Public marketplace/forum
Privacy first—remove sensitive metadata and share a clean copy. Keep the untouched original.
Photo privacy before sharing
EXIF-Metadaten und Datenschutz: Was sich in Ihren Fotos versteckt
A photo may carry capture time, camera settings, device details, GPS, captions, creator rights, editing data, and provenance. Inspect the actual file before deciding what to remove.
Inspect a photo's metadata- JPEG, PNG, or WebP
- Processed locally
- No image upload
EXIF & GPS
IPTC & XMP
C2PA
ICC
Inspect the file instead of assuming what it contains.
Photo metadata is more than GPS
EXIF — camera, clock, lens, location pin
May contain capture time, settings, device details, and GPS.
IPTC & XMP — caption sheet, creator pen, copyright seal
Useful for captions, attribution, rights, and workflow.
C2PA — signed provenance certificate and shield
Records recognized provenance and action assertions.
ICC — color palette and profile waves
Helps preserve consistent color; MetaScrub keeps it.
Privacy cleanup has a preservation tradeoff
Private family sharing
Inspect context and decide what to remove. Some data may be useful for memories.
Portfolio/licensed work
Copyright and attribution metadata can protect your work and support licensing.
Evidence/archive/journalism
Preserve original files and provenance for accuracy, verifiability, and integrity.
Inspect first, then clean a copy
- 1
Add the file locally
Choose a JPEG, PNG, or WebP from your device.
- 2
Review recognized blocks
See which metadata blocks are present in your file.
- 3
Choose broad or AI-only mode
Pick the mode that matches your goal.
- 4
Verify removed/kept blocks and download
Confirm what was removed and saved. Download your clean copy.
Broad privacy removal
Removes recognized EXIF/GPS, XMP, IPTC, comments, and C2PA; keeps ICC.
AI-provenance only
Removes recognized AI provenance; keeps EXIF including GPS.
- Processed locally
- No upload
- Original file is not overwritten
Broad removal works at metadata-block level
| Metadata block | Broad privacy removal | AI-provenance only |
|---|---|---|
| EXIF & GPS | Removed | Kept (including GPS) |
| XMP & IPTC | Removed | Kept |
| C2PA (AI provenance) | Removed | Removed when recognized |
| Comments (e.g., image notes) | Removed | Kept |
| ICC color profile | Kept | Kept |
| Image pixels (visual content) | Kept | Kept |
Your image stays in your browser
File on your device
Inspect metadata
Clean locally in browser
Verify what's kept or removed
Download clean copy
Untouched original remains on device
Files are read and rewritten in browser memory. The source image is not uploaded or overwritten.
- 5 images per day free
- Paid bulk batches up to 200
- ZIP download available
What cleaning cannot guarantee
A platform may add new metadata
Web services can append fresh metadata after upload or processing.
A service may retain data already received
MetaScrub cannot remove data stored by other services or third parties.
Visible pixels can reveal location
Landmarks, signs, weather, or shadows can reveal where and when.
Depicted people or scenes are not anonymized
MetaScrub does not blur, mask, or alter visible content or identity.
Pixel-level watermarks remain
Invisible watermarks or signal patterns in pixels are not removed.
What metadata can still be useful?
Capture date & settings
Help you organize, search, and understand how the photo was captured.
Creator & copyright
Support attribution, licensing, and protection of your creative work and rights.
Captions & keywords
Improve discoverability and workflow across teams and collections.
Provenance & archive
Provide verifiable history for authenticity, archives, and legal contexts.
When metadata may matter later, preserve an untouched original.
Questions about EXIF privacy
Do all photos contain GPS data?
No. GPS data depends on the device, camera settings, and workflow. Some files include it, while others never do. Inspect each file to see which metadata blocks are actually present.
Can I inspect metadata before removing it?
Yes. MetaScrub shows the recognized metadata blocks before cleaning so you can choose the mode that fits the file and your goal.
Can MetaScrub remove only GPS?
No. MetaScrub cleans recognized metadata at block level rather than editing one EXIF field. Broad privacy mode removes the recognized EXIF block, including GPS.
Does AI-provenance-only mode remove GPS?
No. AI-provenance-only mode keeps EXIF, including GPS, while removing recognized AI-provenance metadata.
Will removing EXIF reduce image quality?
No. EXIF is separate from the image pixels. Removing recognized metadata blocks does not recompress or intentionally alter the visual content.
Why does MetaScrub keep the ICC profile?
The ICC profile tells compatible software how to interpret color. MetaScrub keeps it so cleaning metadata does not cause an avoidable color shift.
Should photographers keep copyright metadata?
Often, yes. Creator and copyright fields can support attribution and licensing. Preserve an untouched original whenever those fields may matter later.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. Supported files are inspected and cleaned locally in your browser. They are not uploaded to MetaScrub for processing.
Which formats are supported?
MetaScrub supports JPEG, PNG, and WebP image files.