ExifTraceHow to remove EXIF and GPS metadata from a photo
Every photo your phone or camera takes can carry hidden data: the exact GPS coordinates where it was shot, the device and its serial number, the date and time, and more. Here is how to strip all of it — for free, without uploading your photo anywhere.
Clean a photo now →What is hidden in your photos
The metadata block is called EXIF (with related IPTC and XMP data). On a photo straight from a phone it commonly includes:
| Field | What it reveals |
|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | The precise spot the photo was taken — sometimes your home. |
| Date & time | When it was taken, down to the second and time zone. |
| Device & serial | Camera or phone model, and a serial number that links all your photos. |
| Software | Whether the image was edited, and with what. |
Remove it in four steps
- Open ExifTrace in your browser — nothing to install.
- Drop your photo onto the page (or a whole folder / a .zip for batches).
- Review what it contains — the tool highlights the fields that actually identify you.
- Click clean to download a copy with the EXIF, GPS, XMP and IPTC removed.
Is it lossless? Does it change the image?
For JPEG, the cleaning is lossless: only the metadata segments are dropped, the actual pixels are untouched, so quality is identical. The output is a normal JPEG you can share anywhere.
Don't social platforms already strip metadata?
Most large platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X) remove EXIF when you upload — but many channels do not: photos sent by email, messaging apps as a file, AirDrop, cloud links, or posted to smaller sites often keep the full GPS data. If in doubt, strip it yourself first.
Does anything leave my device?
No. ExifTrace reads and cleans your photo entirely in your browser. The image is never uploaded to a server. That is the whole point — you shouldn't have to send a private photo to a stranger's server just to remove its location.
Common questions
Can I remove GPS from many photos at once?
Yes — drop a folder or a .zip and clean them in a batch, then download them together.
Which formats are supported?
Reading works for JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP and HEIC. Lossless cleaning is available for JPEG.
Is it really free?
Yes. Reading and cleaning metadata in the browser is free. A paid API exists only for developers who want to automate it.