What metadata does a photo actually contain?

Usually EXIF: the make and model of the camera or phone, the lens, the date and time to the second, and the exposure settings. If location services were on when you took it, it also contains GPS coordinates precise enough to place you on a map.

Can other people see this when I post a photo?

It depends where. Most large social networks strip metadata when they re-encode your upload — but messaging apps that send "as a file", email attachments, cloud links and personal websites generally pass the original through untouched, coordinates and all.

Does this upload my photo to check it?

No. The file is read by your own browser and never leaves your device, which matters here more than usual: uploading a photo to find out whether it reveals where you live is self-defeating.

How do I remove what it finds?

The same tool does it — the cleaned copy is offered underneath the findings. The image data is passed through byte for byte, so removing the metadata costs you no quality at all.

Check a photo's metadata

Drop a photo in and see what it records about you — where it was taken, which phone took it, and when, down to the second. Then take it out, if you want to. Your files are never uploaded — everything runs on your device.

Your photo
Drop a photo here
JPEGPNG
Your files are never uploaded.
JPEG and PNG. The photo is read on your device — nothing is uploaded, and the cleaned copy is built here too.
What was in it

Frequently asked questions

What metadata does a photo actually contain?: Usually EXIF: the make and model of the camera or phone, the lens, the date and time to the second, and the exposure settings. If location services were on when you took it, it also contains GPS coordinates precise enough to place you on a map.
Can other people see this when I post a photo?: It depends where. Most large social networks strip metadata when they re-encode your upload — but messaging apps that send "as a file", email attachments, cloud links and personal websites generally pass the original through untouched, coordinates and all.
Does this upload my photo to check it?: No. The file is read by your own browser and never leaves your device, which matters here more than usual: uploading a photo to find out whether it reveals where you live is self-defeating.
How do I remove what it finds?: The same tool does it — the cleaned copy is offered underneath the findings. The image data is passed through byte for byte, so removing the metadata costs you no quality at all.

To clean a batch of photos, the metadata remover is the same tool with the emphasis the other way round. For what each layer of a photo actually gives away, and which layers can be removed at all, see what your photos reveal about you. For documents, the PDF redaction tool removes text rather than covering it.

Your photo

What was in it

Frequently asked questions