Is this metadata viewer free?

Yes. The current viewer requires no account and can inspect up to five supported images at a time, with a 25 MB limit per file.

Does the image metadata viewer upload my files?

No. Supported files are parsed in your browser. The viewer does not send the filename, pixel data, metadata values, or a file hash to the server.

Does viewing metadata change or remove anything?

No. The viewer only reads supported metadata and displays the result. It does not rewrite the image, create a copy, or remove Content Credentials.

What is the difference between an EXIF viewer and a metadata viewer?

EXIF is one metadata format used by many cameras and phones. This viewer also checks supported IPTC, XMP, ICC, PNG text, AI workflow, container, and provenance fields.

Which image formats can I inspect?

The viewer accepts JPEG, PNG, and static WebP images up to 25 MB each. APNG, animated WebP, multi-asset JPEG, HEIC, RAW, and malformed files are rejected clearly.

Can it detect every watermark or prove an image is not AI-generated?

No. It does not detect SynthID, invisible pixel watermarks, steganography, or visual classifier signals, and its C2PA check is conservative marker detection rather than cryptographic signature validation.

Can this viewer read PDF metadata?

Use the separate PDF Metadata Viewer for PDF document properties and catalog XMP. This image viewer remains limited to the image formats covered by its own test matrix.

Why does my image show almost no metadata?

Most large platforms re-encode uploads and strip much of the original metadata, screenshots start life without camera fields, and many editors write clean exports by default. So an almost-empty result is common and usually reflects the file's history, not a scanner failure. Keep two caveats in mind: an earlier copy of the same image may still carry the full record elsewhere, and an empty result covers supported fields only. It is not a guarantee that every possible metadata format or invisible signal is absent.

Can I view metadata in HEIC or RAW files?

Not in this version. The viewer checks each file's real signature and clearly rejects HEIC, RAW, PDF, video, and animated formats instead of returning a partial or misleading result. If your photo is an iPhone HEIC, export or share it as a JPEG-compatible copy first. iOS converts on many share paths. Then inspect that JPEG here. Support beyond JPEG, PNG, and static WebP will only ship with its own test evidence.

What is the difference between the viewer and the remover?

They share the same local scanning engine, so a finding here matches what the remover reports. The difference is what happens next: the viewer is strictly read-only and never writes, copies, or changes anything, while the remover on the homepage creates a new cleaned copy and re-scans it before download. Inspect here first; when you need a clean version to share, switch to the remover and verify its output.

Local, read-only image inspection

Metadata viewer for images

Inspect EXIF, GPS, camera details, dates, rights, AI workflow data, and provenance markers in JPEG, PNG, or static WebP. Your file stays on your device and remains unchanged.

On-device processing
No file upload
Read-only inspection

Local metadata viewer

Ready to inspectFree · no signup

Drop an image to view supported metadata grouped by privacy risk. The viewer never creates or modifies a copy.

Drop images here

or choose files from your device

You can also paste an image

JPEG, PNG, static WebPUp to 3 files, 15 MB each and 30 MB total

Try a safe sample

On-device processingNo file uploadRead-only inspection

18 source-traceable image fixtures · Chromium, Firefox, WebKit & Safari

View test evidence

Advanced local analysis

Search, compare, and export metadata findings

Inspect up to five images locally, filter the findings, compare recurring fields, and create a report that excludes file names and metadata values.

Add images for analysis

JPEG, PNG, static WebP · up to 5 files · 25 MB each

What this metadata viewer checks

The scanner looks for EXIF and GPS, IPTC, XMP, ICC, PNG text, AI workflow fields, and conservative C2PA markers. It does not validate C2PA signatures or invisible watermarks.

Read-only by design

Files stay on your device. No filename, pixel data, metadata value, or file hash is sent to the server by the viewer.

Understand the result

What an image metadata viewer can reveal

Metadata can describe where an image was captured, which device or software handled it, when it changed, who owns it, and how it was created. The viewer groups supported fields by meaning so privacy-sensitive details stay separate from display, rights, and provenance data.

EXIF & GPS

Coordinates, altitude, direction, capture time, and other camera-generated fields are shown when they are present in a supported image.

Camera & software

Review camera or phone models, lens details, serial-like identifiers, editing software, and encoder information.

Dates & timeline

Compare capture, digitization, modification, and container timestamps without assuming every date is trustworthy.

