# View the EXIF metadata of multiple photos, with GPS and SHA-256

> Extract and view the EXIF metadata of one or more photos (camera, shot, date, GPS), plus a forensic SHA-256. Values translated to readable form. No upload.

Free in-browser tool (no upload): https://www.mauriziofonte.it/tools/exif-metadata-viewer

Extract the **EXIF metadata** embedded in photos: **camera** (make, model, lens, body serial), **shot settings** (shutter, aperture, ISO, focal length, program, exposure, flash), **date and time**, **GPS coordinates** with a map preview, and the **SHA-256** fingerprint of the file as a forensic signature. You can load **several images at once**: each opens its own tab. Technical codes that are not human-readable (e.g. orientation, flash mode) are **translated into plain language**. Everything happens **in the browser**: the photos never leave the device.

## How to read EXIF metadata

1. **Load one or more photos** - Drop JPEG images into the drop zone or click to select them. You can load several at once: each photo opens its own tab labelled with the file name, switchable at the top.
2. **Read the metadata groups** - For each photo the tags are grouped: camera and lens, shot settings, date and time, image and, if present, GPS location. Encoded technical values are translated into readable form.
3. **Check the location and signature** - If the photo carries GPS coordinates, you see latitude, longitude and a map link. At the top there is always the file SHA-256, the fingerprint that uniquely identifies that exact file.
4. **Decide what to do** - If you are about to publish the photo and do not want to reveal place, gear or date, strip the EXIF first. Copy the JSON summary (EXIF + SHA-256) if you need it for documentation or chain of custody.

## What EXIF contains, the conversions and the SHA-256

**EXIF** (Exchangeable Image File Format) is a block of metadata that the camera or smartphone embeds into the JPEG file at capture time. It lives in an `APP1` segment and uses the **TIFF** structure: a byte order, a series of *Image File Directories* (IFD) and, for each tag, an identifier, a type and a value. This tool reads the TIFF header and follows the pointers to the main IFD, the Exif IFD and the GPS IFD, decoding a wide set of tags.

Many EXIF values are **numeric codes** meaningless to a person: orientation is 1, 6 or 8, flash mode is a bit field, the exposure program is a number from 0 to 8. The tool applies **conversion tables** and shows the readable description next to the code: *orientation 6* becomes *rotated 90 degrees clockwise*, *flash 25* becomes *fired in auto mode*, and so on. The **GPS** data, stored in degrees, minutes and seconds, is converted to decimal coordinates with a map link: it is the most privacy-sensitive piece, because it reveals exactly where the photo was taken.

Beyond EXIF, a **SHA-256** fingerprint is computed for each file, the cryptographic hash that uniquely identifies that exact file: two files with the same SHA-256 are identical bit for bit, and changing even one byte produces a completely different hash. It is the **forensic signature** used to attest the integrity and identity of an image in a chain of custody. Everything, EXIF reading and hashing, happens **in the browser**: the photos are never sent to a server, so you can analyse confidential images safely.

## Glossary

- **EXIF**: Exchangeable Image File Format. The metadata cameras and smartphones embed in photos: model, shot settings, date and often GPS location.
- **IFD**: Image File Directory. The structure, inherited from TIFF, in which EXIF organises tags: main IFD, Exif IFD for shot details, GPS IFD for location.
- **Orientation**: A tag recording how the camera was rotated at capture (values 1-8). The tool translates it: for example 6 = rotated 90 degrees clockwise, so viewers can show the photo upright.
- **GPS EXIF**: Latitude, longitude and sometimes altitude where the photo was taken, stored in degrees/minutes/seconds and converted to decimals. It is the most privacy-sensitive piece of data.
- **SHA-256**: A 256-bit cryptographic hash of the file: a unique fingerprint used as a forensic signature. Identical if the files are identical, completely different at the slightest byte change.
- **RATIONAL**: An EXIF data type expressing a value as a fraction (numerator/denominator). Exposure time, aperture and GPS coordinates are stored this way.

## EXIF metadata FAQ

### Are my photos uploaded to a server?

No. The files are read as binary in the browser and both the EXIF metadata and the SHA-256 are computed locally. The photos never leave the device. You can verify it in the Network tab of the developer tools, or use the tool offline.

### Can I analyse several photos at once?

Yes. You can drop or select several images at once: each opens its own tab, labelled with the file name. Switch between them by clicking the tabs at the top. Useful to compare shots or analyse a group of images.

### What do translated values like orientation or flash mean?

Many EXIF tags are numeric codes. Orientation 6, for example, means the photo is rotated 90 degrees clockwise; the flash mode is a bit field indicating whether the flash fired and in what mode. The tool shows the readable description next to the raw code, so you do not have to look up what each number means.

### What is the photo's SHA-256 for?

It is the file's unique cryptographic fingerprint. It proves an image has not been altered: if two copies share the same SHA-256 they are identical bit for bit, and changing even one byte changes the hash completely. It is the basis of forensic signatures and digital chain of custody.

### Why does my image show no EXIF (but has a SHA-256)?

The SHA-256 is always computed, because it depends only on the file bytes. EXIF, instead, may be missing: PNG and WebP often carry none, many social and messaging apps strip it on upload, and screenshots have no shot data. Original photos from a camera or smartphone, kept as files, usually have EXIF intact.

### What does a photo's GPS reveal?

The exact latitude and longitude of where it was taken, often accurate to a few metres. A photo published with GPS intact can reveal a home, work or frequented place. It is the main reason to check EXIF before publishing.

### Can I trust EXIF dates?

With caution. The dates reflect the camera clock at capture, which may be set wrong or in the wrong timezone. EXIF is also editable with the right tools, so it works as a useful clue to authenticity, without the weight of a certification. The SHA-256, by contrast, proves the integrity of the file as it is.

### How do I remove EXIF from a photo?

This tool reads metadata, it does not remove it. On Windows: right-click, Properties, Details, Remove Properties; on macOS with Preview or dedicated tools; on smartphones with share-without-location options. Alternatively, a screenshot of the photo drops the EXIF (but lowers quality).

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Tool by Maurizio Fonte, senior backend engineer. All tools: https://www.mauriziofonte.it/tools/