One private workflow
Scan, clean and verify photo metadata
- 1
Choose photos for a local privacy scan
Rantey examines supported EXIF and metadata containers for location, identity, device and timeline clues.
- 2
Review the risk explanation
Each photo receives a transparent score with the exact categories that affected it—no unexplained AI verdict.
- 3
Create and verify safe sharing copies
The browser rebuilds the visible image without source metadata, scans the output again and calculates both SHA-256 fingerprints.
More than an EXIF remover
A photo sharing safety workflow in one tool
Ordinary metadata removers often stop after producing a download. Rantey keeps the important checks together: inspect the source, explain the privacy risk, remove embedded metadata, anonymize the filename, scan the result again and export a machine-readable audit record. The original photo is never changed.
What photo metadata may reveal
| Finding | Possible exposure | Risk weight |
|---|---|---|
| GPS coordinates | A precise capture location or recurring place | Critical |
| Serial or owner fields | A persistent device or personal identifier | High |
| Capture timestamp | Travel, work or daily activity timing | Medium |
| Camera and lens model | Device fingerprinting across shared photos | Medium |
| Software, XMP or comments | Editing workflow, names or hidden descriptive data | Variable |
How the safe copy is created
The browser decodes the visible pixels and writes a fresh JPEG, PNG or WebP file. Source EXIF, GPS, XMP and comment blocks are not copied. The output is then parsed again and labeled “verified clean” only when no supported privacy metadata is detected. JPEG and WebP are re-encoded at the selected quality; PNG keeps pixel data lossless but may produce a larger file.
Important limitation: visible information remains visible
Removing metadata cannot hide a face, house number, vehicle plate, document, QR code, reflection, landmark or text visible inside the picture. A “verified clean” result refers only to the supported embedded metadata checks. Inspect the image itself before posting it publicly.
Frequently asked questions
Photo metadata privacy FAQ
What information can this photo privacy checker find?+
It checks supported JPEG EXIF fields plus common JPEG, PNG and WebP metadata containers. Findings can include GPS coordinates, camera or phone model, serial numbers, timestamps, author details, editing software, XMP and color profile markers.
Are my photos uploaded to Rantey?+
No. Reading, cleaning, hashing and report creation happen locally in your browser. The selected files are not sent to the Rantey server.
Does the tool remove GPS location data?+
Yes. The safe copy is re-encoded from visible pixels, which excludes source EXIF and GPS blocks. The result is scanned again and its verification status is shown before download.
Can I clean several photos at once?+
Yes. You can scan and clean up to 12 JPG, PNG or WebP images with a combined source size of 80 MB. Processing is sequential to limit memory use on phones.
Does metadata removal change image quality?+
The safe copy is re-encoded, so JPEG and WebP output can change file size or visual quality slightly. PNG output is lossless at the pixel level, although metadata and the original binary structure are not preserved.
What is the privacy audit report?+
It is a local JSON record containing file names, detected risk categories, original and clean SHA-256 fingerprints, output settings and verification results. It contains no image pixels.
Can a clean metadata result guarantee a photo is safe to share?+
No. Metadata cleaning does not hide visible addresses, faces, documents, reflections, landmarks or other clues inside the image itself. Always inspect the visible photo before sharing it.
Why are SHA-256 fingerprints included?+
A fingerprint lets you distinguish the scanned original from the generated clean copy and can help confirm that a specific file matches the local audit report. It does not prove authorship or legal compliance.