Image Metadata Remover guide
Create a newly encoded JPG, PNG, or WebP copy that excludes supported camera, location, author, comment, and application metadata.
What this tool does
The Image Metadata Remover decodes the visible image pixels in the browser, draws them onto a fresh canvas, and exports a new image file. This pixel re-encoding approach does not copy the source file's EXIF, XMP, IPTC, comment, or ICC metadata blocks into the download. The tool also inspects the source for supported blocks so it can describe what it recognized before re-encoding.
The exported format follows the input: PNG remains PNG, WebP remains WebP, and JPEG is exported as JPEG. PNG and WebP transparency is retained where the browser supports it. JPEG and WebP use a high-quality export setting, but re-encoding a lossy format can change individual pixels or file size. The tool preserves the decoded width and height rather than resizing the image.
Metadata removal reduces accidental disclosure, but it is not a complete anonymity system. Visible details inside the picture—faces, addresses, screens, reflections, landmarks, documents, and vehicle plates—remain. Filenames can also disclose information, so the download uses a new toolseta-clean- prefix. Review both the picture and filename before sharing.
How to use it
- Select one supported image within the displayed file limit.
- Choose Remove metadata to decode and re-encode it locally.
- Read the result note to see which supported block types were detected.
- Download the clean copy rather than replacing the original immediately.
- Open the download and check its dimensions, transparency, color, and visible content.
Keep the original until the new copy has been verified. Animated WebP content is decoded as a single displayed frame, so this tool is intended for still images rather than animation preservation.
Inspect the source and downloaded copy with the Image Metadata Viewer when supported fields need to be compared before sharing.
Benefits
- Re-encodes pixels instead of copying source metadata containers
- Preserves the decoded pixel dimensions
- Retains transparency for supported PNG and WebP images
- Reports recognized metadata categories from the source
- Performs reading, rendering, and export locally
What can change during re-encoding
The new file may be larger or smaller because browser encoders differ from the software that created the source. JPEG and WebP output can introduce a small additional lossy generation. Color can also vary when a source depends on an embedded ICC profile that is deliberately not copied. Professional print, archival, medical, scientific, or evidence workflows should use a format-aware application that can preserve required color management while selectively removing fields.