Remove EXIF from Photos on Windows

You attach three event photos to a public blog post. Readers do not see it, but the JPEG files still carry GPS coordinates, phone model, and exact capture time in EXIF tags. Remove EXIF from photos before publish, client send, or ticket upload when location and device details should stay private.

What EXIF data contains

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) embeds metadata in JPEG and some TIFF files from cameras and phones.

Tag type	Example
GPS	Latitude and longitude of capture
Device	Camera or phone model, lens info
Date and time	Original capture timestamp
Orientation	Rotation flag some apps misread
Software	Export app name and version

PNG screenshots usually carry less EXIF, but embedded chunks may still identify tooling. PDF and video carry separate metadata models; this guide focuses on photo EXIF.

Some social platforms strip EXIF on upload, but email, shared drives, and client portals often deliver the original file unchanged. Do not rely on the destination to redact tags for you.

Stripping metadata is not the same as compressing pixels. You can remove tags without changing visible image quality. Read lossy vs lossless compression when you also need smaller file size via resize or quality.

Why strip metadata before sharing

Scenario	Risk
Public blog	Home or office location in GPS tags
Client deliverable	Unreleased device hints in Software tag
Support ticket	Internal office geotag on workplace photo
Stock or PR handoff	Exact capture time conflicts with embargo

Online EXIF removers receive the full photo when you upload. For sensitive shoots, process on your PC. See are online file compressors safe on Windows for what third-party upload exposes.

Pair metadata removal with resize when uploads must fit limits. See how to compress images on Windows for the display-size rule.

Remove EXIF in Photos or Paint

Photos (Windows 11) can save a copy without carrying forward all metadata depending on export path:

1. Open the photo in Photos.
2. Choose … → Save as or resize and save a copy to a new folder.

Paint re-encode on Save as JPEG drops most EXIF when you create a genuinely new file rather than overwriting the original.

Right-click the original in File Explorer → Properties → Details to see which tags exist before and after export.

Keep an originals\ folder with EXIF intact for your archive. Publish from redacted\ or web\ copies only.

Strip with ExifTool

ExifTool removes tags without guessing through lossy re-save. Install with winget:

winget install ExifTool

Remove all EXIF from one JPEG:

exiftool -all= -overwrite_original_in_place -ext jpg .

Safer pattern: write to a new directory:

mkdir clean
exiftool -all= -o clean picture.jpg

Remove GPS only while keeping other tags when needed:

exiftool -GPS:All= picture.jpg

Batch EXIF removal

Strip an entire folder:

mkdir clean
Get-ChildItem *.jpg | ForEach-Object {
  exiftool -all= -o "clean\$($_.Name)" $_.FullName
}

Combine with FFmpeg resize when the site also needs smaller bytes:

ffmpeg -i picture.jpg -vf scale=1920:-2 -map_metadata -1 -q:v 3 clean\picture.jpg

The -map_metadata -1 flag drops metadata in FFmpeg output.

Camera RAW files carry separate metadata sidecars. This guide covers exported JPEG delivery copies, not DNG or proprietary RAW workflows.

Review Properties → Details on a sample before and after batch runs. GPS latitude and longitude fields should be blank when full strip is the goal.

When heroes move to WebP for web, convert after resize from a metadata-stripped JPEG master. See PNG to WebP on Windows for format conversion after dimensions are set.

Using GetCompress

GetCompress processes images locally without upload. Useful when PR packs and blog folders mix JPEG and PNG from different photographers.

• Drop a folder and export JPEG or WebP copies intended for public use.
• Combine max width, quality, and metadata-safe export in saved presets.
• Preview one map-heavy photo before batch to confirm acceptable quality after strip and resize.
• Batch remove EXIF from photos on Windows alongside compression for WordPress or email handoff.
• Avoid browser-based strippers that upload full-resolution GPS-tagged originals.

GetCompress does not replace legal review for every compliance regime. It keeps files on disk while you prepare redacted copies. Pair with compress JPG on Windows when byte size and privacy both matter.

Verify Properties → Details on one exported file before you publish the full gallery.

ExifTool preserves file timestamps unless you pass -P. Use -P when legal asks for evidence that redaction happened at export time rather than at an earlier edit step.

Batch runs should write to a new folder first. Overwriting originals with -overwrite_original is faster but risky when a compliance officer needs untouched camera files for comparison.