HEIC metadata remover

Remove metadata from HEIC photos

Add your HEIC photos to the tool above and WipePic removes the EXIF, GPS location, XMP and other metadata items from each file. The photo stays a HEIC file, WipePic does not decode or re-encode the image, and the file never leaves your device.

Drop your photos here

One photo or many photos (JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, DNG, GIF, TIFF)

What metadata does a HEIC file contain?

HEIC is the default photo format of the iPhone. A HEIC file is a set of boxes and items. The pictures are items, and the hidden data is stored in other items:

  • An EXIF item: the GPS location, the iPhone model, the lens, the date and time, and the camera settings.
  • An XMP item: author, rights and editing information.
  • Other metadata items, for example Content Credentials (C2PA) in apps that add them.
  • The Apple HDR gain map, an extra picture that lets HDR screens show brighter highlights. It is part of the image, not private data.
  • The orientation, the colour profile and the transparency of the picture, stored as properties of the image.

What WipePic removes and keeps in HEIC files

WipePic removes:

  • GPS location and place names (EXIF item)
  • Camera and device details, lens and serial numbers
  • Capture date and time
  • XMP: author, copyright, software and editing history
  • Other items that are not pictures, including Content Credentials (C2PA) items
  • Free space and unused data inside the file

WipePic keeps:

  • The photo itself: WipePic does not decode or re-encode it, so there is no quality loss.
  • The orientation (rotation and mirroring) of the photo.
  • The colour profile (ICC).
  • Transparency, when the file has an alpha image.
  • The Apple HDR gain map, with the few values that the system needs to show it.

WipePic cleans one still photo per file. A HEIC file that holds an image sequence (a moov box) is not supported, and the tool reports it instead of changing it. A Live Photo is a photo file plus a separate video file; WipePic works on the photo file.

How to remove metadata from HEIC files

  1. Add your HEIC files (.heic and .heif) to the tool above. You can add up to 300 files at a time, and each file can be up to 50 MB.
  2. WipePic reads each file in your browser and shows what it found.
  3. Remove the metadata. The files stay in the HEIC format unless you choose another format.
  4. Download the cleaned files. WipePic is free, and you do not need an account.

Cleaning does not remove a visible watermark or any other content that is part of the picture, and it cannot remove a record that is stored outside the file.

Questions

Do I have to convert HEIC to JPEG to remove the metadata?

No. WipePic cleans the HEIC file itself and the result is still a HEIC file. You only convert if you choose another format in the Format menu.

Does a HEIC photo from an iPhone contain the GPS location?

Yes, if Location Services is on for the Camera. The location is stored in the EXIF item of the file, and WipePic removes that item.

Will my iPhone HDR photo still look the same?

Yes. WipePic keeps the Apple HDR gain map and the few values that decoders need to use it, so an HDR screen shows the photo as before.

Does it work with .heif files too?

Yes. HEIC and HEIF files use the same box structure, and WipePic reads the content of the file, not only the extension.