Remove EXIF & File Metadata

Clean photos and PDFs before sharing so GPS coordinates, device IDs, and author names do not leak.

Smartphones embed EXIF metadata in every photo: GPS coordinates, device model, lens data, and timestamps. Messaging apps may compress images on send, but forwarding the original file or uploading to a website can expose location history to anyone who downloads the image.

RookScrub processes files locally in your browser. Ciphertext never needs to reach RookVPN servers for the scrub operation itself — you download a cleaned copy from client-side processing.

What metadata RookScrub removes

• JPEG / PNG / HEIC: GPS latitude/longitude, camera make/model, orientation, software tags.
• PDF: Author, producer, embedded thumbnails that carry EXIF from source scans.
• Common workflow: export from gallery → scrub → attach to email or upload to RookFile.

Step-by-step

1. Visit rookvpn.com/scrub or remove EXIF directly.
2. Drop the photo or PDF. Processing runs in-memory in the tab.
3. Download the cleaned file with a new filename.
4. Verify in your OS inspector that GPS tags are gone before publishing.

Platform myths

WhatsApp photos: Sending as a compressed photo often strips EXIF; sending as a document preserves the original metadata — scrub before document sends.

Instagram: Upload strips EXIF on the platform, but your camera roll original still contains GPS until you scrub or disable location in the camera app.

Screenshots: Usually minimal EXIF, but PDF exports from design tools can still embed author metadata — scrub when sharing externally.

Privacy and journalism

Activists, sellers, and remote workers should scrub media before posting listings (real estate photos reveal home addresses) or sending evidence to journalists. Combine scrubbing with encrypted file sessions when files are large.

Related

• RookScan guide — check suspicious attachments before opening
• Free vs paid VPN plans — protect browsing after publishing cleaned media

Check the result

Drop the original, read the GPS or author line, export, then drop the export. The tag you cared about should be gone. The camera roll still has the original. Delete that if the location was the secret. A landmark visible in the picture is not a tag, and this tool will not blur it.

Scrubbing does not send the file and does not expire a link. If you still need to transfer it, use an expiring RookFile session after the second read is clean.