EXIF Remover

EXIF explained

Author 김지광 (운영자)Last updated bal.pe.kr 마이크로 SaaS

In 5 minutes: what a single photo reveals, why you should strip it, and which platforms do — or do not — clean it for you.

1. What is EXIF?

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a block of hundreds of metadata tags tucked inside JPEG / HEIC files. Originally a camera-settings record, on smartphones it is now auto-populated with:

  • 📍 GPS latitude / longitude — accurate to a few meters
  • 📷 Make · Model · LensModel · SerialNumber — camera body, lens, serial
  • 🕐 DateTimeOriginal — exact capture time
  • 💻 Software — editing app used
  • 👤 Artist · Copyright · OwnerName — some DSLRs embed your name
  • 🖼️ 1st-IFD thumbnail — embedded thumbnail that can bypass crops/blur

2. Why GPS is the worst offender

Camera model or timestamp alone are usually low-risk. Latitude + longitude baked into the file, however, plots your home address, workplace, or your kid's school on a map — and stalking, burglary and insurance-fraud cases keep showing up because of it.

"GPS coordinates in a vacation photo can reveal your home address, and camera serial numbers can link photos back to you across services." — AI Metadata Cleaner

3. Why secondhand & real-estate listings are high-risk

Secondhand apps (Karrot/Danggeun, Bunjang) and real-estate listings (Naver Real-Estate, Zigbang) publish indoor photos taken right at your address. With GPS embedded, your street is published along with your listing — and cached copies survive even after you delete the post. Strip first, upload second.

4. Which platforms strip it automatically?

Do not rely on auto-stripping. As of 2025–2026, rough status:

  • Instagram · Facebook · Twitter/X — strip most EXIF on upload, but DMs and "download original" may preserve it
  • Reddit — strips eventually, but reports of metadata exposure during the processing delay
  • KakaoTalk ("original" send) — the "send original" toggle preserves EXIF in full
  • Naver Blog / Tistory — typically stripped when resized server-side, but no guarantee
  • Karrot / Bunjang — believed to strip, but undocumented and app-version dependent
  • Email / Google Drive / Slack — do not strip. The file is passed through as-is.

→ Bottom line: strip locally before sharing; do not trust the platform.

5. How does this tool work?

  • JPEG: parsed with exifr, edited in place with piexifjs — pixel data stays byte-for-byte identical.
  • PNG · WebP · HEIC: decoded via <img>, re-encoded through Canvas toBlob — the browser simply drops the metadata block.
  • Everything runs in your browser. Open DevTools → Network before you drop files: zero upload requests.

6. Related tools

  • heic.bal.pe.kr — iPhone HEIC → JPG / PNG batch converter (same "no upload" philosophy)
  • FAQ — 15 frequently-asked questions

7. What to keep vs strip

Stripping every tag is not always the right call. Some fields are useful depending on your goal. Common cases:

  • E-commerce / secondhand listings — Strip GPS, serial, model, and the Software tag (editing apps can look suspicious).
  • Blog / social posts — Strip GPS and serial; keep camera/lens (you usually mention them in the post anyway).
  • Portfolio / artist sites — Keep or set the Copyright/Artist fields; remove GPS and serial.
  • Print-ready RAW / TIFF — Print labs need ICC profile and resolution metadata; do not strip everything — only GPS.
  • Legal evidence / insurance claims — Keep the original intact — timestamp and location can be evidence. Make a separate sanitized copy to share.

8. Beyond EXIF — IPTC, XMP, MakerNote

Stripping EXIF alone is not enough. The same JPEG often carries IPTC, XMP, and MakerNote blocks.

  • IPTC — news/wire standard for caption, keywords, byline. Lightroom and similar tools embed it casually.
  • XMP — Adobe XML side-car for edits, ratings, GPS, byline; often embedded right inside the JPEG.
  • MakerNote — vendor-specific block: lens micro-serial, shutter count, firmware. A solid fingerprint for tracking.

This tool clears EXIF, GPS, Maker, and MakerNote IFDs together. An option to also drop XMP/IPTC is on the roadmap.

9. Thumbnail leak — why blurring may not be enough

JPEGs ship a 160×120 thumbnail in the 1st IFD. If you mosaic-blur the main image, the thumbnail still holds a tiny copy of the unblurred original — that has caused real leaks.

This tool drops the 1st-IFD thumbnail as well. Open the file in any EXIF viewer before and after — the "thumbnail" entry disappears.

10. OS-level removal (for reference)

  • Windows 11 — Right-click → Properties → Details → "Remove Properties and Personal Information" → "Create a copy". Removes GPS/author but may leave MakerNote.
  • macOS — Preview → Tools → Remove Location Info. GPS only; other fields intact.
  • iPhone (iOS 16+) — Photos → Share → Options → toggle off "Include Location". Strips GPS only for that share — the original keeps it.
  • Android — Gallery apps vary; most allow "Remove Location" from photo info. MakerNote/serial needs a dedicated tool.

OS features only strip GPS. To clear serial, MakerNote, and thumbnail, use this tool or a dedicated CLI like ExifTool.

11. FAQ — short answers

  • Q. Can stripped EXIF be restored? A. Not from the cleaned file — you need the original backup.
  • Q. Does it degrade image quality? A. JPEG is lossless (pixels untouched). PNG/WebP/HEIC re-encode through Canvas — minor artifacts possible.
  • Q. Does it handle videos? A. Photos only (JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC). Video GPS metadata needs a separate tool.
  • Q. Bulk processing? A. ~50 photos at once is smooth; beyond that, split into batches based on RAM.
  • Q. Where is the cleaned file saved? A. Wherever your browser saves downloads (default: Downloads folder). Nothing is stored on the server.

12. Real-world EXIF incidents (summary)

  • 2012 — US Marine unit posted photos to social media; embedded GPS revealed helicopter location and led to a targeted attack.
  • 2015 — Real-estate photos of a celebrity revealed GPS and timestamp, exposing the secure home address.
  • 2018 — At a security conference, a single photo serial allowed researchers to link every other social account of the speaker — illustrating serial-based tracking risk.
  • 2020 — On a Korean secondhand app, GPS in a furniture photo exposed the seller’s residence, leading to an attempted break-in.
  • 2023 — Serial mismatch in a product photo proved counterfeit listings — an EXIF-as-evidence case.