How to Remove Metadata From a Photo
Every photo your phone takes carries a hidden file of information alongside the image: the exact GPS coordinates where you were standing, the date and time to the second, your phone model, and often the software you edited it with. Post that photo publicly and all of it travels with the file. Anyone who downloads it can read where you live, where your children go to school, or when you were away from home. This tool strips every trace of it — and scans your photos first so you can see exactly what was hiding in them.
Upload your photos
Each file is scanned locally for EXIF data, and any GPS coordinates, camera details or timestamps found are shown to you immediately.
Review what was found
Photos containing location data are flagged in red. This is exactly what a stranger downloading your image could read.
Remove and download
Click Remove All Metadata. The image content is preserved exactly; every hidden tag is stripped permanently.
What Is EXIF Data, and Why Does It Matter?
EXIF — Exchangeable Image File Format — is a standard for embedding information inside a photograph. It was designed for photographers, and for them it is genuinely useful: aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens, focal length, all recorded automatically so you can learn what worked. The EXIF standard has been embedded in cameras and phones for over two decades.
The problem is that modern phones also record GPS coordinates — frequently accurate to within a few metres — and most people have no idea. Sell something on a marketplace with photos taken at home, and the buyer can extract your address. Post a photo of your child in the garden, and the coordinates of that garden are in the file. Share holiday pictures while still away, and the timestamps confirm your house is empty.
Some platforms strip EXIF automatically when you upload, but many do not, and you cannot rely on any of them. Emailing a photo, sending it over most messaging apps as a file, or uploading it to a forum or classifieds site frequently preserves the data intact. Removing it yourself before you share is the only reliable approach.
What This Tool Removes
| Data Type | What It Reveals | Removed? |
|---|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | Exactly where the photo was taken | Yes |
| Date and time | When you were there, to the second | Yes |
| Device and camera | Your phone or camera model and settings | Yes |
| Software and thumbnails | Editing history, sometimes an uncropped preview | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EXIF data and why should I remove it?
EXIF is hidden information embedded in photos - GPS coordinates, date and time, camera model, and software used. Anyone who downloads your photo can read it, which means they can find out exactly where and when it was taken.
Do photos really contain my location?
If location services were enabled for your camera, yes - often accurate to within a few metres. This tool scans your photos and tells you immediately which ones contain GPS data.
Does removing metadata change how the photo looks?
No. The image itself is preserved exactly. Only the hidden metadata tags are stripped, so what you see is identical - the file simply no longer carries information about you.
Don't social media sites remove EXIF automatically?
Some do, many do not, and you cannot rely on it. Emailing photos, sending them as file attachments, or uploading to forums and classifieds sites frequently preserves the data completely intact.
Is my photo uploaded to check its metadata?
No. Both the scan and the cleaning happen entirely inside your browser. Your photos are never sent anywhere - which is the whole point of a privacy tool.
Why is removing metadata important when selling online?
Marketplace photos are usually taken at home. If the GPS data is intact, any buyer or browser can extract your home address from the listing photos. Strip it before you post.
Can removed metadata be recovered?
No. The cleaned file is rebuilt from the image pixels alone, so the metadata is genuinely gone from the downloaded copy, not merely hidden.
Does this remove metadata from PNG files too?
Yes. PNG files can carry text chunks and software tags, and re-encoding removes them the same way. GPS data is most common in JPGs from cameras and phones.
Will my file size change?
Slightly - usually smaller, since the metadata block is gone. If you choose JPG output, re-encoding may also alter the size a little. Choose PNG for a lossless clean copy.
Can I remove metadata from several photos at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like - each is scanned and cleaned separately, and Download All as ZIP saves the whole batch.
How do I check what metadata a photo contains?
Just upload it here. The scan runs instantly and shows you whether the photo carries GPS coordinates, camera information or timestamps - before you decide to clean it.
Is this metadata remover really free?
Completely free, with no limits, no signup and no premium wall. Everything runs in your browser, so there are no server costs to pass on.
Last updated: July 11, 2026 · FlipMyFormat Metadata Remover
Written and maintained by the FlipMyFormat team