Ever resized an image online only to discover it came with some unwanted baggage? Hidden inside your image might be metadata — like software tags, GPS coordinates, timestamps, or branding from online tools. Not only can this compromise privacy, it also bloats file size and looks unprofessional. In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to strip that junk out for good — clean, simple, and safe.

Remove Metadata From Images

In this article, you’ll learn two key topics:

1. How to view metadata in an image
2. How to remove metadata from an image

Instructions for installing the required tools — ExifTool and ImageMagick — are included under the section on removing metadata.

1. How to View Metadata in an Image 🔍

Before removing metadata, you may want to see what's hidden inside. Here’s how to inspect image metadata using simple tools:

a. Using ExifTool (Best for Detailed Info)

exiftool your-image.jpg

This will list all metadata, including:

• Camera model
• Author
• Software used
• Timestamps
• GPS location
• Comments

b. Using ImageMagick

identify -verbose your-image.jpg

This shows a detailed breakdown of the image, including:

• Format and resolution
• Embedded profiles
• Compression info
• Metadata (under "Properties")

c. On Windows (Basic Info)

1. Right-click the image file → Properties
2. Go to the Details tab

You'll see basic metadata like dimensions, device make/model, and copyright.

d. On macOS (Basic Info)

1. Right-click the image → Get Info
2. Scroll to see More Info section (e.g., dimensions, color profile)

For detailed EXIF data on macOS, use:

mdls your-image.jpg

This metadata preview helps you decide what needs to be cleaned — or whether your image is already clean.

2. Removing Metadata From Image 🧹

While I primarily use ExifTool, this article covers both ExifTool and ImageMagick to give you flexible options.

Option 1: Use ExifTool (Recommended for full metadata wipe)

🔧 Install ExifTool:

• macOS: brew install exiftool
• Linux: sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl
• Windows: Download here

🧹 Remove all metadata:

exiftool -all= your-image.jpg

✂️ If you want to overwrite the original:

exiftool -all= -overwrite_original your-image.jpg

Option 2: Use ImageMagick

🔧 Install:

• macOS: brew install imagemagick
• Linux: sudo apt install imagemagick
• Windows: Download here

🧹 Strip metadata:

convert your-image.jpg -strip clean-image.jpg

🎯 Clean Image

Whether you're a designer, developer, photographer, or just someone who values privacy, removing metadata is a simple but powerful step toward better control over your digital files. With tools like ExifTool and ImageMagick, you can confidently clean your images before sharing or publishing them. No more hidden tags, no more surprise branding — just a clean, professional image every time.