UtilityKit

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Image EXIF Stripper

Remove embedded EXIF and GPS metadata locally before sharing

About Image EXIF Stripper

Every JPEG from a smartphone embeds GPS latitude and longitude, camera make and model, lens serial number, and shutter timestamps — invisible to you but readable by anyone who receives the file. This tool strips that metadata before you post photos to a forum, submit to a bug bounty, or share with a client. Stripping happens in your browser using the Canvas API: the image is decoded and re-encoded locally without touching a server. Output stays as JPEG, switches to PNG for a pixel-identical lossless result, or converts to WebP. For privacy-sensitive use cases — journalists protecting sources, security researchers, or real-estate agents removing GPS tags — the browser-only approach means even this site never sees the coordinates it removes.

Why use Image EXIF Stripper

Removes GPS Latitude and Longitude

Phone cameras embed exact lat/long in the EXIF GPSInfo block. Stripping them before you post a kitchen photo to a public forum means your home address isn't recoverable from the image file by anyone who downloads it.

Drops Camera Serial and Lens Make

EXIF Make, Model, LensModel, and BodySerialNumber fields can de-anonymise leaked or published photos — linking different images to the same physical device. Re-encoding wipes all of these fields in a single step.

Keeps Pixels Visually Identical

PNG output is pixel-for-pixel identical to the source. JPEG and WebP at quality 95 are visually indistinguishable from the original. You are stripping invisible data, not degrading the image itself.

100% Browser-Side Processing

Canvas re-encode happens entirely inside your browser tab. The photo is never uploaded to any server, meaning even this site never has access to the GPS coordinates it is removing from your files.

Multiple Output Format Options

Stay with JPEG for the smallest file, switch to PNG for a lossless archival copy, or export to WebP for a modern compressed version. All three strip metadata as part of the re-encode process.

Drops Maker Notes and XMP Blocks

Proprietary maker-specific EXIF blocks such as Canon CustomFunctions and Sony LensType, plus XMP and IPTC sidecar data embedded in the file, are all removed — not just the standard Exif fields.

How to use Image EXIF Stripper

  1. Drop a JPEG, PNG, or WebP file onto the upload area
  2. Choose your output format: keep the original type, switch to PNG for lossless output, or choose WebP for modern compression
  3. If you chose JPEG or WebP output, set the quality slider (default 95 keeps the image visually identical)
  4. Click Strip Metadata and wait for the in-browser Canvas re-encode to complete
  5. Click Download to save the stripped file
  6. Verify by right-clicking the saved file on your OS and checking Properties or Get Info — GPS and camera fields should be absent

When to use Image EXIF Stripper

  • Before uploading personal photos to a public forum, Reddit, Imgur, or anywhere strangers can download the file
  • When submitting screenshots to a bug bounty programme and you want to avoid leaking environment details
  • Before sharing photos from a news shoot where the source location must remain confidential
  • When sending real-estate listing photos where the embedded GPS reveals the exact property address
  • Before posting photos to a pseudonymous account where camera fingerprinting could link images to a real identity
  • When delivering client photos and the shoot location or camera details are commercially sensitive

Examples

iPhone photo with GPS

Input: IMG_0042.JPG (3.8 MB, 4032×3024) with GPSLatitude=37.7749 N, GPSLongitude=122.4194 W, Make=Apple, Model=iPhone 14 Pro

Output: stripped.jpg (3.6 MB, 4032×3024 — visually identical) with no GPS, no Make/Model, no serial number in metadata

DSLR photo with lens serial

Input: DSC_1234.JPG (8.2 MB, 6000×4000) with Make=NIKON, LensModel=AF-S 24-70 f/2.8, BodySerialNumber=2034112

Output: stripped.jpg (7.6 MB, 6000×4000) — every camera fingerprint removed, pixels unchanged

Convert and strip in one step

Input: screenshot.png (1.2 MB) with Software=Photoshop, history block, copyright tag

