You can see that the file was updated, and no copy was created. Now if you want to only remove file exif data in Linux, just run this: $exiftool -EXIF=me.jpgįurthermore, if you want to remove the file exif data without saving a copy of the file, you can try this: $exiftool -overwrite_original -all=me.jpg You can see that it has generic attributes saved with it. Now you can check the new file with the same command as before: It will now have “_original” added at the end. Running this will save a copy of your original image with the exif data removed from it. Now if you want to remove the exif data you can execute the following, using the “-all” input argument.

If you scroll down, you will see a whole host of attributes such as: Advertisement Here you can see various file attributes like permissions, type, and extension amongst many others including the make and model of my mobile phone. These are just some of the attributes I am sharing as even I got scared as to the extent of the information stored with this image. In this example, I placed an image on the desktop. In the command above, you need to replace the “image.png” with the file name and extension of your image. You can view the metadata by executing this: Once the installation has been completed, you are ready to start using the tool. Once you get the prompt back, it means that the installation has completed. Installing ExifToolįire up your terminal and type the following to start the installation: $sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perlĭepending on the speed of your Internet connection, this process will take some time. It allows you to remove the EXIF data with a variety of options, e.g., you can save the same image without the metadata or export a new copy without it. It removes the metadata from the image without recompressing it, keeping it at its original quality. There are various tools available for Ubuntu to remove Exif data from pictures, but ExifTool works the best in my experience. In this guide, we will take a stab at answering the question “how to remove file EXIF data in Linux?”. Having file EXIF data consumes more disk space when compared to those without it.

While this is commonly a desirable feature for many, it raises privacy concerns for many others, especially if they want to share their pictures online via social media. Images with EXIF data reveal all the details about a photo such as where and when was it taken as well as with what device, amongst a host of many other things. Dealing with pictures on your computer, you might have come across EXIF data without knowing what it is.

How to use exiftool remove all metadata