Common questions
Does it read ZIP archives?
Yes. A ZIP is opened and every file inside is listed, with the ones that should not be there flagged — environment files, private keys, database backups, and the leftovers your operating system adds. Images and documents inside the archive are inspected too.
What is the privacy score?
A single number out of 100, worked out from what the file discloses rather than how many fields it contains. Findings that identify you weigh heaviest, device and timing details less, software details least.
Can it find hidden sheets in a spreadsheet?
Yes. Both normally hidden sheets and very hidden ones, which do not appear in Excel's own Unhide dialog, are reported. They are left in place rather than deleted, because visible formulas often depend on them.
How do I know the cleaning worked?
The cleaned copy is verified automatically — checked again from scratch — and the result is shown beside the original: the score before and after, and each removal confirmed by name. You are not asked to take it on trust.
Do I need to understand metadata to use this?
No. The result is written in plain English first — what someone receiving the file could work out about you — with the technical field names tucked underneath for anyone who wants them.
Does my photo show my location?
If the photo still carries its EXIF GPS tags and was taken at your home, yes. The coordinates can be pasted straight into any mapping service and resolve to within a few metres.
Does turning off location services remove GPS from old photos?
No. It only affects photos taken afterwards. Every photo already in your library keeps the coordinates it was saved with.
What is EXIF data?
EXIF is a block of structured information a camera writes inside every image file: the make and model, lens, exposure, the date and time to the second, and on phones the GPS coordinates. It sits alongside the picture rather than in it.
Does removing EXIF reduce image quality?
No. Metadata is stored separately from the pixels. Stripping it leaves the image byte for byte identical, with no re-compression.
Can a cropped photo be uncropped?
Sometimes. Cameras store a small preview inside the file, and if it was written before you cropped, it still shows the original framing.
Is blurring safe for hiding text?
Pixelation of text is the least safe, since researchers have reconstructed it by searching for the rendering that pixelates to the same blocks. Heavy blur on a photograph is much harder to undo. Neither is as reliable as cropping the content out and re-exporting.
Do screenshots contain metadata?
They carry no GPS, because they are made by the operating system rather than a camera. They do carry timestamps, and any editor you open them in afterwards adds its own name and version.
Does WhatsApp remove photo metadata?
Sending an image through the photo picker generally re-compresses it and drops most metadata. Sending the same image through the document or file option delivers the original file intact, GPS included.
Does email remove metadata from attachments?
No. Attachments are delivered exactly as they were attached. The same is true of a link to a file in cloud storage.
Do iPhone photos contain GPS?
Yes, if location access is enabled for the camera, which is the default. iPhones also save in HEIC by default, a format many web tools cannot read properly.
Can this page read HEIC files?
Yes. It parses the HEIC container directly, resolving the EXIF and XMP items through the file's own index, and can clean them without disturbing the image.
Does a PDF contain the author's name?
Usually. The author field is typically filled in automatically from the user account of the computer that created it, and nobody thinks to check it.
Can deleted text be recovered from a PDF?
If the file was saved incrementally, often yes. Earlier versions of the content remain in the same file. You can spot this because the marker that ends a PDF appears more than once.
How do I properly redact a PDF?
Remove the content itself rather than covering it, then flatten or re-export the document. A black rectangle drawn over text is a shape placed on top, and the text underneath stays selectable.
Does Word save the author's name in the document?
Yes. It is written into the document properties from your Office account, and it stays there until it is removed.
Can someone see what I deleted in a Word document?
If tracked changes were on, yes. Deleted text is retained in the file and appears the moment anyone changes their own view setting.
Can someone unhide my hidden Excel sheets?
Yes, by right-clicking any sheet tab. Hiding is a display setting, not a protection measure.
Are PowerPoint speaker notes visible to recipients?
Yes. Anyone who opens the file can read them. They are only hidden while presenting.
Can a recruiter see who created my CV?
If the author property is still populated, yes. Many CVs still carry the name of whoever wrote the template they started from.
Is it safe to check confidential documents here?
The file is read from your disk and never transmitted. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network tab and watching while you use the page.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in the browser. There is no account, no upload, and no software to install.
Is there an online version of exiftool?
Several exist, but most upload your file to a server. This page does the analysis locally instead. For batch work on your own machine, exiftool itself remains the better tool.