How to Remove EXIF Data from Photos, Free in Your Browser

Quick answer: to remove EXIF data from a photo, use a tool that writes a clean copy of the file without its metadata, then check the copy. Your phone and computer have built-in options, but each removes only some fields. In your browser, GeoTag.world's EXIF remover strips the metadata from JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP and AVIF images for free with no account, and the EXIF viewer lets you confirm what is left.

Key takeaways

• EXIF holds more than location: camera model, date and time, settings and an embedded thumbnail. Related blocks (IPTC, XMP, content credentials) sit alongside it.
• Built-in OS options are partial: some remove GPS only, and results vary by version.
• The browser tool removes all of that in one pass. It is free, needs no account and processes the photo file in your browser.
• Some formats are re-encoded (HEIC becomes JPEG, PNG and WebP are re-drawn), so the file changes.
• Not every case is covered. Check the result every time. Do not treat any tool as a guarantee.

What EXIF data holds

EXIF is metadata written into the image file by the camera or phone. A typical photo carries:

• GPS: latitude, longitude, altitude and time of the fix.
• Camera and lens: make, model, lens, exposure, ISO and other settings.
• Date and time: when it was taken, and often when it was edited.
• A thumbnail: a small preview image stored inside the metadata.
• Software: the app that last saved the file.

Beyond EXIF, an image can carry other metadata blocks: IPTC (captions, creator and copyright fields used by publishers), XMP (an XML-based metadata standard, ISO 16684-1, written by cameras, editors and publishing tools) and C2PA content credentials, a provenance record that some cameras and AI tools embed. Stripping "EXIF" in the narrow sense can leave these behind, which is why "strip EXIF" tools differ. See the GPS metadata guide for the location side.

Built-in options and what each misses

Menu names differ by version on every platform. For step-by-step instructions on each, read how to remove location from photos. The common gap: these tools focus on location. Camera model, timestamps, XMP and content credentials often stay.

Strip everything in the browser

1. Open Remove EXIF Data.
2. Drop in your image. Batch mode handles up to 25 files at once without an account; more needs a free account.
3. Download the cleaned copy, or a zip for a batch. Cleaned files are named with a "_clean" suffix.
4. Drop the result into the EXIF viewer and confirm the fields are gone.

It is free and needs no account. The photo file is read and stripped in your browser and never uploaded. If the photo has GPS, the page draws it on a map, which loads map tiles for that area from OpenFreeMap.

What the tool removes, format by format

This is read from the tool's code, so you know the limits:

• JPEG: a lossless, byte-level pass removes the APP1 segment (EXIF and XMP), the APP11 segment (C2PA content credentials) and the APP13 segment (IPTC and Photoshop data). The image data is not recompressed. Other segments, such as the JFIF header and colour profile, are left as they are.
• HEIC and HEIF: decoded to JPEG first (browsers cannot strip HEIC directly), then stripped as above. The output is a JPEG (decoded at 90 percent quality for a single photo and 95 percent in batch mode), so it is not a lossless copy of the original HEIC.
• PNG and WebP: redrawn through the browser's canvas, which carries pixels forward and drops metadata. The file is re-encoded.
• AVIF: re-encoded to JPEG, which drops metadata. TIFF, RAW and GIF files are not accepted.
• Not covered: video files, and metadata that is part of the pixels, such as a visible stamp or watermark. See GPS stamp vs geotag.

If a file has a JPEG extension but is not a valid JPEG, the tool falls back to the canvas method. If the browser cannot decode a format, the tool reports an error instead of returning a file. We do not claim removal for every possible format or every possible container. That is why step 4, checking the result, matters.

When to keep some metadata

Removing everything is right for photos you post publicly or send to strangers. It is not always right:

• Copyright and credit. Creator and copyright fields live in IPTC and XMP. Google documents that it reads image metadata for licensing and credit information. (Google Search Central) If you publish your work and want that credit to travel, strip only GPS with a metadata editor, or re-add your copyright after cleaning. The browser tool removes everything.
• Archives and client work. Keep the original, and share a cleaned copy.
• Orientation and colour. Removing metadata can change how an image displays in some apps. Check the copy before publishing.

A simple rule: keep your originals untouched and only ever publish a cleaned copy.

AI content credentials (C2PA)

Some cameras and AI image tools embed a C2PA content credential in the file. For JPEG, the C2PA specification places it in the APP11 marker segment. (C2PA specification) The EXIF remover above strips that segment from JPEGs and re-encodes PNG and WebP, which drops it. If credentials are your specific concern, use the dedicated Remove AI Content Credentials page, and read do AI images have metadata. Removing a credential does not change what the image shows, and it may be relevant to platform rules about labelling AI content, so check the rules where you post.

Checklist before you share

1. Keep the original file safe.
2. Strip a copy.
3. Open the copy in the EXIF viewer and check for GPS, dates, camera and thumbnail fields.
4. Look at the image itself for visible text or landmarks that reveal a place.
5. Share the copy.