Author & rights

Inspect creator, credit, copyright, usage terms, captions, and other IPTC or XMP authorship fields.

AI workflow

See supported prompt, seed, sampler, model, ComfyUI, AUTOMATIC1111, or InvokeAI fields. These are workflow clues, not proof that an image is AI-generated.

Color & provenance

ICC display profiles and conservative C2PA markers are reported separately instead of being mislabeled as privacy risks.

How to check image metadata before you share

A pre-share check follows the same order every time: location first, identity second, timeline third, then a decision. The viewer reads supported metadata locally with the same scanner the remover uses, groups findings by privacy risk, and never modifies your file. Your JPEG, PNG, or static WebP stays on your device.

01
Start with location: GPS coordinates come first
GPS metadata is the highest-stakes finding because precise coordinates can resolve to a specific building or front door, not just a city. The viewer surfaces supported latitude, longitude, altitude, and direction fields under the Location category and flags them at the highest risk level. If a photo was taken at home, at work, or at a school, check this category before anything else and treat any coordinate pair as sensitive.
02
Then check identity: serials, names, and accounts
Identity fields link a file to a person or a specific device. The viewer groups supported camera-body and lens serial numbers, owner and artist names, creator and credit entries, and software account traces under the Identity category. A serial number can tie every photo from the same camera together, so review these fields whenever you post under a pseudonym or share images from separate contexts.
03
Review the timeline: timestamps tell a story
A single date looks harmless; a pattern does not. Capture, digitization, and modification timestamps, read together across several photos, can reveal when you are usually home, when you commute, or when you traveled. The viewer lists supported timestamp fields under the Timeline category so you can compare them side by side. Remember that dates can be wrong or edited. Treat them as claims, not proof.
04
Decide: share it, clean it, or swap it
The risk grading exists to support a decision, not to alarm you. If only display or rights fields appear, sharing the file as-is may be fine. If location, identity, or sensitive timeline fields appear, create a cleaned copy with the remover first and re-check the output. If the visible content itself gives away more than the metadata does, no cleaner helps. Choose a different image instead.

Supported image files

One viewer for JPEG, PNG, and static WebP

There is no need to choose a separate JPG, PNG, or WebP metadata reader. Add a supported image and the local scanner identifies its real file signature before reading the metadata containers it understands.

JPEG: Reads supported EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, ICC, comments, and conservative provenance markers in JPEG images.
PNG: Reads supported eXIf, text chunks, XMP, ICC, and common AI workflow fields while treating transparency as display information.
WEBP: Reads supported EXIF, XMP, ICC, and provenance markers in static WebP. Animated WebP is rejected instead of returning an incomplete result.

PDF, Office files, audio, video, HEIC, RAW, APNG, and animated WebP are not supported here. They are rejected clearly and are never uploaded for remote processing.

EXIF and beyond: the containers inside your image

A JPEG, PNG, or static WebP can carry several metadata containers at once, each written by different hardware and software. The viewer reads the supported containers below in one local scan, so an empty EXIF block never hides identifying data stored in XMP or a PNG text chunk.

EXIF

EXIF: camera settings, GPS, and MakerNotes

EXIF is the container cameras and phones write at capture time. It typically holds exposure settings, lens and body details, orientation, capture dates, and, when location services were on, GPS coordinates. It also embeds MakerNotes, proprietary vendor blocks that can carry serial numbers and internal settings in undocumented formats. The viewer shows the supported EXIF fields it can parse and flags GPS and identifier-like entries at higher risk.

IPTC

IPTC: newsroom and rights workflow fields

IPTC fields come from editorial and stock-photography workflows: creator, credit, caption, headline, city, copyright notice, and usage instructions. They rarely appear in casual phone photos, but professionally handled images often carry a full set. The viewer lists supported IPTC entries under the Identity and Rights categories, because a byline or contact block identifies a person even when EXIF is empty.

