Remove EXIF Data from Photos
To remove the location from a photo, delete its metadata blocks: in a JPEG that is the APP1 segment (EXIF with GPS, and XMP) and APP13 (IPTC); in a PNG the tEXt, iTXt, zTXt and eXIf chunks. Cutting these bytes out leaves the image data untouched, so the photo is not re-compressed and quality stays exactly the same. This tool does it in your browser for many files at once.
How to use
- Drop one or more photos onto the box, or press it to choose files. JPEG, PNG and WebP are cleaned byte by byte; HEIC and other formats are saved again from the pixels.
- Read each row: what was found (EXIF, XMP, GPS location and so on) and what is left after cleaning. A red line shows the GPS position that was in the file.
- Save each file, or press Download all (ZIP). If a photo shows up sideways in some apps, tick the orientation option to turn the pixels upright before the tag is removed.
How it works
A JPEG is a chain of segments, each starting with a 2-byte marker and a length. EXIF and XMP live in APP1 segments, IPTC captions in APP13, comments in COM, and phones add extra APPn blocks and secondary images after the end-of-image marker. These are dropped. The JFIF header, the ICC color profile (APP2), the Adobe color block (APP14) and everything from the quantization tables to the compressed scan data are copied byte for byte.
PNG files are chunks with a type, data and a CRC checksum. The tEXt, iTXt and zTXt text chunks, the eXIf chunk and the tIME timestamp are removed; image chunks are copied with their original checksums. In WebP the EXIF and XMP chunks are removed, the flags in the VP8X header are cleared and the RIFF size is rewritten.
The camera stores which way is up in the Orientation tag. By default the cleaned JPEG keeps a tiny EXIF block with only that tag (values 1 to 8), so the photo still displays upright and nothing else survives. With the rotate option the pixels are turned and the file is saved again as JPEG at quality 92, which removes the tag too at the cost of one re-encode.
After cleaning, the new file is read again with the same parser and the page lists anything that is still there. Files are read inside this tab and never uploaded.
What is removed and what is kept
| Format | Removed | Kept |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | EXIF and XMP (APP1), IPTC (APP13), comments, other APPn blocks, MPF and data after the image end | JFIF header, ICC profile, Adobe block, image data, Orientation tag (optional) |
| PNG | tEXt, iTXt, zTXt, eXIf, tIME | Image chunks, iCCP color profile |
| WebP | EXIF and XMP chunks | Image data, ICC profile |
| HEIC and others | Everything (saved again from the pixels) | Pixels only |
FAQ
Does removing EXIF reduce photo quality?
Not for JPEG, PNG or WebP. Only the metadata bytes are cut out, the compressed image data is copied unchanged, so the pixels are identical to the original. The file just gets a little smaller. Only the rotate option and formats such as HEIC are saved again from the pixels.
How do I remove the location from a photo on iPhone or Android?
On the phone you can turn off location in the share sheet (iPhone: Options, then Location) or in the camera settings for future shots. For files already taken, or to clean many at once, drop them here: the GPS block is removed along with the rest of the EXIF.
Why is the color profile kept?
The ICC profile says how to show the colors. It holds no camera, date or location data, and removing it can make wide-gamut photos look dull. It is listed as kept so you can see it.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The files are read and rewritten by code running in this browser tab. Nothing is sent to a server and no copy is kept after you close the page.
Can I check that the location is really gone?
Yes. Each row shows what is left in the new file, read back with the same parser. You can also open the saved file in the EXIF viewer linked below the box. Remember a photo can still reveal a place through what it shows, such as a street sign or a house number.