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Remove metadata from a photo or PDF, in your browser

3 min read

A photo is never just a photo. Underneath sits a layer of hidden information: where it was taken (to the metre, via GPS), with which device, which software, and when. A PDF often carries your name, your software version, earlier edits and sometimes even hidden layers. You send all of that along without knowing it.

The Remove metadata tool takes that hidden layer out. You drop a photo or PDF into the box and get a clean file back, with the same visible content but without the telltale details. Everything happens in your browser; your file is never uploaded anywhere.

The 'Remove metadata' tool on Plainjar: drop photos or PDFs into the box and get clean files back.

What the tool does

For photos it strips the EXIF data: GPS location, camera and lens details, software and dates. For PDFs it removes the document properties (author, title, dates, software), plus bookmarks, annotations, form data, embedded files and JavaScript actions. What you see in the document itself stays. You can process several files at once and download them as a ZIP.

Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and PDF. HEIC photos from an iPhone are converted to JPG first, automatically.

Why this matters

Metadata leaks more than you think. A photo you post to a marketplace or forum can give away your home address through its GPS coordinates. A PDF you send to a client can reveal a colleague's name, an internal file name or the software you use. For anyone who wants to send something anonymously or look professional, that invisible layer is a risk.

Just like the other Plainjar tools, the cleaning happens on your device. The file that contains the sensitive data does not go to a server to be "cleaned", because that would only move the problem.

The pain this removes

  • No hidden home address. GPS coordinates are gone from your photos before you share them.
  • No leaking PDF. Author, software and edit history leave your document.
  • No upload risk. The file you want to clean stays on your device.
  • No hassle. Drag-and-drop, clean file back, done.

How to use it

  1. Open Remove metadata and drop your photos or PDFs into the box.
  2. The tool strips the hidden info automatically and shows, per file, what was removed.
  3. Download the clean file, or the ZIP if there are several.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is removed? For photos: EXIF, so GPS, camera, software and dates. For PDFs: document properties, bookmarks, annotations, form data, embedded files and JavaScript. The visible page content is untouched.

Does the image itself change? No. Only the metadata comes off; the pixels stay the same.

Does my file go to a server? No. The cleaning happens entirely in your browser. Your file is not uploaded.

Does it work on iPhone photos (HEIC)? Yes. HEIC is converted to JPG first, then stripped.

Clean your file: Remove metadata. What you send no longer says where you were or which software you used.

Remove metadata from a photo or PDF, in your browser — Plainjar