How to remove gps metadata from a video before sharing
- Step 1Get the original file off your phone (not a re-share) — AirDrop, USB transfer, or 'Save to Files' preserves the GPS atom — that is the copy you must scrub. Note that many apps (Instagram, WhatsApp, Signal) already strip location when they transcode, but the original on your camera roll still carries it, and that is what you would attach to an email or upload to a marketplace.
- Step 2Drop the clip onto the scrubber above — FFmpeg.wasm loads in the tab and the file is read locally — the video containing your coordinates is never uploaded. Accepted containers include MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, M4V, and TS; the iPhone
.movand Android.mp4are both handled directly. - Step 3Leave Mode on 'default' — Default runs
-map_metadata -1, which removes the global metadata block — GPS, camera make/model, capture date, software stamp, and any custom tags — while keeping title and chapter markers. That is everything you need for a location strip. - Step 4Switch to 'all' only if you want zero residual tags — Mode 'all' adds
-map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact, wiping chapter markers and any encoder fingerprint left in the muxer. For pure GPS removal it is unnecessary, but harmless if you want the most thorough clean. - Step 5Process and download the cleaned copy — The scrub stream-copies the media, so it is fast and the output keeps the same extension (
yourclip-out.mov). Your original is untouched on disk — the tool produces a new file. - Step 6Verify the location field is gone before you share — Run
ffprobe yourclip-out.movor upload to an EXIF/metadata viewer and confirm there is nolocation/ISO6709line. If you want a redaction layer on top — blurring faces or licence plates visible in frame — that is pixel data, not metadata; use face-blur or video-redactor after scrubbing.
Where phones hide location in a video
The location-bearing fields the scrubber removes, by source device. All are container-level metadata, not pixel data, so removing them is lossless. Field names are visible with ffprobe -show_format -show_streams.
| Source | Field that carries location | Visible in a player? | Removed by default mode? |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad (.mov) | com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 (lat/long/altitude as +DD.DDDD+DDD.DDDD) | No — metadata atom only | Yes — -map_metadata -1 drops it |
| Android (.mp4) | location / location-eng tag (ISO 6709 string) | No | Yes |
| Drone / action cam | Often a separate GPS telemetry track or vendor udta atom; some embed per-frame GPMF (GoPro) | No (GPMF is a data stream, not displayed) | Global/stream metadata: yes. A dedicated GPMF data track is a stream, not a tag — see edge cases |
| Screen recording / re-encode | Usually no location (no GPS sensor involved) | n/a | Nothing to remove, but encoder/software stamp is still cleared |
What 'remove' actually means here
The scrubber rewrites the container without the metadata; it does not touch the encoded picture. Anything burned into the frames is unaffected.
| Concern | Is it removed? | Why / what to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| GPS atom / location tag | Removed | It is container metadata; -map_metadata -1 drops it |
| On-screen location text burned into the picture | Not removed | Pixel data is in the encoded stream — use video-redactor to blur the region |
| A landmark or street sign visible in the shot | Not removed | That is the footage itself; metadata removal cannot change pixels |
| Quality of the video | Unchanged | Stream-copy keeps the encoded bytes identical |
Cookbook
Real before/after metadata dumps (ffprobe-style) showing the location fields disappearing. Coordinates are anonymised.
iPhone .mov: the ISO6709 atom removed
An iPhone clip carries the exact filming location in a QuickTime atom. Default mode removes it without re-encoding.
Before (ffprobe -show_format): TAG:com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 : +37.7749-122.4194+012.000/ TAG:com.apple.quicktime.make : Apple TAG:com.apple.quicktime.model : iPhone 15 Pro TAG:creation_time : 2026-05-02T18:41:07.000000Z Scrub (Mode: default) → IMG_4821-out.mov After: (no com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709) (no make / model) (no creation_time) Streams: video h264, audio aac — byte-identical to source
Android .mp4: the location tag removed
Android writes location as a location tag string. Same one-pass strip.
Before: TAG:location : +51.5074-000.1278/ TAG:location-eng : +51.5074-000.1278/ TAG:com.android.version : 14 Scrub (Mode: default) → VID_20260502-out.mp4 After: (no location) (no location-eng) (no com.android.version)
Confirming the strip with ffprobe
After downloading, verify there is no location line. A clean dump should show streams but an empty (or near-empty) tag block.
$ ffprobe -hide_banner VID-out.mp4
Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High), yuv420p, 1920x1080, 18000 kb/s
Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC), 48000 Hz, stereo, 128 kb/s
Metadata:
(handler tags only — no location, make, model, date)GoPro clip with a GPMF telemetry track
Action cams may store GPS as a separate timed-data stream, not a tag. Metadata stripping removes the tags but a dedicated data track is a stream — read the edge case below before trusting a GoPro file.
Before:
Stream #0:0 Video: hevc
Stream #0:1 Audio: aac
Stream #0:3 Data: gpmd (GoPro GPMF — contains GPS track)
Scrub (Mode: default):
-map_metadata -1 -c copy copies ALL streams,
so the gpmd data track is preserved.
→ If GPS telemetry is the concern, the data
stream must be dropped separately.Why nothing visible changes
A clip filmed in front of a recognisable building still shows that building after scrubbing — metadata removal is not redaction.
