Remove Image Metadata (EXIF)
Strip EXIF, GPS location and all other hidden metadata from a photo before you share it.
Finding the best quality that fits…
- Original
- —
- Result
- —
- Reduction
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- Dimensions
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How to use this tool
- Choose your image, drag it onto the box, or paste it from the clipboard. JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC all go in; JPEG comes out.
- There is nothing to set. This page is already fixed at JPEG.
- Download from the panel, which shows the original size, the final size and the output dimensions. Nothing was uploaded at any point.
Re-encoding an image discards every metadata field — camera details, timestamps and, importantly, GPS coordinates. The visible picture is unchanged; what leaves is everything you cannot see.
Remove Image Metadata (EXIF) — the specification
| Removes | EXIF, GPS coordinates, camera and lens data, timestamps, software tags |
|---|---|
| Keeps | The visible image at high quality |
| Output | JPEG |
| Method | Re-encoding, which discards all metadata as a side effect |
| Verify | Check the result with the metadata viewer |
Remove Image Metadata (EXIF): what can go wrong
These are the failures that actually come up, in roughly the order they happen:
- You needed the metadata kept — this is not reversible, so keep your original.
- The file is a PNG with transparency; the output is JPEG, so transparency is flattened to white.
- You expected the visible image to change. It does not — only the hidden data is removed.
How it works
Most compressors pick a fixed quality level and hope for the best, which is why they either overshoot the limit or land far below it and throw away detail you did not need to lose.
This tool runs a binary search instead. It encodes your image at a mid-range quality, measures the resulting file, then narrows the range — higher if there is room, lower if it is over — repeating seven times. It keeps the largest result that still fits. If the lowest quality is still too big, it reduces the pixel dimensions and searches again.
All of it runs on your own device using the browser's canvas API. Nothing is transmitted.
A measured run of this exact preset
Not an estimate: this page’s own code, run against a 2 MP photograph and an A4 scan at 200 dpi, with every encode recorded. The files and the method are published here.
| Input | Result | Change | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 MP photograph 1200 × 1600 px · 460.0 KB | 446.2 KB 1200 × 1600 px | 3% smaller | Converted at high quality |
| A4 scan at 200 dpi 1654 × 2339 px · 996.0 KB | 962.3 KB 1654 × 2339 px | 3% smaller | Converted at high quality |
Step by step
The two inputs do not behave the same way, and the gap is the useful part: the A4 scan at 200 dpi finished 2.2× larger than the 2 MP photograph under the same settings. Detail costs bytes. If your own file is flat — a scan, a screenshot, a document photographed straight on — expect results nearer the 2 MP photograph row.
Who needs Remove Image Metadata (EXIF)
Anyone posting photos of their home, children or workplace; journalists protecting a source; sellers listing items from a home address. GPS in a photo is trivially readable by anyone who receives the file.
Remove Image Metadata (EXIF) — frequently asked questions
Does this change how the photo looks?
It is re-encoded at high quality, so any change is essentially invisible. What is removed is the hidden data, not the picture.
How can I confirm it worked?
Run the result through the metadata viewer on this site. It should report nothing found.
Do social platforms not strip this already?
Most do on upload. But files sent by email, messaging apps, cloud links or AirDrop usually keep everything — which is where location leaks actually happen.
Which file types can I upload?
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP and HEIC from an iPhone all go in. The output here is JPEG. Conversion happens as part of the process, so there is no need to convert first.
Does this work on a phone?
Yes, including photos straight from your camera roll. The work happens on the device, so a very large image is slower on a phone than on a laptop, but nothing is uploaded either way.
Is this tool really free?
Yes. No account, no trial period, no watermark on the output and no cap on how many times you use it. The site is funded by advertising.
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Your file never leaves your device. Open your browser's Network tab while you use this page and you will see no upload — how that works.
Disclaimer. Published requirements change without notice. Confirm against the official source before you submit. Full disclaimer.