{{ summaryHeading }} {{ summaryFigure }} {{ summaryLine }} {{ badge.text }}

Drop, paste, browse, or load the local demo. The image stays in this browser tab.
{{ sourceMeta }}
{{ sourceReady ? sourceFile.name : 'Drop image here' }}
{{ sourceReady ? 'Ready for EXIF review' : 'JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, AVIF, or TIFF when supported by this browser' }}
The demo contains synthetic camera, time, author, GPS, and serial tags.

Ignored {{ ignoredFileCount }} extra {{ ignoredFileCount === 1 ? 'file' : 'files' }}. This tool processes one image at a time.

Choose the closest job, then review every setting that affects the exported copy.
Auto resolution is shown in the summary and audit; pin a format when the next workflow requires one.
{{ metadataPolicyHelp }}
{{ resolvedFormat === 'image/png' ? 'Lossless' : `${qualityPercent}%` }}
Use the preview and final byte count to judge the encoded result.
Keep on for ordinary sharing; verify the exported preview before replacing an archive master.
{{ autoRotate ? 'Apply orientation' : 'Keep stored pixel orientation' }}
Reviewed JPEG EXIF fields

These values are staged for the new JPEG. Blank values are omitted; unsupported source tags are not copied automatically.

{{ workflowMessage }}

Available only when the exported JPEG keeps or edits EXIF.
{{ normalizeOrientation ? 'Write Orientation 1' : 'Keep source value' }}
Neutral when the main metadata policy already strips every tag.
{{ scrubGps ? 'Remove GPS' : 'Keep GPS if present' }}
Zero keeps the available precision; 1-6 limits decimal-degree precision before writing.
decimals
Off is neutral; enable only for a JPEG catalog handoff that needs the duplicate timestamp.
{{ writeDigitized ? 'Write duplicate timestamp' : 'Do not add field' }}
Neutral when the main metadata policy already strips every tag.
{{ scrubSerials ? 'Remove serials' : 'Keep serials if present' }}
SignalDetectedTriageExport actionCopy
{{ row.label }}{{ row.detected }}{{ row.risk }}{{ row.action }}
Machine-readable audit handoff; no image bytes are included.
FieldSource valueReviewed valueCopy
{{ row.label }}{{ row.source }}{{ row.reviewed }}
Open map
ItemBeforeAfter exportReasonCopy
{{ row.label }}{{ row.before }}{{ row.after }}{{ row.reason }}
VersionPreviewFileFormatDimensionsSizeActionCopy
{{ row.version }}{{ row.filename }}{{ row.format }}{{ row.dimensions }}{{ row.size }}DownloadSource only
Image Cropper Crop one image locally with exact aspect and pixel controls, then review upscaling and transparency along with quality or file-budget risks.
Image Metadata Stripper Strip hidden metadata from an image in your browser and create a clean JPEG, PNG, or WebP copy with a check for remaining privacy markers.
Image Compressor Compress one image locally in your browser, compare size and visual quality, then download a resized or reformatted copy with metadata controls.
Image Format Converter Convert one image locally with format, resize, crop, quality, and transparency controls while checking the actual output and byte size.

A photograph can reveal more than its visible pixels. Cameras and phones often store Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) metadata alongside the image, including capture time, camera and lens names, orientation, software history, copyright text, and sometimes precise coordinates or equipment serial numbers.

That context can be valuable in a photo archive, evidence workflow, or asset catalog. The same fields can create privacy problems when an image is published, sent to a marketplace, or shared outside the team that collected it. Location data may identify a home or work site, while timestamps and serials can connect otherwise unrelated images.

Metadata groupUseful contextReason to review
GPSWhere the image was capturedMay disclose a sensitive or private location
Date and timeChronology and catalog sortingMay expose travel, routine, or incident timing
Camera, lens, and serialsEquipment tracking and technical diagnosisMay link images to a particular device or owner
Artist, copyright, description, and softwareOwnership and processing historyMay carry names, organizations, or private project notes
OrientationTells viewers how stored pixels should be rotatedRemoving the tag without drawing upright pixels can make an export appear rotated

Metadata is mutable. A correct-looking timestamp does not prove when a photograph was taken, and coordinates do not prove who held the camera. EXIF is supporting context, not a cryptographic record of authorship, custody, time, or place.

Stripping metadata is different from editing selected fields. A stripped export omits the EXIF block attached by the editor. A reviewed JPEG can instead keep a supported subset or write selected common fields.

Neither route preserves every vendor-specific tag, maker note, color-management detail, or archival property. Keep the original master separate from a sharing copy, even when the exported pixels look unchanged.

How to Use This Tool:

Choose the intended handoff first; privacy sharing, archival review, and editable JPEG workflows need different metadata policies.

