free tool
See and remove the hidden data in a video
Phones and cameras write where, when and with what a video was filmed into the file itself. Check what yours carries and get a clean copy, right here in the browser.
What a video file knows about you
Besides the picture and sound, a video file can carry:
- where it was filmed: GPS coordinates, sometimes the name of the place;
- when: the date and time of recording, down to the second;
- with what: the make and model of the phone or camera and its software version;
- who and what: an author's name, a title, comments;
- on action cameras and drones, a whole track of GPS and motion data recorded alongside the video.
None of it shows when you play the video, but anyone who gets the file can read it in a minute.
Why remove it
A video sent to a stranger, posted on a forum or handed to a buyer can tell them where you live and when you were away. The location in a video filmed at home is your home address. Removing the metadata before you share a file takes that worry off the table.
How the tool works
The tool reads the file in your browser, without uploading it anywhere, and lists what it found. When you press the button, it rewrites only the parts of the file where metadata lives: the location, dates, device and texts are replaced with empty space, and telemetry tracks go together with their data. The picture and sound aren't touched or re-encoded, so the quality stays exactly the same, and even a file of several gigabytes is ready in seconds. Then the tool reads the clean copy once more to check that nothing is left.
What it doesn't do
- It reads MP4, MOV, M4V and 3GP, the formats phones and most cameras record in. MKV, WebM and AVI aren't supported yet.
- It removes data stored as metadata. Anything visible in the picture itself, such as a street sign or a date burned into the frame, stays.
- On tapeshelf you don't need this step: every video you upload is stripped of its metadata automatically. What we remove
Questions
- Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything happens in your browser, and the file never leaves your device. Once the page has loaded, it works even without an internet connection.
- Does removing metadata change the quality?
No. The video isn't re-encoded: the picture and sound stay byte for byte as they were, and the file keeps its size.
- Which formats are supported?
MP4, MOV, M4V and 3GP, which covers videos from iPhones, Android phones and most cameras. Other formats are recognised and named, but not changed.
- Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in a current mobile browser. Pick the video from your gallery or your files.