Remove a photo's metadata

Why clean metadata?

Every photo taken with a smartphone or camera contains invisible metadata, in EXIF format. It often includes:

• the exact GPS coordinates of where it was taken;
• the date and time to the second;
• the camera model, sometimes its serial number;
• the shooting settings, and sometimes the editing software used.

By sharing a photo as it is on a classified ad, a forum or by email, you may reveal your home, your habits or where a valuable item is kept.

How the tool works

Choose a photo: Toolo shows the metadata it contains, so you can see what was about to be shared. If a GPS position is found, it is flagged, with a link to see it on a map. Toolo then re-encodes the image cleanly, without any of this information, and you download a cleaned copy. The picture itself, its colours and resolution, looks the same.

Don't social networks remove it already?

Major social networks generally strip metadata from published images. But not everywhere: email, shared cloud storage, some messaging apps in "file" mode, and many classified ad sites, forums and blogs pass on the original file as is. Cleaning it yourself means not depending on the platform.

Turning off geotagging at the source

• iPhone: Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, then "Never". When sharing, the "Options" link at the top of the share sheet also lets you remove the location.
• Android: in the Camera app settings, turn off the location tag option; its name varies by manufacturer.

And other files?

PDF and Word documents and videos also contain metadata such as author, software and dates. This tool handles images; for other files, the software that creates them usually offers a document inspection option before sharing.

Frequently asked questions

Is the photo uploaded to be cleaned?

No. Analysis and cleaning happen in your browser. The photo never leaves your device.

Does the photo quality change?

The image is re-encoded at high quality: the difference is not visible. Only the hidden information disappears.

Can I see the location on a map before cleaning?

Yes. If the photo contains GPS coordinates, the tool flags them and offers a link to see the spot on a map.

How do I check whether a photo contains my location?

Just load it into the tool: the metadata found, including any GPS position, is shown before cleaning.