How to remove metadata from a photo
- Choose one JPEG or PNG. Review the original preview and the detected metadata-group summary.
- Select Remove metadata. The browser applies JPEG orientation, redraws the decoded pixels and creates a new file in the same format.
- Check the cleaned preview, verification statement, dimensions and size. Download the new copy and keep the original until you have checked the result in its destination app.
What is inspected and removed
JPEG photos can store EXIF camera details, a GPS information directory, XMP descriptions, IPTC application data and comment segments. PNG files can store an eXIf chunk and textual tEXt, zTXt or iTXt chunks; XMP is commonly carried in a textual chunk. This page reports those supported groups rather than displaying sensitive tag values, then creates a new image from decoded pixels instead of copying the original metadata containers.
The cleaned bytes are parsed again before the download button is enabled. For JPEG, the check rejects remaining EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC or comment markers. For PNG, it rejects remaining eXIf or text chunks, including detected XMP. The statement is limited to those markers and these two formats; it is not a forensic guarantee that every proprietary or future metadata scheme has been identified.
Orientation, transparency, color and quality
Phone JPEGs often store camera orientation in EXIF. Simply deleting the EXIF segment can leave pixel rows in a sideways orientation. This tool asks the browser to apply the embedded orientation while decoding and writes the resulting upright pixel layout to the new file. Because the cleaned JPEG is newly encoded at quality 0.92, its dimensions can be swapped for a portrait orientation and its fine detail and file size can change.
PNG is re-encoded as PNG and the canvas keeps decoded alpha values, so transparent pixels remain transparent when the browser handles the source normally. Color conversion is browser-managed. Embedded ICC or PNG color-profile markers are reported separately from private metadata; re-encoding may omit or replace them. Always compare skin tones, brand colors, gradients and transparency in the application where the image will be used.
Examples and the privacy boundary
Example 1: a phone JPEG with EXIF and a GPS directory may show “EXIF, GPS.” After removal, the new JPEG is enabled only when the second parser finds none of the supported private groups. The image content itself remains visible, including any street sign, face, address card or license plate that was photographed.
Example 2: a transparent PNG with an author comment may show “Text/comment.” The new PNG retains decoded transparency but drops supported text metadata. A visible watermark, caption drawn into the pixels or identifying object in the scene is not metadata and will still appear. This tool is therefore not a redaction, blur, face-removal or document-sanitization service.
Limits, verification and safe sharing
The 20 MB, 24-megapixel and 12,000-pixel-side limits are checked before decoding to reduce the chance of exhausting browser memory. Only one JPEG or PNG is accepted. WebP, HEIC, TIFF, RAW, PDF, video, animation, folders and batch ZIP downloads are intentionally outside this page.
The selected bytes, filename and detected groups stay in this browser and are not sent as analytics values. The original file is never overwritten. After downloading, open the cleaned copy, confirm its orientation, crop, transparency, colors, dimensions and readable content, and then use another trusted metadata inspector when the disclosure risk is important. Keep a backup until that review is complete.
Frequently asked questions
Does this remove GPS coordinates?
It removes the complete EXIF container that holds a detected GPS directory, then verifies no supported EXIF/GPS marker remains in the new JPEG or PNG.
Is JPEG cleaning lossless?
No. JPEG is decoded and re-encoded at quality 0.92, so bytes, compression detail and size can change.
Does PNG transparency remain?
Decoded alpha is drawn into the new PNG. Check the downloaded file because browser decoding and color handling still apply.
Does it remove visible personal information?
No. Faces, text, watermarks and objects inside the pixels remain visible.
Why might colors look different?
Canvas decoding and re-encoding can change or omit embedded color-profile information. Compare the result in your target app.
Is the original changed?
No. The page creates a separate download and never overwrites the selected file.