How to use it
- Add your photos: choose files or a folder, drop them on the page, or paste with Ctrl+V.
- Read what each photo carries. A Location found: line appears first if there is one, then Date, Camera, Software, Names and rights and Text and comments.
- Under Remove, keep Everything (location, date, camera, comments), or choose Only the location (keep date taken and camera). If you change it after the files are done, press Apply to all again.
- Save the clean copies with Download or Download all to get one ZIP file, and share those instead of the originals.
What EXIF data is
Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a standard for information stored inside a photo file. It is maintained jointly by CIPA (the Camera and Imaging Products Association) and JEITA in Japan. Cameras and phones use it to record the date and time, camera settings, a small preview, copyright details and, if allowed, where the photo was taken.
This information travels with the file. Anyone who gets the original file can usually read it with ordinary photo software. Some apps add similar details in other blocks (XMP and IPTC), such as a creator name or a caption; the list on this page includes those too.
What each field can give away
The tool groups what it finds under the same names you see in the results list:
| Shown as | Typical fields | What it can reveal |
|---|---|---|
| Location | GPS latitude and longitude | Where the photo was taken: your home, school or workplace |
| Date | Date taken, date changed | When you were there, and your routine across several photos |
| Camera | Make, model, lens, camera serial number | Which device you use; a serial number can link photos to the same camera |
| Software | Editing app, phone software | Which apps you use, and sometimes their version |
| Names and rights | Artist, copyright, camera owner name | Your name, if your camera or app was set up with it |
| Text and comments | Description, user comment, keywords | Captions or notes you forgot were there |
The tool also counts purely technical fields, such as exposure and image size. When a photo has only those, it says so.
How the removal works
For JPG, PNG and WebP files, only the information blocks are cut out of the file. The picture data is not re-saved, so there is no quality loss at all. The colour profile is kept, so colours look the same, and so is the orientation tag, so the photo still stands upright.
HEIC, AVIF and other formats can't be cleaned that way here, so they are saved as a new JPG at high quality, and the result line says so. If you use iPhone photos, HEIC to JPG does the same conversion with more choices.
Only the location (keep date taken and camera) works fully on JPG files. PNG and WebP files can't keep a partial set here, so everything is removed from them and a note tells you. Each result lists what was removed.
The map link stays off until you click it
When a photo has a location, you see the coordinates and a Show on a map link. Nothing is looked up automatically. Only if you click the link does a new tab open OpenStreetMap, which receives the coordinates; the photo itself is still never sent anywhere.
Stop your phone adding the location
Cleaning old photos is half the job. You can also stop new photos from getting a location:
- iPhone or iPad: go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera, then tap Never. When sharing a single photo, you can also tap Options in the share sheet and turn off Location.
- Google Pixel: open the camera's settings and turn off Save location.
- Other Android phones: the setting is in the camera app, with names such as Location tags (Samsung), Tag locations (LG), Save location (Motorola, Sony), Store location data (OnePlus) or Save location info (Xiaomi).
With the location off, those photos won't show up in map views or location searches in your gallery app. Some websites remove photo details when you upload, others keep them, and that can change; don't rely on it. Clean the file before you send it.
Questions
- Does removing EXIF data reduce the quality?
- Not for JPG, PNG and WebP: the picture data is left exactly as it was. Other formats are saved as a new JPG at high quality, which is a lossy step.
- Will my photo turn sideways after cleaning?
- No. The orientation tag is kept, so the photo stands the same way it did before.
- How can I check that the location is really gone?
- Drop the cleaned file back onto this page. It should show no Location found: line.
- Do social networks and chat apps remove the location for me?
- Some do and some don't, and it can depend on how you send the photo. Apple warns that people you share photos with may be able to see their location data. Removing it yourself first is the only way to be sure.
- Is my photo uploaded to read its details?
- No. The details are read and removed in your browser. The only thing that can leave your device is the location, and only if you click Show on a map. See how to check it yourself.
- Why was nothing removed from my file?
- It was already clean: some apps and websites strip photo details when they save a file. The result then says so: "Nothing to remove: this file was already clean."