XMP

XMP: where editors and AI tools write

XMP is an extensible XML container popularized by Adobe. Lightroom, Photoshop, and many export pipelines record edit history, creator details, and rights here, and several AI image tools store generation details in XMP as well. Because it can duplicate or extend EXIF and IPTC values, the viewer reads supported XMP fields separately, so you can see which application last described the file.

tEXt / zTXt / iTXt

PNG text chunks: home of AI generation parameters

PNG stores metadata in tEXt, zTXt, and iTXt chunks. These free-form key-value pairs let tools like AUTOMATIC1111, ComfyUI, and InvokeAI save prompts, seeds, samplers, and full workflow graphs. The viewer parses supported chunks, structures recognized AI workflow data under the AI category, and treats these entries as workflow clues rather than proof of how an image was made.

ICC

ICC profiles: color data with a small fingerprint

An ICC profile tells software how to display an image's colors, such as sRGB, Display P3, or a custom profile embedded by an editor. It usually contains no personal information, so the viewer reports it as display data rather than a privacy risk. Still, an unusual profile name can hint at which software or device produced the file, which is worth knowing before you share.

How to read image metadata

Metadata is broader than EXIF

An EXIF reader answers only part of the question. A useful metadata viewer also distinguishes privacy details from authorship, display instructions, workflow data, and provenance markers.

01
Start with the broader metadata record
Metadata is the umbrella term for information stored alongside visible pixels. Depending on the format, that can include EXIF, IPTC, XMP, ICC profiles, PNG text, comments, and provenance data.
02
Treat EXIF as one source, not the whole file
EXIF commonly contains camera, phone, GPS, date, orientation, and exposure details. An image can contain no EXIF and still carry identifying or workflow information elsewhere.
03
Read the category, value, and limitation together
The viewer shows supported values locally and groups them by privacy risk. A missing result means no supported field was detected; it is not a universal guarantee that every future metadata format or invisible signal is absent.

Clear capability boundaries

Metadata viewer questions

Direct answers about privacy, supported images, EXIF, and what a read-only inspection does and does not prove.

Is this metadata viewer free?: Yes. The current viewer requires no account and can inspect up to five supported images at a time, with a 25 MB limit per file.
Does the image metadata viewer upload my files?: No. Supported files are parsed in your browser. The viewer does not send the filename, pixel data, metadata values, or a file hash to the server.
Does viewing metadata change or remove anything?: No. The viewer only reads supported metadata and displays the result. It does not rewrite the image, create a copy, or remove Content Credentials.
What is the difference between an EXIF viewer and a metadata viewer?: EXIF is one metadata format used by many cameras and phones. This viewer also checks supported IPTC, XMP, ICC, PNG text, AI workflow, container, and provenance fields.
Which image formats can I inspect?: The viewer accepts JPEG, PNG, and static WebP images up to 25 MB each. APNG, animated WebP, multi-asset JPEG, HEIC, RAW, and malformed files are rejected clearly.
Can it detect every watermark or prove an image is not AI-generated?: No. It does not detect SynthID, invisible pixel watermarks, steganography, or visual classifier signals, and its C2PA check is conservative marker detection rather than cryptographic signature validation.
Can this viewer read PDF metadata?: Use the separate PDF Metadata Viewer for PDF document properties and catalog XMP. This image viewer remains limited to the image formats covered by its own test matrix.
Why does my image show almost no metadata?: Most large platforms re-encode uploads and strip much of the original metadata, screenshots start life without camera fields, and many editors write clean exports by default. So an almost-empty result is common and usually reflects the file's history, not a scanner failure. Keep two caveats in mind: an earlier copy of the same image may still carry the full record elsewhere, and an empty result covers supported fields only. It is not a guarantee that every possible metadata format or invisible signal is absent.
Can I view metadata in HEIC or RAW files?: Not in this version. The viewer checks each file's real signature and clearly rejects HEIC, RAW, PDF, video, and animated formats instead of returning a partial or misleading result. If your photo is an iPhone HEIC, export or share it as a JPEG-compatible copy first. iOS converts on many share paths. Then inspect that JPEG here. Support beyond JPEG, PNG, and static WebP will only ship with its own test evidence.
What is the difference between the viewer and the remover?: They share the same local scanning engine, so a finding here matches what the remover reports. The difference is what happens next: the viewer is strictly read-only and never writes, copies, or changes anything, while the remover on the homepage creates a new cleaned copy and re-scans it before download. Inspect here first; when you need a clean version to share, switch to the remover and verify its output.

Need a cleaned copy?

Use the AI Metadata Remover to write a new copy without re-encoding the image data, discard supported file-level metadata, and inspect the output again.

Open AI Metadata Remover