser and the tool reports what, if anything, is still present — so the result is checked rather than assumed. Extra images some phones append after the main photo, such as depth maps, are also dropped from JPGs.

Tips and common mistakes

  • Check photos before posting them on marketplaces, forums or dating sites — especially pictures taken at home.
  • Sending a photo “as a document” in a messaging app sends the untouched original, location included. Clean it first.
  • Turn off location tagging in your camera settings if you never want it recorded.
  • Metadata is only half of it: crop out house numbers, street signs and anything else in the picture that gives a place away.

Frequently asked questions

Don't social networks remove EXIF data anyway?
Many large platforms strip location from public uploads, but email attachments, messaging apps sending original-quality files, cloud share links and many websites pass the file on untouched. Removing it yourself means you do not have to rely on each service.
Will removing EXIF reduce image quality?
No. The image data is not decoded or re-compressed; only the metadata blocks are cut out, so the pixels are identical.
Why is the rotation kept?
Phones often save photos sideways and rely on an EXIF flag to display them upright. Keeping just that one value stops the cleaned photo appearing rotated, and it reveals nothing about you.
Can it clean HEIC or RAW files?
Not at the moment. Convert HEIC photos to JPG first with the HEIC to JPG converter, then check the JPG here.
What does EXIF stand for?
Exchangeable Image File Format — the standard way cameras and phones store details such as the date, settings and location inside a photo.
Can I clean many photos at once?
Yes. Add several JPG, PNG or WebP files and download the cleaned copies together.
How do I check the metadata is really gone?
Each cleaned file is read again and the tool reports what is left. You can also check in your computer's file properties: on Windows, Properties then Details; on a Mac, Preview's inspector.
Share this toolShare on XShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on RedditShare by email

Guides

Related tools

Compress ImageCut image file size with a live before-and-after preview.HEIC to JPGConvert iPhone HEIC photos into universally readable JPGs.Resize ImageChange dimensions by pixels or percentage, aspect ratio locked.Image ConverterConvert between JPG, PNG and WebP in a single batch.