Output: stripped.webp (180 KB) — all metadata removed, file 85% smaller via WebP conversion

Tips

  • Re-encoding JPEG always incurs a tiny quality loss; for archival copies choose PNG output to get pixel-identical results with all metadata removed.
  • Strip metadata after your final edit, not before — Photoshop, Lightroom, and other editors can re-write EXIF including GPS when saving.
  • Many social platforms strip EXIF on upload, but not all — Reddit and some forums keep it intact. Never assume a platform will sanitise your metadata.
  • Right-click the saved file and choose Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac) to verify that GPS and camera fields are absent in the output.
  • If your photo has an embedded JPEG thumbnail in the EXIF block, that thumbnail also carries its own metadata — re-encoding strips both at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my phone really embed GPS coordinates in photos?▾
Yes, by default on both iOS and Android. Unless you have explicitly disabled Location Services for the camera app, every photo records the exact latitude and longitude where it was taken. The data is stored in the EXIF GPSInfo IFD and is readable by any EXIF viewer.
Will stripping EXIF reduce image quality?▾
The metadata removal itself does not affect pixels. However, Canvas re-encoding JPEG or WebP output applies a new lossy compression pass. At quality 95 the visual difference is imperceptible to the human eye. Choose PNG output for a truly lossless strip.
Are uploaded files sent to your server?▾
No. The entire operation runs in your browser using the Canvas API. The image is decoded and re-encoded entirely in your browser tab. Nothing is transmitted over the network — not to this site's backend, not to any third-party service.
Why did my JPEG file size change after stripping?▾
Re-encoding always produces a slightly different file size even at the same quality setting because the DCT coefficient optimisation is non-deterministic. At quality 95 the size difference is typically under 5%. If you chose PNG the file will be larger but lossless.
Does this remove ICC color profiles?▾
Canvas re-encoding discards the raw ICC profile bytes. Most monitors and browsers colour-manage images using the sRGB assumption when no profile is present, so colours typically look the same. For colour-critical print work, re-attach an ICC profile in your editing software afterwards.
Will it strip metadata from PNG and WebP files too?▾
Yes. PNG files can contain tEXt, iTXt, and zTXt metadata chunks alongside EXIF and XMP data. WebP files can carry EXIF and XMP chunks in their container. Canvas re-encoding removes all of these from all three formats.
Can someone still tell what camera took a photo after stripping?▾
Camera-fingerprinting via sensor noise patterns (PRNU analysis) is theoretically possible but requires significant expertise and many reference shots from the same device. Simple EXIF-based device identification is completely eliminated by stripping.
Are XMP and IPTC metadata blocks also removed?▾
Yes. XMP (Adobe's extensible metadata) and IPTC (news photo credit metadata) are both embedded in the file container, not in the pixel data. Canvas re-encoding produces a new file that contains none of these blocks.

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Glossary

EXIF
Exchangeable Image File Format — a standard for storing camera metadata inside JPEG, TIFF, and WebP files, including GPS coordinates, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and camera make and model.
GPSInfo block
A sub-IFD within the EXIF data structure that stores GPS latitude, longitude, altitude, timestamp, and bearing recorded at the moment the shutter was pressed.
Maker notes
A proprietary EXIF tag (MakerNote) that camera manufacturers use to store brand-specific data such as focus modes, custom functions, and lens serial numbers. Contents vary by manufacturer and are not part of the EXIF standard.
ICC profile
An International Color Consortium file embedded in an image that describes the colour space in which the image was captured or edited. Stripping it typically has no visible effect for sRGB images displayed on screen.
XMP metadata
An Adobe-developed metadata format embedded in image files that stores editing history, copyright notices, keywords, and ratings. XMP data is separate from EXIF and is also removed during Canvas re-encoding.
Canvas re-encode
The process of drawing an image onto an HTML5 Canvas element and then exporting it via toDataURL or toBlob. This produces a new file containing only pixel data, stripping all embedded metadata from the original container.