Metadata Scrubber: Remove Hidden Metadata from Files Online Free
Did you know your photos, PDFs, and Office documents can contain hidden information like GPS coordinates, author names, camera models, edit history, and company details? Before sharing files publicly, use our free metadata scrubber to remove this sensitive data. All processing happens in your browser: no uploads, no servers, 100% private.
1. Add your files
Drop files or click to select
No uploads · everything is processed on your device
Supports JPEG, PNG, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX
2. Cleaning results
Add files above to scan and remove hidden metadata
Files are never uploaded. Reading, scrubbing and downloading all happen locally in your browser — nothing touches our servers.
Why remove metadata?
Accidental exposure
Photos taken with phones often embed exact GPS coordinates, and office files store usernames from your internal network — details that can be exploited if shared externally.
Compliance
Stripping author names, edit history and hidden properties helps align documents with LGPD/GDPR data-minimization practices before external distribution.
Zero-server security
Your files are read, cleaned and rebuilt entirely on your device. Sensitive documents never leave your computer at any point.
How to scrub metadata from your files — step by step
Protecting your privacy has never been easier. Here's how to use our metadata scrubber:
- Step 1: Drag and drop your files into the upload area, or click to browse and select files from your computer.
- Step 2: The tool automatically detects the file type (JPEG, PNG, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX) and starts processing each file in the queue.
- Step 3: Each file's status will update from Queued to Cleaning to Clean once all metadata has been removed.
- Step 4: The Removed column shows exactly which metadata fields were stripped from each file (e.g., GPS location, author name, EXIF data).
- Step 5: Download individual clean files by clicking the Save button next to each file, or click Download all (.zip) to get all clean files in a single ZIP archive.
No sign-up, no hidden fees, no uploads — just private, fast metadata cleaning.
Why use our free metadata scrubber?
Our metadata scrubber is designed to be the most comprehensive, private, and easy-to-use tool on the web. Here's what makes it stand out:
- 100% private and secure: Your files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser — no uploads to external servers, no data collection.
- Supports multiple file types: Scrub metadata from JPEG and PNG images, PDF documents, and Office files (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX).
- Comprehensive metadata removal: Strips GPS location, EXIF camera data, author names, company details, edit history, custom properties, and more.
- Preserves visual quality: For images, we strip only the metadata segments — the pixel data is never re-encoded, so your image quality remains unchanged.
- Batch processing: Add multiple files at once and clean them all in sequence. Download individual files or all at once as a ZIP.
- Full transparency: The tool shows you exactly what metadata was removed from each file, so you know what's been stripped.
What metadata is removed from each file type?
Our scrubber targets the most common and sensitive metadata fields:
- JPEG images: EXIF metadata (GPS, camera model, exposure settings, date/time), IPTC/Photoshop data, embedded comments, and ICC color profiles (kept for color accuracy).
- PNG images: Text comments, compressed text, international text/XMP data, EXIF metadata, and last-modified timestamps.
- PDF documents: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, Creation date, Modification date, and XMP metadata streams.
- Office documents (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX): Author, Last modified by, Title, Subject, Description, Keywords, Category, Content status, Company, Manager, Custom properties, Creation date, and Modification date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to scrub metadata online here?
Absolutely. Our metadata scrubber works completely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to any server — they stay on your computer at all times. This means your documents, photos, and sensitive information remain 100% private and secure. No one can access your files, and we don't store anything.
What file formats are supported?
We support JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg), PNG (.png), PDF (.pdf), and Office documents (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). These cover the most common file types that contain sensitive metadata. We're actively working on support for additional formats like HEIC and TIFF.
Does scrubbing metadata affect the visual quality of my images?
No. For JPEG and PNG images, we strip only the metadata segments without re-encoding the pixel data. This means your image quality remains 100% identical to the original — only the hidden metadata is removed. For PDFs and Office documents, the content is preserved exactly as it was.
What types of metadata are removed from photos?
From JPEG and PNG images, we remove GPS coordinates (location data), camera model, exposure settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed), date and time, camera make, embedded comments, and XMP data. ICC color profiles are preserved to maintain color accuracy.
What metadata is removed from PDFs and Office documents?
From PDFs, we remove Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator (the application used), Producer, Creation date, Modification date, and XMP metadata streams. From Office documents (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX), we remove Author, Last modified by, Company, Manager, Category, Content status, Custom properties, and all date/time metadata.
How do I know what metadata was removed from my file?
The tool shows a detailed list of removed metadata fields in the Removed column for each file. You'll see specific field names like "GPS location & camera info (EXIF)", "Author", "Company", or "Embedded comment". If no sensitive metadata was found, the tool will tell you that too.