EXIF Viewer & Metadata Stripper
View all metadata embedded in your photos — EXIF, IPTC, XMP, GPS coordinates, and ICC profiles. Strip it all with one click to protect your privacy before sharing online.
What Is Image Metadata?
Every digital photo carries hidden information beyond the visible pixels. This embedded data — called metadata — is written by your camera, smartphone, or editing software at the moment the image is created or modified. Most people never see it, but it can reveal a surprising amount about you and your device.
Image metadata is organized into several standard formats, each storing different kinds of information:
- EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format). The most common metadata standard. Records camera make and model, lens information, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, date and time, and — on smartphones — GPS coordinates showing exactly where the photo was taken.
- IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council). Used primarily by photojournalists and stock photo agencies. Stores captions, keywords, copyright notices, creator names, and licensing information.
- XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). Adobe's extensible format that can store editing history, color profiles, ratings, and custom tags. Often written by Lightroom, Photoshop, and other editing tools.
- GPS coordinates. Embedded by smartphones and GPS-enabled cameras. Records the exact latitude, longitude, and sometimes altitude where a photo was taken. This is often the most privacy-sensitive metadata.
- ICC color profiles. Describe how colors in the image should be interpreted. While not a privacy risk, they increase file size and are usually unnecessary for web sharing.
Why Remove Metadata from Photos?
Sharing photos with embedded metadata can expose personal information you never intended to make public. Here are the key privacy risks:
- Location tracking. GPS coordinates in your photos can reveal your home address, workplace, daily routines, and travel patterns. Anyone who downloads your photo can extract this data in seconds.
- Device fingerprinting. Camera serial numbers, unique device identifiers, and software versions create a digital fingerprint that can link photos across different platforms back to the same device — and by extension, to you.
- Timestamp exposure. Date and time metadata, combined with timezone information, can establish when and where you were at specific moments. This matters for personal safety, legal situations, and investigative contexts.
- Inconsistent platform stripping. Social media platforms handle metadata differently. Some strip GPS data on upload, others do not. Some preserve EXIF while removing IPTC. You cannot rely on platforms to protect you consistently — stripping metadata before upload is the only reliable approach.
Use Cases
Photographers Before Sharing
Strip GPS coordinates and camera serial numbers before uploading to stock photo sites, portfolios, or social media. Keep your shooting locations and equipment details private while still sharing your work.
Privacy-Conscious Users
Remove all hidden data from photos before sharing in messaging apps, forums, or online marketplaces. Particularly important when selling items online where photos taken at home could expose your address.
Publishers & Newsrooms
Inspect metadata on submitted images to verify authenticity and source claims. Strip identifying metadata before publication to protect confidential sources and sensitive locations.
Forensic Comparison
Use the batch viewer to compare metadata across multiple images. Identify whether photos were taken by the same device, at the same location, or within the same time window — useful for investigations and legal proceedings.