Photo location information/EXIF metadata bulk deletion tool | ZeroTools

Photos contain not just pixels but additional information like shooting date and time, camera model, orientation, GPS coordinates, and creation software.

The Exif cleaner removes the APP1 and COM segments in JPEGs, and many supplementary chunks in PNGs while retaining the essential chunks required for image display, saving the result as a new file.

The processing is performed on binary data within the browser.

Importantly, this tool is not a "product that completely erases all metadata in every image format with certification." There are multiple information paths besides Exif in image formats, such as XMP, ICC profiles, proprietary application segments, and file system attributes.

The scope targeted by the implementation is limited. Before publishing, please also check the processed file with an Exif viewing tool or another inspection method suited to your purpose.

A JPEG consists of multiple segments starting with SOI, and compressed image data. This tool scans the file while reading segment lengths, removes APP1 and COM, and reconstructs the rest.

APP1 is often used for Exif and XMP, and COM is an area that holds comments. It does not perform re-encoding in the usual sense, as it does not decompress the compressed image data onto a canvas for image editing and compress it as JPEG again.

However, not all APP1 segments are used for the same purpose, and information may also exist in other APP segments. Also, when Exif Orientation is deleted, the instruction that the viewer used for automatic rotation is lost.

A photo where the pixels themselves are recorded sideways and displayed vertically only by Orientation may appear to change orientation after processing.

Please actually open the file and check the orientation, not just the thumbnail after saving.

A PNG has multiple chunks following the signature. This tool reconstructs it while retaining IHDR, PLTE, IDAT, IEND, and tRNS. This allows it to maintain basic still image pixel data and transparency information while removing many auxiliary chunks like text and Exif.

On the other hand, chunks related to color reproduction such as gAMA, cHRM, sRGB, and iCCP are also excluded from retention. Even with the same pixel values, the appearance of colors may change depending on the app or screen.

APNG represents animation with chunks like acTL, fcTL, and fdAT, but these are also not retained. Therefore, processing an animated PNG will save it as a still image, and the motion will be lost.

When selecting a PNG, check first whether it is a normal still image or an APNG, and compare the original and the processed result for brand materials or images where color management is important.

When you select a JPEG or PNG, the tool checks if it is a supported format and processes it. After completion, the size before and after deletion and a simple detection result are displayed, and you can download the processed file.

Since it is saved as a separate file instead of overwriting the original image, do not delete the original until the check is finished.

In the check, first verify that the image can be opened, and check the orientation, aspect ratio, transparency, color, and whether animation is needed.

Next, load it into an Exif viewing or editing tool and check whether the target items such as GPS, shooting date and time, and device name are no longer visible.

Even if "No detection" is shown in the simple display, it does not prove the non-existence of proprietary information that the tool does not understand.

For important published materials, use it in conjunction with other inspection software or organizational procedures.

In photos taken at home, school, medical institutions, or workplaces, the location or person may be inferred not only from GPS coordinates but also from nameplates in the background, scenery from the window, name tags, documents, vehicle numbers, and reflective surfaces.

Even if metadata is deleted, the information captured on the screen is not erased. It only becomes a pre-publication check when combined with cropping, blurring, and background confirmation.

Also, even if an SNS or messaging service deletes metadata upon upload, the specifications vary by service and may change in the future.

Rather than leaving it to the destination, a clear practice is to make a copy that you processed yourself and post that copy. The original is kept in a storage location with restricted access as needed.

This tool does not target HEIC, WebP, TIFF, RAW, etc. Changing only the extension of an unsupported format to JPEG or PNG does not convert it.

If you change the image format using another conversion tool, re-encoding or metadata inheritance may occur, so please check again after conversion.

If you want to delete only GPS and leave the shooting date and time and copyright notice, the Exif information viewing/editing tool is more suitable.

Conversely, if you want to remove the supported areas all at once, use this tool. Since the processing target for both is placed in the memory of the device in use, large images are affected by the device's performance.

For highly confidential photos, avoid shared devices or browsers with unknown management status, and manage them including the download folder and backup destination.

The processed file is often smaller than the original because the additional areas are removed. However, the success or failure of deletion cannot be judged solely by the size difference.

Images that originally had little metadata will hardly change, and PNGs with many chunks for color management or animation may decrease significantly.

Rather than checking "how many KBs were reduced," please confirm whether the target tags are no longer visible and the image display is maintained.

Malformed or unsupported input can fail or produce an unusable result. Processing success does not prove structural validity. When an error occurs, do not discard the original file, but first verify whether it can be opened normally in image editing software.

Open the processed file and check the orientation, color, transparency, and the presence of any necessary animation. Next, confirm that GPS, shooting date and time, device name, and comments are not displayed in the viewing tool.

Finally, check whether addresses or names are visible in the background, whether personal names or project names remain in the file name, and whether the download destination is an unintended shared folder.

For operations that need to guarantee the deletion results to a third party, use the erasure software and audit procedures specified by the organization, rather than this tool alone.

This tool is an aid for making everyday copies for publication, and does not issue certificates or erasure records that withstand digital forensics.

If you want to process multiple images, the current design is to select them one file at a time. To avoid confusing the processed file with the original, separate the save names and working folders.

A procedure that finally checks only the files to be actually shared, after keeping a backup of the original, prevents mix-ups. Recording the processing date and time also makes it easier to verify.