How to remove EXIF data from photos
EXIF is hidden data your camera or phone attaches to every photo. It can include the GPS coordinates where the shot was taken, the date and time, the device model and camera settings. To remove it, re-save the image through a tool that rebuilds the file from the pixels alone — which strips the metadata as a side effect.
Published September 7, 2026
What EXIF actually contains
- Location
- Latitude and longitude, if location services were on. This is the sensitive one.
- Timestamp
- The exact date and time the photo was captured.
- Device
- Camera or phone make and model.
- Camera settings
- Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens, orientation.
- Software
- The app or editor that last saved the file, sometimes with a version.
- Other blocks
- Some files also carry XMP or IPTC data — captions, keywords, copyright, editing history.
Why location data is the real concern
A photo taken at home, posted publicly with GPS intact, tells anyone who downloads it roughly where you live. Photos of children, of your workplace, or of items for sale are common cases where this matters.
Who already strips it, and who does not
- Most large social platforms remove or reduce EXIF when you upload — but not always completely, and the behaviour changes over time. Do not rely on it for anything sensitive.
- Direct sharing does not strip anything. Emailing a photo, sending it in a messaging app as a 'file' or 'document', uploading to a forum, or putting it on your own website all preserve EXIF as-is.
- Cloud links to the original file keep everything.
How to remove it
- 1
Open the metadata remover
Use the Image Metadata / EXIF Remover. Your photo is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
- 2
Choose your photo
The tool reads the file and lists any EXIF, GPS, XMP or text blocks it finds, so you can see what was there.
- 3
Strip and download
It decodes the image and re-encodes it from the pixels only. The new file has the same dimensions and looks identical, but the metadata blocks are not carried across.
- 4
Verify if it is important
For genuinely sensitive cases, check the cleaned file in a dedicated EXIF viewer before you share it.
Compressing also removes most metadata
Any tool that re-encodes the image — the Image Compressor or a format conversion, for example — drops embedded EXIF as part of rebuilding the file. If you were going to compress anyway, that step doubles as a metadata clean-up.
What this does not do
- It is not forensic-grade sanitisation. A re-encode removes the standard metadata blocks; it is not a guarantee against every possible trace or an expert analysis.
- It does not change the image content. If your house number is visible in the photo, stripping EXIF does not hide it.
- It does not remove a visible watermark or anything drawn into the pixels.
Good habits
- 1Turn off location tagging in your phone's camera settings if you rarely need it.
- 2Strip metadata from anything you post publicly or send outside a trusted group.
- 3Do the clean-up on the copy you are about to share, and keep your originals untouched.
- 4When something is sensitive, confirm the result in an EXIF viewer rather than assuming.
Images are processed on your device — nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What is EXIF data and why should I remove it?
EXIF is metadata your camera or phone embeds in a photo, which can include GPS coordinates, the exact time, and your device model. Removing it before sharing publicly prevents strangers from learning where and when the photo was taken.
Does posting to social media remove EXIF automatically?
Most big platforms strip or reduce it on upload, but not consistently or completely, and direct sharing methods — email, messaging apps sending a file, your own website — keep it intact. Strip it yourself for anything sensitive.
Will removing EXIF change how my photo looks?
No. The dimensions and visible image stay the same. Only the hidden metadata blocks are removed. If the tool re-encodes as JPG there may be a tiny, normal compression change, but nothing you would notice.
Is a browser-based EXIF remover safe?
With Kreviax, yes — the photo is processed locally in your browser and never sent to a server, which is the whole point for a privacy task. Avoid any 'metadata remover' that uploads your file to do the work.