How to remove the creation date from an mp4
- Step 1Understand what 'creation date' means in a video — There are up to three relevant timestamps: the OS file-system date (changes when you copy the file), the container
creation_time(the recording moment, embedded), and on iOScom.apple.quicktime.creationdatewith timezone. This tool clears the embedded ones — the OS date is set by your file system, not the file's metadata. - Step 2Drop the MP4 or MOV onto the scrubber — FFmpeg.wasm reads it locally; the timeline-sensitive clip is never uploaded. MP4, MOV, M4V, MKV, WebM, AVI, and TS are accepted.
- Step 3Keep Mode on 'default' —
-map_metadata -1removescreation_time, the iOS creation-date atom, and the rest of the global tag block while keeping title and chapters. That clears every embedded date. - Step 4Use 'all' if you also want chapters and muxer dates gone — Mode 'all' adds
-map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact. Bitexact suppresses muxer-added fingerprints that can include a write timestamp, so it is the most thorough date wipe. - Step 5Process and download the undated copy — The strip stream-copies the media, so it is fast and the output keeps the same extension (
clip-out.mp4). Your original on disk is untouched. - Step 6Reset the OS file date if it matters — The scrubber clears the embedded date. The new file's file-system 'date created' is set to when you saved it. If you also need to neutralise the OS timestamp, change it in your operating system (Windows
Set-ItemProperty/PowerShell, macOStouch/SetFile) — that is outside what a video file's metadata controls.
The date fields a video can carry
Where 'when it was filmed' lives, and whether this scrubber clears it. Only embedded container/stream metadata is in scope; OS file-system dates are not part of the file's metadata.
| Field | What it records | Cleared by this tool? |
|---|---|---|
creation_time | Recording moment, embedded in the container (UTC) | Yes |
com.apple.quicktime.creationdate | iOS recording moment with timezone offset | Yes |
Per-stream creation_time | Date on individual video/audio streams | Yes (mapped metadata removed) |
| OS file-system 'date created / modified' | Set by your computer, not the file | No — change it in your OS |
Default vs all mode for date removal
Both stream-copy the media. Mode 'all' goes further on chapters and muxer-stamped timestamps.
| Aspect | Mode: default | Mode: all |
|---|---|---|
| Flags | -map_metadata -1 -c copy | -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact -c copy |
| creation_time / iOS creationdate | Removed | Removed |
| Muxer write-timestamp fingerprint | Input value removed | Suppressed via bitexact |
| Chapter markers (which can carry dates) | Kept | Removed |
Cookbook
Before/after dumps showing the embedded date fields disappearing. Timestamps anonymised.
MP4: creation_time removed
A standard MP4 carries one container creation_time. Default mode clears it.
Before (ffprobe): TAG:creation_time : 2024-03-18T09:22:41.000000Z TAG:encoder : Lavf60.16.100 Scrub (Mode: default) → project-out.mp4 After: (no creation_time) (no encoder) Streams: byte-identical to source
iPhone MOV: timezone-aware date removed
iOS stores a creation date with timezone. The scrub removes both the generic and the Apple-specific field.
Before: TAG:creation_time : 2026-05-09T14:03:00Z TAG:com.apple.quicktime.creationdate : 2026-05-09T15:03:00+0100 Scrub (Mode: default) → IMG_4490-out.mov After: (no creation_time) (no com.apple.quicktime.creationdate)
Renaming did NOT remove the date
A common mistake: renaming the file and assuming the date is gone. The embedded timestamp survives rename.
Renamed 'IMG_4490.mov' → 'holiday.mov' ffprobe holiday.mov still shows: TAG:creation_time : 2026-05-09T14:03:00Z Only removing the metadata clears it: Scrub (Mode: default) → holiday-out.mov (no date)
Per-stream dates also cleared
Some files stamp each stream with its own creation_time. -map_metadata -1 drops mapped stream metadata too.
Before: Stream #0:0 Video TAG:creation_time : 2025-11-02T... Stream #0:1 Audio TAG:creation_time : 2025-11-02T... Scrub (Mode: default): → both per-stream dates removed
Embedded date gone, OS date is separate
The file-system 'date created' is your computer's, not the file's. Reset it in the OS if needed.
