Whatever you were about to attach. This is an illustration — no real file, name or location is used.
Before — what you would be sending
attachment.jpgJPEG
Exact location51.503364, -0.119543
Camera ownerA. Whitfield
Camera serial numberF2LX9K3QW1
Apple · iPhone 15 Pro · 14 Aug 2026, 19:42
After cleaning
attachment-clean.jpgJPEG
Exact locationremoved
Camera ownerremoved
Camera serial numberremoved
Every pixel identical. Nothing is re-compressed, so there is no quality loss.
One habit beats one tool
The leak is different in every format, so memorising what to check in a JPEG will not help you with a spreadsheet. What transfers is the habit: before any file leaves your hands, open it somewhere that shows you what is inside, and only then attach it.
Look at the whole frame, not just the subject
For anything visual, this is the step that catches the most. Notification banners, open browser tabs, a name in a corner, a document path in a title bar, a second monitor reflected in a window. No amount of metadata stripping helps with content that is in the picture.
Prefer a fresh export to an edited original
Editing a file in place preserves its history. Exporting a new one from a clean source does not. For documents that matter, finish the work, then produce a new file rather than sending the working copy.
Assume nothing about the platform
Whether a messenger or a website strips metadata depends on the app version, the platform and which upload button you pressed. Strip it yourself and the question stops mattering.
In practice
A thirty-second routine
Look at the whole frame if it is visual, including the edges. Check the filename. Open the file and check its properties. Run it through a checker. Export fresh rather than sending a working copy. Attach. The order matters: checking properties before you make a final edit wastes the check, because the last save rewrites the timestamps and often reintroduces the author.
Build it into the moment of sending
The habit fails when it depends on remembering. The version that survives is attached to an existing action: when you write the covering email, before you press attach, run the file through. Tying the check to something you already do every time is the difference between a routine that lasts a week and one that lasts a year.
Which files deserve the full check
Not everything needs it. A photograph of a whiteboard sent to a colleague you sit beside is not the same as a signed contract going to an opposing party. The files that reward attention are the ones leaving your organisation, the ones that will be forwarded, the ones that will be published, and anything involving a photograph taken at home. If a file falls into none of those, attach it and move on.
Common questions
What is the fastest way to check a file for hidden data?
Drop it into the tool on this page. It reads the file locally and lists everything it finds, then removes it on request.
Do I need to install anything?
No. This page does the work in the browser. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is installed.
Is it safe to check confidential documents here?
The file never leaves your device. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network tab and watching while you use the page.