How It Works — MetaScrub

STEP 01

Drop Your Files

Drag and drop any image (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP), video (MP4, MOV, AVI), or PDF into the secure drop zone. You can add multiple files at once for batch processing.

💡 Files are loaded into your browser's local memory using the File API — never transmitted over a network.

STEP 02

Instant Metadata Analysis

MetaScrub immediately parses each file's headers and binary structure to extract all embedded metadata fields — GPS coordinates, device info, timestamps, author data, and more.

💡 Uses ExifReader.js for images and ffmpeg.wasm metadata scanning for video files. All parsing runs in a Web Worker so the UI stays smooth.

STEP 03

You Decide What to Strip

See every metadata field with its sensitivity rating (High / Medium / Low). High-risk fields like GPS and author info are pre-selected for removal. Toggle any field individually.

💡 You choose what to keep. Resolution, color profile, and other harmless fields can be preserved while dangerous ones are eliminated.

STEP 04

In-Browser Processing

For images: the Canvas API redraws the image pixel-by-pixel, producing a new file with zero EXIF data. For videos: ffmpeg.wasm (compiled C/C++) strips the metadata atoms natively in the browser.

💡 Large files use the Streams API to process in chunks, preventing memory crashes. The UI stays fully interactive throughout.

STEP 05

Download Your Clean ZIP

All cleaned files are bundled into a single ZIP archive using JSZip, then immediately downloaded. No copies are stored anywhere — not even temporarily.

💡 Once you close the tab, everything is gone. No footprint, no cache, no history.

⚙️ Technology Stack

Built on cutting-edge web tech

No servers. No backends. Just the modern web platform — pushed to its limits.

Framework

Next.js App Router

Server-side rendering with React and TypeScript for a fast, modern UI.

Video Processing

ffmpeg.wasm

FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly. Native C/C++ speed inside the browser — no server needed.

Image Stripping

Canvas API

Re-renders images through an HTML5 canvas, dropping all binary EXIF headers from the output.

EXIF Parsing

ExifReader.js

Reads EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and GPS tags from image buffers entirely in the browser.

Concurrency

Web Workers

Computation-heavy tasks run off the main thread, keeping the interface responsive at all times.

Memory Management

Streams API

Files are processed in small chunks rather than loaded entirely into RAM — preventing tab crashes on huge files.

Bundling

JSZip

Packages all cleaned files into a single download in-browser without any server involvement.

Offline Support

Progressive Web App

Configurable as a PWA so users can install it and run full sessions without internet.