ExifCleaner
Drag-and-drop metadata removal. No network access, no telemetry. Open source.
What should journalists know about ExifCleaner?
ExifCleaner is ExifTool with a drag-and-drop interface. Built by szTheory (GitHub handle) as an Electron app wrapping Phil Harvey's ExifTool, it does one thing: strip metadata from files. Drag a photo onto the window and GPS coordinates, camera serial numbers, timestamps, and software version tags are removed instantly. It supports JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, GIF, MP4, MOV, M4A, PDF, and other formats. All processing happens locally — no network connections, no telemetry, no cloud uploads, no account. The app shows a before-and-after comparison of removed metadata, supports batch processing of entire folders, includes 24+ language translations, and respects system dark mode. MIT-licensed, source on GitHub (szTheory/exifcleaner). The Electron dependency adds size (~200MB installed) but provides cross-platform support on macOS, Windows, and Linux. For journalists who already use ExifTool on the command line, ExifCleaner adds nothing. For everyone else — reporters in the field, editors on deadline, non-technical contributors — it removes the barrier entirely. The key use case: stripping GPS coordinates and device identifiers from photos before publishing stories that could expose a source's location or device.
Batch stripping metadata from photos and documents before publishing. Removing GPS coordinates that could reveal a source's location. Cleaning device serial numbers and timestamps from images shared with sources or uploaded to social media. Non-technical journalists who need ExifTool's capability without the command line.
Reading or analyzing metadata for verification or OSINT purposes — ExifCleaner removes metadata, it does not display it for investigation. For metadata extraction and analysis, use ExifTool directly. Also not a substitute for verifying image authenticity or detecting AI-generated content — use FotoForensics or InVID for that. Does not handle C2PA content credentials or IPTC provenance data beyond stripping them.
Security & Privacy
Data is scrambled while being sent to their servers
Data is scrambled when stored on their servers
Where servers are located — affects which governments can request your data
Privacy policy summary
ExifCleaner is a local desktop application. It makes zero network connections. No account, no telemetry, no analytics, no crash reporting. Open-source under MIT license — anyone can verify the code on GitHub. Your files stay on your machine.
How to protect yourself:
ExifCleaner strips metadata from the original file by default. (1) Work on copies if you need to preserve originals for evidentiary purposes — metadata is forensic evidence. (2) Verify removal by re-opening the cleaned file in ExifTool or ExifCleaner's own before-and-after view. (3) Social media platforms strip most EXIF data on upload, but not all — strip before uploading for certainty. (4) ExifCleaner wraps ExifTool internally — keep the app updated to get ExifTool security patches (CVE-2026-3102 affected ExifTool on macOS). (5) For bulk newsroom workflows, ExifTool's command line is faster and scriptable; ExifCleaner is best for individual use.
Fully local processing — no network connections, no telemetry, no data exfiltration path. Open-source under MIT license, independently auditable. Wraps ExifTool, the industry-standard metadata engine maintained for 23+ years. The only attack surface is Electron's dependency chain and ExifTool's file parsing — both mitigated by keeping the app updated. One of the most trustworthy tools for journalists handling sensitive files.
Who Owns This
Pricing
Free and open-source (MIT license).
This is an editorial assessment based on publicly available information as of 2026-04-03, using our published methodology. Independent security review is pending. Security posture can change at any time. This is not a guarantee of safety.
Something wrong or outdated? Report it.