Our free image metadata remover strips GPS coordinates, camera serial numbers, timestamps, and hidden EXIF, IPTC, or XMP data from your photos. It runs entirely locally in your browser, so nothing ever leaves your device.
shield100% Local Processing
Zero Server Uploads
table_chartExample Metadata Fields
What's Hidden Inside Your Files
These are real metadata fields commonly found in image privacy files.
Field
Example Value
Privacy Risk
GPS:GPSLatitude
37.7749° N
Reveals exact photo location
GPS:GPSLongitude
122.4194° W
Pinpoints address or workplace
EXIF:Make
Apple
Identifies device manufacturer
EXIF:Model
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Narrows device to specific model
EXIF:SerialNumber
C02X1234ABCD
Unique device fingerprint across photos
EXIF:DateTimeOriginal
2026:08:15 14:32:07
Reveals when you were at the location
EXIF:LensModel
iPhone 16 Pro back camera 6.765mm f/1.78
Correlates shots from the same lens
EXIF:Software
Adobe Photoshop 26.1
Reveals editing tools used
checklistWhat Gets Removed
Metadata Remover Features
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GPS Coordinates & Altitude
Latitude, longitude, altitude, GPS timestamp, and datum reference from the GPS IFD block.
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Camera & Device Identifiers
Make, Model, SerialNumber, LensSerialNumber, and InternalSerialNumber tags from EXIF IFD0.
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MakerNotes Proprietary Blobs
Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and other vendor-specific binary data blocks containing firmware versions and shutter count.
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IPTC Editorial Data
Caption/Abstract, Byline (author), City, Country, Keywords, and Copyright Notice from the IPTC-IIM block.
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XMP Dublin Core & Photoshop
dc:creator, dc:description, photoshop:DateCreated, xmp:CreatorTool, and all custom XMP namespaces.
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Embedded Thumbnails
The EXIF IFD1 thumbnail JPEG that can contain a recognizable preview of the original unedited image, even after cropping.
help_outlineFrequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Yes. You can remove all embedded metadata from any photo using our free web tool. Drop your image into the box above, choose "Remove All Metadata" or "Remove Location Data", and download a completely sanitized version in seconds.
If you are wondering how to remove metadata from photos, simply upload your photo into OwnYourFiles and click "Process & Download" with the "Remove All Metadata" option selected. Our built-in ExifTool engine purges every EXIF, IPTC, and XMP header directly on your device with zero server uploads.
For complete privacy without installing native software or uploading files to third-party servers, OwnYourFiles is ideal because it runs 100% locally in your browser using WebAssembly. For desktop command-line power users, Phil Harvey's ExifTool CLI remains the gold standard.
Yes. OwnYourFiles includes a free, fully private EXIF editor. After dropping your photo, click the "Edit" tab to modify specific tags like title, author, copyright, camera model, date timestamps, and GPS coordinates without altering the image pixels.
Yes, but be careful with standard cloud converters that upload your photos to remote servers. OwnYourFiles is completely free and executes the entire metadata stripping process locally in your browser, meaning your private photos never touch the internet.
Upload your JPEG to OwnYourFiles, switch to the "Edit" tab, and modify any desired fields (such as camera info, keywords, author, or capture date). When finished, click "Save & Download" to get an updated JPEG with your custom metadata.
OwnYourFiles offers a comprehensive, free online metadata inspector that parses hundreds of EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and GPS tags directly in your browser. It also includes an instant Google Maps lookup for embedded location coordinates.
When you export photos from Google Photos via Google Takeout, timestamps and GPS data are often separated into JSON sidecar files. You can use OwnYourFiles to view or edit the timestamps and EXIF tags directly in the photo files so they display in proper chronological order in any photo gallery.
Photos taken on modern smartphones and cameras secretly store sensitive information, including your exact home GPS coordinates, date and time of capture, camera serial numbers, and device settings. Removing this data protects your privacy before sharing photos online or sending them via email.
On Android, open your browser and visit OwnYourFiles, then select your photo to strip its EXIF data instantly before sharing. Alternatively, in the Google Photos app, you can swipe up on a photo and tap "Remove location" to clear GPS coordinates before sharing via links.
Yes, taking a screenshot creates a brand-new image that does not inherit the original photo's EXIF data or GPS location. However, screenshotting adds its own device timestamp, significantly reduces image resolution, and can compress visual quality. Using a dedicated metadata stripper preserves 100% of your original image quality.
You can use OwnYourFiles directly in your web browser for images, PDFs, Office documents, audio, and video files. For desktop command-line workflows, you can also use ExifTool, ffmpeg, or MAT2 (Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit).
Learn More
Dive deeper into metadata privacy and how to protect yourself.