  1. Drop, paste, or browse for one browser-decodable image up to 25 MiB. The source dimensions, readable tag count, and detected privacy categories appear after local inspection.
  2. Select the closest Workflow preset, then review its Output format and Metadata policy. Presets are starting points, not approval decisions.
  3. Use Strip all metadata for a sharing copy with no EXIF block attached by this editor. Use Keep supported original EXIF or Apply reviewed field edits only for JPEG output.
  4. Check Apply EXIF orientation and the exported preview. When upright pixels are drawn into a JPEG that still carries EXIF, enable Normalize Orientation tag to write Orientation 1 and avoid a second rotation.
  5. Review GPS and equipment serial settings before selecting Export reviewed image. Inspect the final preview, format, dimensions, byte size, change ledger, and privacy actions before replacing or sharing any file.

Interpreting Results:

The privacy score is a triage aid built from five detected categories. It helps prioritize review but does not declare an image safe to publish. Read the signal rows and planned export action, not the percentage alone.

  • Metadata stripped means the new browser-encoded image receives no EXIF block from this editor. It does not certify removal of every possible non-EXIF metadata container or visible clue.
  • Supported EXIF kept means only the common fields the JPEG writer understands are reconstructed. It is not a byte-for-byte copy of the source metadata.
  • Reviewed EXIF written means blank editable fields are omitted and staged values are written where supported. Compare the change ledger with the intended handoff.
  • Use the final preview to catch rotation or compression problems and the final byte count to understand the encoded copy. File-size change does not measure visual quality.

Technical Details:

EXIF is stored in structured image metadata, commonly inside JPEG application segments. Reading and writing are separate operations here: readable source tags populate a review model, while export builds a new pixel encoding and either omits EXIF or constructs a supported JPEG EXIF block.

Formula Core:

The triage score is the sum of fixed weights for detected categories. Each indicator equals 1 when that category is present and 0 when it is absent. The weights are a local review heuristic, not an EXIF standard or a probability of harm.

S=40IGPS +30Iserial +12Itime +10Idevice +8Iauthor
ScoreBandMeaning
0ClearNone of the five reviewed categories was detected
Greater than 0 and less than 15LowOnly a low-weight category was detected
15 to 39MediumOne or more categories warrant deliberate review
40 to 100HighGPS, or a combination totaling at least 40 points, was detected

Byte-size change is calculated only after export as (output bytes − source bytes) / source bytes × 100. It may be negative or positive because format, quality, metadata, and the browser encoder all affect the new file.

Rule Core:

Resolved outputMetadata policyExport behavior
JPEGStripRe-encode pixels without attaching an EXIF block
JPEGKeepReconstruct supported common source fields, then apply GPS and serial removal settings
JPEGEditWrite nonblank reviewed fields, optional GPS, and optional duplicate digitized time
PNG or WebPAny incoming choiceForce a metadata-stripped browser re-encode; JPEG-only EXIF writing is unavailable

Auto format keeps JPEG, PNG, or WebP when the source already uses one of those formats; other browser-decodable inputs resolve to JPEG. Encoder quality ranges from 10% to 100% for JPEG and WebP. PNG uses the browser's lossless PNG encoding and ignores that control.

Transformation Core:

The image is decoded, drawn to a canvas at its source dimensions, and encoded into a new JPEG, PNG, or WebP. JPEG output uses a white background; PNG and WebP may retain alpha when the browser decoder and encoder support it. Applying EXIF orientation asks the decoder to draw the visually upright pixel arrangement before export.

GPS coordinates are staged as decimal degrees. When precision is set from 1 through 6, latitude and longitude are rounded to that many decimal places before conversion to EXIF degrees, minutes, and seconds. A setting of 0 keeps the available numeric precision. Both latitude and longitude must be valid before a GPS block is written; latitude is limited to −90 through 90 and longitude to −180 through 180.

A keep or edit export writes only supported common fields such as make, model, lens model, timestamps, artist, copyright, description, orientation, selected serials, and GPS. Unsupported tags and maker-specific data are not preserved automatically.

Privacy and Accuracy Notes:

The source image, decoded metadata, edits, and exported image remain in the browser tab; the page does not upload the file. A link opened from the GPS review is different: following it sends the chosen coordinates to that external mapping site.

Metadata detection depends on what the browser can decode and what the EXIF reader returns. A zero score can mean that none of the five categories was found, not that the file contains no metadata of any kind. Inspect the exported file with a second metadata viewer when publication risk is high.

Keep the original image as the archive master. Browser re-encoding can change compression, color handling, alpha behavior, and unsupported metadata even when pixel dimensions remain the same.

Worked Examples:

Preparing a public sharing copy

A phone photo contains GPS, capture time, and device details. Choose Public sharing · strip all metadata, export the image, and confirm that each detected category says it is removed from the export. Keep the original elsewhere because the sharing copy has been re-encoded.

Correcting a JPEG catalog record

For a JPEG that needs an updated artist and capture time, choose JPEG handoff · apply reviewed edits, change only those fields, and leave GPS and serial removal enabled unless the catalog requires them. Normalize Orientation only after confirming that the exported pixels are upright, then compare the change ledger with the catalog request.

References: