Image EXIF / Metadata Stripper
Remove EXIF, GPS, IPTC, and XMP metadata from any photo — losslessly for JPG and PNG. Runs entirely in your browser, because the whole point is privacy.
Drop a photo to strip its metadata
Removes EXIF / GPS / IPTC / XMP locally — image quality preserved
How to strip metadata from an image online
Drop your photo. ToolChop detects the file type and applies the right stripping method: for JPG and PNG it walks the file structure and removes only the metadata segments, leaving the image bits unchanged byte-for-byte. For HEIC, WebP, AVIF, and other formats it falls back to a Canvas re-encode that produces a visually identical, metadata-free output. The before/after panels show exactly what was removed.
Why a local stripper matters
The reason you are stripping EXIF is to prevent leaks: GPS coordinates telling someone where the photo was taken, camera serial numbers uniquely identifying the device (and often its purchaser), owner-name fields filled in automatically by camera firmware. Uploading the un-stripped original to a third-party site is exactly the leak you are trying to prevent. ToolChop runs entirely in your browser. You can verify in DevTools → Network that no request fires when you drop a file.
Lossless on JPG and PNG — the technical detail
JPGs are a chain of markers; ToolChop drops the APP1 (EXIF + XMP), APP13 (IPTC), APP14 (Adobe), and COM segments, then copies the remaining markers (including the compressed image data and any ICC profile) byte-for-byte. PNGs are a chain of chunks; ToolChop keeps IHDR, PLTE, IDAT, IEND, tRNS, gAMA, cHRM, sRGB, iCCP and drops every metadata-bearing chunk. The output renders identically to the original.
What you can do
- Strip EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, comments from any image
- Lossless on JPG and PNG (image bits unchanged byte-for-byte)
- Canvas re-encode fallback for HEIC, WebP, AVIF, GIF
- Before/after panel verifies the strip removed everything
- Color profile (ICC) preserved so colors do not shift
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove EXIF and GPS from a photo online for free?
Drop your photo onto the upload area. ToolChop strips EXIF, GPS, IPTC, and XMP metadata locally and shows a before/after comparison so you can verify what changed. Click Download to save the clean version. No account, no upload, no daily limit.
Does ToolChop upload my photo?
No. The image is processed entirely in your browser. The original photo and the stripped output both stay on your device. This is the whole point — uploading a photo to a 'metadata remover' that runs on someone else's server is exactly the leak you are trying to prevent.
Why is the privacy story for an EXIF stripper especially important?
EXIF metadata frequently contains the exact GPS coordinates where a photo was taken, the camera's unique serial number (often traceable to its purchaser), the owner's name, and the device model. Anyone who receives the file can read all of that. The reason you are stripping is precisely to prevent this. ToolChop runs entirely in your browser so the un-stripped original never goes over the wire.
Is the strip lossless? Will the image quality change?
For JPG and PNG: yes, completely lossless. ToolChop walks the file structure and removes only the metadata segments — the image bits themselves are unchanged byte-for-byte. For other formats (HEIC, WebP, AVIF, GIF), ToolChop falls back to a Canvas re-encode that produces a visually identical image (and is also metadata-free), but the bytes will change.
How does the JPG strip work?
ToolChop walks the JPG marker chain and drops the APP1 segment (EXIF + XMP), APP13 (Photoshop / IPTC), APP14 (Adobe), and any COM (comment) segments. The rest of the file — including the actual compressed image data, JFIF header, and ICC color profile — is copied byte-for-byte. The output JPG renders identically to the original but contains none of the metadata.
How does the PNG strip work?
ToolChop walks the PNG chunk chain and keeps only chunks that affect rendering: IHDR, PLTE, IDAT, IEND, tRNS, gAMA, cHRM, sRGB, iCCP. It drops tEXt, zTXt, iTXt, eXIf, tIME, hIST, sPLT, and bKGD — the chunks that carry metadata. The resulting PNG renders identically to the original.
Why is the ICC color profile preserved?
Removing the ICC profile would shift colors. ToolChop keeps the color profile so the visual appearance is unchanged. If you also want to drop the ICC (e.g. you are converting to sRGB anyway), use our Compress Image and check 'no color profile'.
Does ToolChop verify that the strip actually removed everything?
Yes. The before/after panels re-parse the stripped output with the same metadata library used by our viewer, and count any remaining fields. If something residual is detected, you will see a non-zero count on the After panel.
What about HEIC photos from iPhones?
HEIC is a complex container; the lossless surgical strip is not applicable, so ToolChop falls back to a Canvas re-encode that produces a visually identical JPG or PNG with no metadata. The output is slightly larger than a true HEIC but is universally compatible and metadata-free.
Why are GPS coordinates singled out?
Because GPS is the highest-impact leak. A single photo with embedded coordinates posted online can reveal where you live, where your kids go to school, where you work — anyone who downloads or right-click-saves the file can read it instantly. ToolChop's strip removes this completely.
What metadata does ToolChop NOT remove?
The image's pixel data, dimensions, color profile, and any data needed to render it correctly. It also does not 'sanitize' the pixel content — if the photo itself contains private information (a license plate, a face), use our Pixelate Image to redact those before sharing.
Why use ToolChop instead of an online stripper that uploads my photo?
The same contradiction as our metadata viewer: if you are stripping metadata to prevent it from leaking, uploading the un-stripped original to a third party is exactly the leak. ToolChop runs entirely in your browser, you can verify in DevTools → Network that no request fires, and the JPG/PNG strip preserves image quality byte-for-byte.