FIRST: THE CORE RULE

If you didn’t strip metadata yourself, assume it’s still there.

Platforms, apps, and “private sharing” are not reliable.

1. HOW TO STRIP METADATA FROM PHOTOS

Option A: On Your Phone (Fastest)

iPhone

1. Open the photo

2. Tap the ⓘ info icon

3. Tap Location → Remove Location

4. Share after removal

⚠️ Note: This removes GPS, not all metadata.

Android

1. Open photo

2. Tap three dots → Edit location

3. Remove location

4. Save a copy

Option B: Desktop (Most Reliable)

Windows

1. Right-click image → Properties

2. Go to Details

3. Click Remove Properties and Personal Information

4. Create a copy with metadata removed

macOS

1. Open image in Preview

2. Tools → Show Inspector

3. Go to Info (i) → GPS

4. Remove location
   (For full removal, export or use a dedicated tool)

Best Practice (Recommended)

• Export as a new file

• Never upload the original

• Test the stripped file before sharing

2. HOW TO STRIP METADATA FROM DOCUMENTS (PDF, Word, Docs)

Microsoft Word / Excel / PowerPoint

1. File → Info

2. Click Check for Issues

3. Select Inspect Document

4. Remove all found metadata

5. Save as a new file

PDFs

Safest method:

• Print to PDF
  This flattens the file and removes most metadata.

⚠️ Don’t rely on “Save As” alone—it often preserves data.

3. HOW TO STRIP METADATA FROM VIDEOS

Videos often contain:

• GPS

• Device info

• Creation timestamps

Simple Method

• Re-export the video using an editor

• Disable “preserve metadata” if shown

• Save as a new file

Safer Method

• Use a dedicated metadata remover

• Verify with a metadata viewer afterward

4. ONLINE METADATA REMOVAL TOOLS (USE WITH CAUTION)

Pros:

• Easy

• Fast

Cons:

• You upload your file to someone else’s server

• Not safe for sensitive content

Rule:
If the file is private, legal, or sensitive → don’t use online tools.

5. HOW TO VERIFY METADATA IS GONE (MOST PEOPLE SKIP THIS)

Always check:

• Right-click → Properties / Details

• Use a metadata viewer

• Reopen the file and inspect info panels

If anything shows up — it’s not clean.

6. THE SAFEST SHARING WORKFLOW (TEACH THIS)

1. Create content

2. Export a copy

3. Strip metadata

4. Verify metadata removal

5. Share the stripped file only

Never reuse the original.