After scrub: Embedded creation_time : REMOVED Windows 'Media created' : EMPTY (good) Windows 'Date created' : <today> (when you saved -out.mp4) To neutralise the OS date: PowerShell: (Get-Item file).CreationTime = ... macOS: touch -t ... file
Edge cases and what actually happens
Renaming the file doesn't change the embedded date
ExpectedThe creation_time is inside the container, not the filename. Renaming a clip or copying it to a new folder leaves the embedded recording date intact — only removing the metadata clears it. That is exactly what this tool does.
OS 'date created' still shows today
By designThe scrubber removes the file's embedded date, which is what MediaInfo and 'Media created' read. The operating system's separate 'date created / modified' is set when you save the output. To neutralise that too, change it in your OS (PowerShell on Windows, touch on macOS) — it is not part of the video's metadata.
Date burned into the picture (camera overlay)
By designDashcams, CCTV, and some camcorders overlay a date/time string onto the frames. That is pixel data, not metadata, and survives the strip. Blur or cover it with video-redactor.
Subtitle or chapter track carries a date
PreservedDefault mode keeps chapters, and a separate subtitle stream may reference a date in its text. Use mode 'all' to remove chapters; for embedded subtitle text, extract and inspect with subtitle-extractor since the scrubber leaves subtitle streams in place.
Output essentially same size
ExpectedDate tags are a handful of bytes. The scrubbed file is the same size as the original minus those bytes — confirmation that the media was stream-copied, not re-encoded.
File the muxer can't rewrite
FailA corrupt or truncated file the MP4/MOV muxer rejects returns 'Metadata scrub failed' (non-zero exit). Use the full original or remux to MP4 first.
File over the tier size cap
LimitFree is 1 GB per file; Pro 10 GB, Pro-media and Developer 100 GB. No length cap. A long undated export above the limit needs a higher tier or a pre-trim with lossless-trimmer.
You wanted to set a fake date, not remove it
By designThis tool removes the date; it does not let you set an arbitrary timestamp. Most anonymisation goals are met by removal (an absent date reveals nothing). If you specifically need a substitute date, that requires a metadata-write step the scrubber does not expose.
Re-export re-adds a current write date
ExpectedIf you scrub then re-export through an editor, the new tool may stamp a fresh creation_time of 'now'. Scrub the final file last, or use mode 'all' to suppress muxer-added timestamps.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my video still show a recording date after I renamed it?
Because the date is embedded inside the file as creation_time (and com.apple.quicktime.creationdate on iOS), not in the filename. Renaming or moving the file never touches it. Removing the metadata is the only way to clear it — this tool does that with -map_metadata -1.
Does removing the date re-encode or degrade the video?
No. The scrubber uses -c copy, so the encoded video and audio are byte-identical. Only the container metadata is rewritten, and the operation is fast.
Is the file uploaded to a server?
No. FFmpeg.wasm runs in your browser; the timeline-sensitive clip never leaves your device.
Will Windows still show a 'Date created' for the file?
Yes, but that is the operating system's file-system date, set when you saved the output — not the video's embedded date. The 'Media created' field (which reads the embedded metadata) will be empty. To neutralise the OS date too, change it in your OS.
Does it also clear the iOS timezone-aware creation date?
Yes. Default mode removes both creation_time and com.apple.quicktime.creationdate, including its timezone offset.
Does removing the date also remove GPS and device info?
Yes. They live in the same global metadata block, so default mode clears date, GPS, camera make/model, and software stamp together.
Can I set a different date instead of removing it?
No — this tool removes metadata, it does not write a chosen value. For anonymisation, an absent date is usually preferable anyway. A substitute timestamp would need a metadata-write tool, which this is not.
A dashcam burned the date into the picture — can you remove that?
Not with metadata scrubbing — that is pixel data in the encoded frames. Cover the on-screen date with video-redactor.
What is mode 'all' for?
It adds -map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact, removing chapter markers and suppressing muxer-added timestamps/fingerprints. Use it for the most thorough date wipe; default already removes the recording timestamps.
Which formats can I scrub?
MP4, MOV, M4V, MKV, WebM, AVI, and TS. The output keeps the same container.
How big a file can I process for free?
Up to 1 GB per file on Free, one at a time. Pro is 10 GB / 5 files, Pro-media 100 GB / 50, Developer 100 GB / unlimited. Length is unlimited; only size is capped.
Do I need to install FFmpeg or sign up?
No. It runs in the browser via FFmpeg.wasm — no install, and no sign-in for files under the free cap.
Privacy first
Every JAD Video tool runs entirely in your browser via WebCodecs and FFmpeg (WebAssembly). Your video files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.