How to Remove Metadata From Images, Video and Audio

Important scope limits

Mediaivo’s FFprobe viewer is not a complete EXIF or forensic checker. An absent tag there is not proof that all identifying information is gone. FFmpeg strips supported metadata, while essential codec fields and some container or stream information can remain or be regenerated. Images are re-encoded; video and audio are generally stream-copied. Use an independent format-appropriate check for sensitive media.

Inspect the original, process it with Remove Metadata, then inspect the downloaded copy. Successful processing is not proof that a file contains no identifying information. Some technical fields remain or are recreated, and information visible in the picture or audible in the recording is unchanged.

What the tool changes for each media type

Image output can be re-encoded, so do not describe every metadata removal as lossless. Animated or multi-image sources need special care: the image path writes one frame. The original extension is generally retained, but a container can reject a stream it cannot store.

Inspect → remove → inspect again

1. Read the original. Open Metadata Viewer and look for descriptive fields such as title, comment, artist, creation time or location when reported.
2. Process a separate copy. Upload the original to Remove Metadata and download the result.
3. Read the cleaned copy. Compare the particular fields you wanted removed. Missing fields in one viewer are not conclusive proof of absence everywhere.
4. Open the media itself. Check image orientation, video playback, sound and anything visible or audible that could identify a person or place.

Before and after: two descriptive tags removed

This original silent test video contains an artificial title and comment. It contains no personal location or identity data.

Download tagged source · Download cleaned copy · Inspect either file

The title and comment disappear, but the encoder and container compatibility tags remain. This proves the result for those fields in this sample. It does not prove removal of every metadata field, embedded payload or identifying clue.

Checked September 20, 2026 against Mediaivo’s processing functions. How we test · Download settings and measurements

What this does not remove

• Faces, street signs, addresses, number plates or other details in the image.
• Spoken names, background conversations or other audio content.
• Information in filenames, sharing links or the service receiving your upload.
• Every possible application-specific tag, attachment, sidecar or embedded payload.

For sensitive sharing, verify with a metadata reader appropriate to the format and inspect the content itself. Metadata Viewer reports what its parser can see; it is not an anonymization certification. Read the guide to common media metadata for field types, and FFmpeg’s metadata mapping options for the processing mechanism.

Common questions