Metadata Remover: what it does
Almost every file you share carries information you never typed. Photos from a phone usually store the exact place they were taken, the phone model and the time to the second. PDFs keep the author, the app that made them and sometimes older saved versions with an earlier author still inside. Word, Excel and PowerPoint files record who created and last saved them, the company, the total editing time, the names on comments and, in Excel, often the folder the file was saved in, which includes your Windows user name. Phone videos store the location and the phone, much like photos. Drop any mix of these files here: each one is recognised by its type and shown in plain language, with a clean copy to download. Photos and videos keep their picture data byte for byte, PDF pages are copied unchanged, and Office text, cells and slides are not touched. Everything happens in your browser, so the files never leave your device.
How to use it
- Drop photos, videos, PDFs or Word, Excel and PowerPoint files into the box, or tap to choose them. You can mix types.
- Each file goes to its own list (Photos, Videos, PDFs, Office files) with a plain-language summary of what it reveals. Open “All fields” for every value.
- Set the options above each list, such as keeping a photo’s colour profile or removing names from comments.
- Download each clean copy, or each list at once (a ZIP for photos, PDFs and Office files). What you see in the file is not changed.
Tips
- Drop a whole folder’s worth at once: photos, PDFs and Office files are sorted into their own lists, each with its own “Download clean copies (.zip)” button.
- Clean the final file, right before you send it. Opening and saving it again in Word, Excel or a photo app can add your name or the date back.
- Use the original from your camera roll when you check a photo: images saved from social apps or chats have often been stripped already.
- Comments, tracked changes, hidden sheets and PDF attachments are content, so they stay. The lists warn you when a file still has them.
- Old .doc, .xls and .ppt files and password-protected files can’t be cleaned. Save them in the new format, or remove the password, first.
Frequently asked questions
What is a metadata remover?
A tool that deletes the hidden information stored inside a file, such as the GPS location and camera in a photo or the author, company and editing history in a document, while leaving what you see in the file unchanged.
Which files can I clean here?
Photos (JPG, PNG, WebP), PDFs, and Word, Excel and PowerPoint files saved in the current format (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, including macro-enabled versions). And videos: MP4, MOV, M4V and 3GP.
What is removed?
From photos: location, camera and serial number, dates, editing apps, captions, AI labels and hidden previews (the colour profile and rotation are kept unless you untick them). From PDFs: author, title, apps, dates, XMP metadata and leftovers from earlier saves, plus comment names if ticked. From Office files: document properties, custom fields, the preview picture, template and saved-folder paths and revision codes, with names on comments and changes replaced by “Author”. From videos: location, phone or camera, software, dates, titles, cover and app data, and GPS data tracks.
Does removing metadata change the file?
Only the hidden parts. A photo’s picture data is copied byte for byte, so there is no quality loss. PDF pages are copied unchanged, and Office text, formatting, cells and slides stay exactly as they were.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Each file is read and cleaned by your browser on your device, and nothing is sent to our servers. You can check it: once the page has loaded, switch on airplane mode and clean a file.