An iPhone photo knows where it was taken, on which phone, with which lens, and when. Most tools remove that by converting to JPEG and re-encoding the pixels. StripShot edits the HEIF container in your browser instead: the Exif, XMP and C2PA boxes are emptied, the image data is untouched, and the file is still a HEIC.
Last updated September 2026
Drop a .heic or .avif below. StripShot lists the Exif fields, GPS, XMP and any C2PA Content Credentials, then neutralizes those boxes in place. The image is not decoded, not converted and not re-encoded.
Drop a file here, or click to choose
HEIC, HEIF, AVIF up to 500 MB
Free: unlimited scans and a few strips a day. Pro: unlimited, plus whole folders at once.
| Item or box | What it holds | Removed |
|---|---|---|
| Exif item | Device make and model, lens, ISO, shutter, orientation, timestamps, GPS latitude, longitude and altitude, Apple maker notes | Yes, payload zeroed |
| XMP item (mime) | Editing history, creator tool, Apple and Adobe fields, sometimes a C2PA pointer | Yes, payload zeroed |
| uuid box (XMP) | Top-level XMP packet in some files | Yes, neutralized |
| uuid, c2pa or jumb box | C2PA Content Credentials written by AI generators exporting AVIF | Yes, neutralized |
| xml and bxml boxes | Other XML metadata inside meta | Yes, neutralized |
| Primary image, tiles, thumbnails, depth and HDR gain maps | Image data | Kept |
In a JPEG or PNG, metadata segments can simply be removed and the file closes back up. HEIF is different. The item location table stores absolute byte offsets to every piece of image data, so cutting a box out of the middle would point every offset at the wrong bytes. StripShot rewrites the box header to mark it as free space and overwrites the metadata payload with zeros. Every offset stays valid, the file stays the same size, and any viewer reads the image exactly as before.
Auxiliary images such as the depth map, HDR gain map and alpha plane are image data and are kept. Live Photo pairing lives partly in the companion video file, which this page does not touch; the video tool handles MOV. Photos that passed through a messaging app were already re-encoded and may carry less metadata than you expect.
Drop the HEIC or AVIF
Drag the file into the tool above. AirDrop or a cable gives you the original; messaging apps usually re-encode.
Read the scan
StripShot lists the Exif item and whether it carries GPS, any XMP, and any C2PA manifest boxes.
Strip
Click Strip. Metadata boxes become free space and the Exif and XMP payloads are zeroed in place, so every offset in the file stays valid.
Download
The output is re-scanned and downloaded as the same HEIC or AVIF, same size, same pixels.
An Exif item with the device model, lens, exposure, orientation, timestamps and, when location services are on, GPS coordinates and altitude. Often an XMP item with editing history and Apple-specific fields. Portrait and HDR photos add auxiliary images. AI generators that export AVIF can add C2PA Content Credentials as well.
No. The file stays a HEIC. Most converters re-encode the pixels to remove metadata, which costs quality and changes the format. StripShot edits the container in place and leaves the image data alone.
HEIF files use absolute byte offsets to locate image data, so removing a box would shift everything after it and break the file. StripShot neutralizes the metadata boxes as free space and zeroes the Exif and XMP payloads where they sit, which keeps every offset valid. The bytes are still there, but they are empty.
That option strips GPS from the shared copy, but leaves the device model, timestamps, lens and software fields. StripShot removes the whole Exif and XMP payload.
Yes. AVIF uses the same HEIF container. C2PA manifests stored in uuid or c2pa boxes are neutralized along with Exif and XMP.
Anywhere the original opened. The image data, codec configuration and container structure are unchanged; only the metadata boxes are emptied.
No. The container is edited inside your browser. StripShot has no server route that receives file bytes.
What iOS strips on its own and what it leaves.
JPEG, PNG and WebP location data.
The manifests behind Made with AI labels.
Every format on one page, batch and zip download.
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