What is EXIF metadata?
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a block of metadata your camera or phone embeds in every JPEG it takes. It records the camera make and model, lens, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, timestamps — and, if location services were enabled, GPS coordinates precise enough to identify the house the photo was taken in.
Beyond EXIF, photos can carry two more metadata formats this tool also reads:
- IPTC — editorial data: caption, keywords, author/byline, copyright notice.
- XMP — Adobe's extensible format: creator, title, editing history.
The privacy problem: your photos know where you live
The single most sensitive EXIF field is GPS. A photo of your kid's birthday, your new apartment, or your car can silently broadcast exact coordinates to anyone you send it to. Real-world consequences include burglary targeting (vacation photos posted in real time), stalking, and doxxing. This tool's privacy score flags GPS as a high risk the moment it's detected — along with author names, embedded thumbnails (which can survive cropping), and timestamps.
Rule of thumb: if a photo leaves your device, its metadata should too — unless you have a reason to keep it.
How to remove EXIF data (per platform)
- With this tool (any device): drop the photo above → click Strip metadata & download clean JPEG. The file is rebuilt without EXIF/IPTC/XMP segments and re-scanned to prove zero tags remain.
- iPhone: Photos app → share → Options → turn off Location (removes GPS only, keeps the rest). For full stripping, use this tool in Safari.
- Android: Google Photos → photo info → remove location (GPS only). For complete removal, use this tool in Chrome.
- Windows: right-click → Properties → Details → Remove Properties and Personal Information.
- Mac: Preview → Tools → Show Inspector → GPS tab → Remove Location Info (GPS only). Or
exiftool -all= photo.jpgin Terminal for everything. - Linux:
exiftool -all= photo.jpgstrips everything in one command (install via your package manager).
Do social apps strip EXIF?
Mostly yes — Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp strip EXIF (including GPS) on upload to save bandwidth. But photos shared via email, AirDrop, Telegram/Signal as files, or posted on forums usually keep every byte of metadata. Never rely on the platform: check before you share.