Why we built this — and why it's truly anonymous
We built this tool because most online EXIF removers do exactly what you should avoid: they ask you to upload your private photos to a server you don't control. That's the opposite of privacy. Even when those services promise to delete your file afterwards, you have no way to verify it — and your image already passed through their network, log files, error monitors, and possibly backups.
This tool is different. Your photo never leaves your computer. When you drop a file, the browser opens it locally, parses the metadata locally, removes what you choose locally, and lets you save the cleaned file locally. There is no upload step at any point.
You can verify this yourself: press F12, open the Network tab, and drop a 50 MB photo into the tool. You will see no upload request. The tool only loads its own JavaScript and CSS files once — after that, it works fully offline.
- No upload — files are read with the browser File API, never sent anywhere
- No tracking pixels on your file — your image data is not part of any analytics
- No account, no email, no cookies for the tool — your language preference is stored locally, that's all
- No GPS lookup — we never query a map service with your coordinates; we only display them as text
- Auditable — view-source on this page shows exactly what runs
- Works offline — once the page is loaded, you can disconnect from the internet
What is EXIF data?
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is hidden information that cameras and smartphones automatically embed in every photo you take. It can include:
- GPS coordinates — the exact location where the photo was taken, often accurate to within a few meters
- Date and time — when the photo was taken, sometimes with timezone
- Camera model and serial number — the device that took the photo
- Lens, exposure, ISO, aperture — full technical settings
- Editing software — the program used to modify the photo, sometimes with version
- Author / Owner — name or copyright info, if configured in the camera
- Direction, altitude, speed — on smartphones with motion sensors
This information travels with the photo wherever it goes — by email, messenger, forum, or website upload — unless someone removes it.
Why does this matter?
Most people are unaware that their photos contain this data. Real-world consequences include:
- Home address exposure — a single photo of your living room reveals where you live
- Stalking and abuse — fleeing victims have been located through children's photos posted publicly
- Anonymous sources deanonymized — bloggers, whistleblowers, journalists exposed by metadata
- Pattern of life — timestamps show when you are home, at work, on vacation
- Device fingerprinting — camera serial number identifies you across all your photos
The famous case: software pioneer John McAfee was fugitive in 2012. A journalist photographed him with an iPhone and posted it online with intact GPS metadata, revealing his exact hideout in Guatemala within hours of publication.
Features
100% Private
No upload — your photo is processed entirely in your browser using the File API
All major formats
JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF and HEIC support — covering virtually all camera and phone photos
GPS detection
Latitude and longitude shown in degrees, with optional one-click conversion to decimal
Batch processing
Drop multiple files at once, review individually, download all as a single ZIP
Selective stripping
Remove only GPS, only date, only software — or everything in one click
Lossless
Removing metadata does not re-encode your image — pixels and quality are unchanged
Smaller files
Cleaned photos are typically a few kilobytes smaller — useful for email and uploads
Truly free
No ads, no tracking, no account, no email, no upload limits, no premium tier
How does this compare to other EXIF tools?
Most online EXIF tools fall into two camps: server-based services that ask you to upload your private photos, and browser-based tools with limited features or aggressive monetisation. Here is how this tool stacks up:
|
This tool |
Server-based tools |
Other browser tools |
| File leaves device | ✗ no | ✓ yes | ✗ no |
| Source auditable | ✓ yes | ✗ no | usually |
| Multilingual | ✓ 4 languages | EN only | EN only |
| Works offline | ✓ yes (PWA) | ✗ no | rarely |
| JPG / PNG / WebP / HEIC | ✓ all four | most | usually JPG only |
| Batch processing | ✓ ZIP download | often paywalled | often missing |
| Ads / Tracking | ✗ none | ✓ heavy | often present |
| Account required | ✗ none | often | rarely |
| GPS map call (leak risk) | ✗ never | often | often |
| Cost | free | freemium | free |