What hidden data is embedded in smartphone photos?

Photos taken on smartphones typically embed exact GPS latitude and longitude coordinates, exact date and time, phone model, camera lens settings, and unique device identifiers.

What is the difference between lossless stripping and re-encoding?

Lossless stripping removes only the EXIF header byte segment from the JPEG file while leaving the compressed image pixel stream untouched with zero quality loss. Re-encoding redraws the image into fresh pixels via canvas.

Does OnlyFiles see my location coordinates?

No. The EXIF parser runs entirely inside your web browser. Neither the image nor your GPS coordinates are ever transmitted to any remote server.

Home / Privacy Scrubber

100% In-Browser · Zero Uploads

Remove EXIF & GPS Tags Privately

Inspect embedded GPS coordinates, camera models, and timestamps in your photos, then strip metadata completely without leaving your browser.

Drop a photo to inspect and scrub metadata

Most phone photos carry GPS coordinates, device models and timestamps

Why Remove EXIF and GPS Metadata Before Sharing?

Every time you take a photo on your iPhone, Android, or digital camera, the device automatically records extensive technical information known as Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF). This metadata often includes your home address via GPS coordinates, date and time of capture, camera serial number, and software editing history.

When you email an image, upload it to a marketplace, or share it on forums that do not re-encode photos, strangers can easily extract your exact physical location. OnlyFiles strips this metadata directly inside your web browser before you send it.

GPS Location Protection

Safeguards your home, workplace, and travel destinations by purging exact latitude and longitude coordinates.

True Lossless Byte Cleaning

Removes the APP1 metadata segment byte-for-byte from JPEG streams without touching or recompressing image pixels.

Device Anonymization

Clears camera make, lens model, firmware versions, and unique serial numbers from public view.

Zero Network Footprint

All inspection and scrubbing is processed locally in RAM. No third party ever sees your location or pictures.

Lossless Stripping vs Re-Encoding

Lossless Stripping: OnlyFiles parses the binary structure of your JPEG file, locates the EXIF and XMP metadata markers (`0xFFE1`), and cuts them out cleanly while preserving the exact binary pixel stream. Not a single pixel is modified or re-compressed.

Strip & Re-Encode: For PNG, WebP, or non-standard formats, the tool loads the visual pixels onto an in-memory HTML5 Canvas and exports a fresh file without any inherited metadata containers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does stripping EXIF metadata change my photo quality?

No. With the 'Lossless' mode, your image pixels are completely untouched. Only the non-visual header tags (GPS, camera info, timestamp) are excised from the file.

Does social media automatically remove metadata?

Some social networks recompress images, but messaging apps, email attachments, Craigslist, Reddit direct uploads, and forums often transmit raw, unscrubbed files with full location tags intact.

Can this tool see GPS tags from iPhone Live Photos?

Yes. Photos exported from Apple iOS devices contain standard EXIF GPS tags which OnlyFiles parses, displays on screen, and safely scrubs.