About this tool
Review supported hidden location, identity, device, time, and description data before sharing, while keeping parser exclusions and re-encoding changes explicit.
The Image Metadata Privacy Inspector opens a PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, or AVIF file in your browser, reads the metadata blocks the exifr parser understands, and sorts every field into six review groups: Location, Identity, Device, Time, Description, and Other. A GPS coordinate, a camera serial number, an artist name, or an original capture timestamp each lands in the group that matters for privacy, so you can decide what to strip before a photo goes public. When you want a clean copy, the tool re-encodes the pixels through a canvas into PNG or JPEG, reopens that file, checks its MIME type, signature, and dimensions, and reparses it to confirm the supported metadata fields are gone. A JSON report summarizes what was found.
- Checks PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF, and AVIF signatures, browser decoding, 25 MB size, 16,384 px dimensions, and a 60-megapixel processing ceiling before drawing conclusions.
- Parses supported TIFF, EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC, user-comment, and ICC fields, groups review signals, and exports source-linked JSON evidence.
- Re-encodes to an explicit PNG or JPEG policy and verifies output MIME, signature, dimensions, and supported privacy metadata before enabling the verified download.
How to use Metadata Privacy
Drop an image onto the upload area or use Choose image to inspect. The tool first checks the file signature, the 25 MB size limit, the 16,384 px side limit, and the 60-megapixel ceiling, then decodes the image and lists every metadata field it finds. Use the group chips above the table to jump to Location or Identity findings, and type into the filter box to search by key, value, or group. Pick a Cleaned copy format of PNG or JPEG; for JPEG, set the quality slider and choose a transparency fill color. Select Create privacy-cleaned copy, wait for the reparse to finish, and then press Download verified copy. Download the JSON report if you need a record of the original fields.
When this tool is useful
- Checking a smartphone photo for GPS coordinates before posting it to a public forum, marketplace listing, or social profile.
- A journalist or researcher who needs to confirm a source image carries no identifying camera serial or author fields.
- Support teams preparing screenshots and customer-supplied photos for a public knowledge base or bug tracker.
- Home sellers or classified-ad posters who photograph items at home and do not want the location embedded in listings.
- Developers confirming that an upload pipeline actually stripped EXIF and XMP data from the images it stores.
Practical tips
- Keep the original file. The cleaned copy is re-encoded through a canvas, so pixels change slightly and animated GIF or AVIF inputs collapse to one frame.
- Choose PNG when the source has transparency or sharp UI text; JPEG at a lower quality setting is fine for photographs going to the web.
- A clean result only covers TIFF, EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC, and user-comment fields. Maker notes and ICC color profiles are outside the check.
- If the parser reports an invalid metadata structure, the tool refuses to conclude metadata is absent; treat the file as uninspected and re-export it elsewhere first.
- Watch the Location signals counter first. Even a single GPS field is enough to place a photo within a few meters of where it was taken.
Examples you can test
Load an example, compare the result with the expected output, then replace it with your own input.
Phone photo with GPS
Example input
IMG_4021.jpg, 4032 x 3024, from a phone camera with location services enabled
Expected output
Location group lists GPSLatitude, GPSLongitude, and GPSAltitude; Device group shows make, model, and lens; the cleaned JPEG passes the reparse with zero supported fields
The re-encoded JPEG will be a different byte size from the original even at 100% quality, which is expected.
Screenshot with no metadata
Example input
PNG screenshot exported from a design tool, 1920 x 1080
Expected output
Fields inspected: 0. All review groups empty. A cleaned copy is still available but not required.
PNG screenshots rarely carry EXIF, but some tools write XMP or text chunks, so the check is still worth running.
Validation checklist
- Confirm the Location signals count reads zero after creating the cleaned copy.
- Compare the cleaned image against the original for color shifts, especially with wide-gamut photos.
- Check the reported output dimensions match the source width and height.
- Open the JSON report and note any fields grouped under Identity or Description.
- Remember maker notes and ICC profiles are not covered; use a dedicated tool if those matter.