Short answer
Use metadata removal before sharing photos that may include camera, timestamp, or GPS fields. It does not remove visible information inside the image pixels.
Privacy behavior
Selected file contents are processed locally in your browser for supported workflows. This privacy build uses same-origin runtime assets and does not intentionally load third-party runtime scripts.
Best next step
Choose the related tool below that matches your file type and output goal, then review the limitations before processing large or sensitive files.
What metadata removal can remove
Common photo metadata can include EXIF camera details, timestamps, orientation data, and GPS coordinates. A destructive re-encode can remove many of these fields because the new output file is written from pixel data rather than copied byte-for-byte.
This is useful before publishing images online, sending photos to clients, or sharing screenshots that may contain device metadata.
What "without upload" means here
The phrase describes the processing path, not a claim that the browser tab makes no network requests at all. The Metadata Remover tool reads the selected file through the browser's File API, decodes it, and writes a new file using an in-page canvas element, inside the page's own JavaScript. ConvertUnlimited does not provide a server-side upload endpoint for this processing flow, so the file's pixel data is not sent to a ConvertUnlimited server, unlike a service that asks you to submit a file through a web form to a remote processor.
How the File API and canvas re-encode path work
The tool reads the selected file with a FileReader, converts it to a data URL, loads that into an in-memory Image, draws it onto an HTML canvas at the source dimensions, then calls canvas.toBlob() to produce a new file in the chosen output type. That new blob, not the original file, is what downloads.
This matters for metadata because a canvas only holds pixel color values; it has no concept of an EXIF segment, an IPTC record, or an XMP block. When the browser's encoder builds the new file from that pixel grid, nothing carries over from the original metadata structures, since the encoder generates a new file from decoded color data rather than copying bytes. That is why removal behaves the same way across all three supported formats, even though the metadata preview only reads one of them.
Why the metadata preview only covers JPEG
Before stripping a file, this tool shows a short summary of what it found: GPS coordinates, camera make and model, and capture date. That preview only parses a JPEG's EXIF segment, looking for the standard APP1 marker near the start of the file. PNG and WebP files skip this step, and the preview reports no detected fields for them regardless of what metadata those files actually carry.
The removal step is not limited the same way: since it rebuilds the output from decoded pixels rather than reading and deleting individual tags, it drops embedded metadata for JPG, PNG, and WebP alike. The preview undercounts a PNG or WebP file, but the strip step still clears it. Treat the preview as a JPEG-only summary, not a complete audit.
What this does not remove
Re-encoding through canvas removes structured metadata, not the photo itself. It does not blur or redact faces, license plates, or other identifying detail baked into the pixels, and it does not remove a timestamp or caption stamped visibly onto the image, or a watermark layered on top, since those are pixels, not metadata. It has no effect on the file name, and it does not apply to formats this tool does not accept, such as HEIC, TIFF, RAW, or PDFs.
Verification steps
To confirm what a file actually contains before and after processing:
- Check the built-in metadata preview before stripping a JPEG; it reports GPS, camera make/model, and capture date when present, but not every possible tag.
- Re-run the cleaned output through the same preview. A cleaned JPEG should show no detected fields; treat this as a rough check, since the preview never parses PNG or WebP either way.
- For an independent, format-agnostic check, inspect the output with a separate command-line utility such as exiftool, for example
exiftool photo.jpg, to list every tag actually present.
- Visually review the image itself; metadata verification and a visible-content review are different checks.
Comparison: browser re-encode vs. server-upload removal
Some metadata-removal services accept an upload and process the file on their own server instead of in your browser. The table compares both approaches on the points that matter most before sharing a sensitive photo.
| Criteria | Browser canvas re-encode (this tool) | Server-upload removal service |
|---|
| Where the file goes | Not sent to a ConvertUnlimited server for this flow | Transmitted to the provider's server |
| Network dependency | Not required for the processing step itself | Needs a connection sized to the file |
| Formats supported here | JPG, PNG, WebP only | Varies by provider; some accept HEIC, TIFF, or RAW |
| Output fidelity | Re-encodes the image, which can shift quality or drop a color profile | Depends on the provider |
| Verifying the result | This site's JPEG-only preview, then a tool such as exiftool | Requires trusting the provider's retention policy |
Neither approach is verified as complete simply because it is described as removing metadata; check the actual output either way.
FAQ
Does metadata removal remove visible private information?
No. It does not remove faces, addresses, text, or other visible pixels.
Can metadata removal change image quality?
Yes. Re-encoding may alter file size, format, or visual quality depending on output settings.
Should I verify the output?
Yes. For sensitive images, inspect the result with a metadata viewer and visually review the image.
Action
Start with Metadata Remover, then use the linked guides to verify behavior and choose the right format.
Review note
Comparison criteria reviewed: May 2026.