Image guide · Updated September 19, 2026
What image metadata removal does and does not do
Image files can contain orientation, camera details, text fields, and color information in addition to visible pixels.
Orientation must become visible pixels first
A camera may store landscape-shaped pixels with a tag instructing viewers to rotate them. Simply deleting that tag can leave the image sideways. MallowDesk applies supported embedded orientation before encoding. The result’s dimensions reflect the visible orientation, and the card reports Orientation applied when appropriate.
Re-encoded results discard source metadata
The app decodes an image into an 8-bit sRGB pixel representation and creates a new image. It does not copy source EXIF, XMP, IPTC, text, or camera fields into that result. The metadata scan also considers color-profile information when deciding whether it is safe to keep an unchanged original. This is not a promise that every output format contains no structural or encoder fields at all.
Why an original is sometimes kept
When a same-format, same-dimension encode is no smaller and the input scan confirms metadata is absent, the original bytes can be retained. The card says Already optimized — original kept unchanged. When metadata is present or cannot be confidently ruled out, the re-encoded result is kept instead, even if it grows. A target-size request is checked against whichever file would actually be downloaded.
Removing metadata does not anonymize a picture
Faces, addresses, vehicle plates, reflections, and documents remain visible in the pixels. A filename may also reveal information, and downloaded filenames are derived from the source name after unsafe path characters are removed. Rename files and edit visible sensitive details yourself before sharing. Image compression is not redaction or an anonymity guarantee.
Color and format limits
The browser or bundled decoder interprets the source into the supported pixel workflow. HDR, wide-gamut appearance, camera RAW development, and archival color fidelity are outside the promise. Compare important colors in the final viewing app. Animated and unsupported formats are rejected instead of silently using a first frame.
Verify with the actual download
The orientation example uses a fabricated orientation tag and no real location data. Its source and output are available on the examples page. For a sensitive workflow, inspect the downloaded file with a metadata viewer you trust and review its visible content. Do not send a private source file to support just to ask a question; begin with the format, dimensions, browser, and steps.
Try it with a reproducible example
Open the source files, measured outputs, and settings. Use the same source for each comparison and inspect the actual result.