Input: beach-trip.mov (GPS atom + a street sign visible at 0:04)
Scrub: removes the GPS atom
Output: beach-trip-out.mov
- GPS coordinates: GONE
- street sign at 0:04: STILL VISIBLE
To hide the sign, blur the region with video-redactor.Edge cases and what actually happens
A landmark or street sign is visible in the footage
By designMetadata scrubbing removes the GPS coordinate tag, not anything in the picture. If your home, a street sign, or a recognisable storefront appears on screen, those pixels are part of the encoded video and survive the strip. Blur them with video-redactor (manual region) before sharing.
GoPro / drone with a GPMF telemetry data track
PreservedSome action cams and drones store GPS as a separate timed-data stream (e.g. GoPro gpmd), not as a metadata tag. The scrubber runs -c copy, which copies every stream including that data track, so per-frame GPS telemetry can survive. The tool removes tag-based location reliably; a dedicated GPS data track needs a stream-removal step the scrubber does not currently expose.
Already-shared copy from WhatsApp / Instagram
ExpectedFiles that came back to you through WhatsApp, Instagram, or Signal were usually transcoded by the platform and the location tag is already gone. Scrubbing them is a safe no-op for GPS, but the original on your camera roll is the file that still carries coordinates — scrub that one before any upload.
Output file is the same size (or marginally smaller)
ExpectedBecause the media is stream-copied, the output is essentially the same size as the input minus the few bytes the metadata occupied. A tiny size reduction is normal and confirms only the tags were removed, not the picture.
Exotic or corrupt container the muxer rejects
FailIf FFmpeg cannot remux the file (a truncated download, an unusual container, or a stream codec the MP4/MOV muxer will not accept), the scrub exits non-zero with a 'Metadata scrub failed' message. Try the original (not a partially-downloaded copy), or remux to MP4 first with a sibling transcode tool.
File over your tier's size cap
LimitFree tier accepts up to 1 GB per file; Pro 10 GB, Pro-media and Developer 100 GB. There is no duration cap — limits are by file size only. A multi-hour 4K clip above your cap needs a higher tier; trimming first with lossless-trimmer can also bring it under the limit without re-encoding.
Filename has no extension
HandledIf the dropped file has no recognised extension, the tool defaults the container to MP4. For predictable results, keep the original extension (.mov, .mp4) on the file you scrub.
You expected EXIF — but video isn't EXIF
By designEXIF is a photo standard; video location lives in container atoms/tags instead (QuickTime udta, MP4 ©xyz/location). The scrubber targets the video-native fields, which is correct for clips. If you also have still photos, those need an image EXIF tool, not this one.
Sidecar files left untouched
ExpectedSome cameras write a separate .xmp, .thm, or .gpx sidecar alongside the video that also contains coordinates. The scrubber only processes the video file you drop — delete sidecars manually if they exist.
Frequently asked questions
Does this actually remove the GPS coordinates, or just hide them?
It removes them. -map_metadata -1 tells FFmpeg to copy no metadata from the input to the output, so the QuickTime com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 atom (iOS) and Android location tag are absent from the new file. Verify with ffprobe — there will be no location line.
Will scrubbing reduce the video quality?
No. The tool uses -c copy, which stream-copies the encoded video and audio bit-for-bit. Only the container metadata is rewritten. Quality is identical to the source and the operation is fast because nothing is re-encoded.
Is my video uploaded to a server?
No. Everything runs in your browser through FFmpeg.wasm. The file — the one with your coordinates in it — never leaves your device. That local-only design is the whole point when the data you are removing is your location.
Does removing GPS also remove the camera model and date?
Yes. Default mode strips the entire global metadata block, so camera make/model, capture date, and the software stamp go at the same time as GPS. If you only care about location, that broader strip is a bonus, not a problem.
Will the file still play after scrubbing?
Yes. The container and codecs are unchanged — an iPhone .mov stays a playable .mov, an Android .mp4 stays a playable .mp4. Players never used the metadata to decode the picture.
What about GoPro or drone footage with GPS telemetry?
Tag-based location is removed. But some action cams store GPS as a separate timed-data track (e.g. GoPro GPMF gpmd), and -c copy preserves all streams including that one. For those files, the telemetry data stream needs removing separately — the scrubber handles the tag, not the data track.
I removed the GPS but the video shows my street — is that a problem?
Possibly. Metadata removal does not change pixels. If a recognisable location appears on screen, blur it with video-redactor or, for people in frame, face-blur. Those tools edit the picture; this one edits the file's tags.
Does Instagram or WhatsApp already strip this?
Usually, because they transcode on upload. But the original on your phone still carries the coordinates, so if you ever send the raw file by email, AirDrop, or a marketplace listing, the location goes with it. Scrub the original to be safe.
Which formats can I scrub?
MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI, M4V, and TS are accepted. The output keeps the same container as the input (named yourclip-out.<ext>).
What is the difference between 'default' and 'all' mode?
Default runs -map_metadata -1 (removes the metadata block, keeps title/chapters). 'All' additionally runs -map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact, wiping chapter markers and any muxer fingerprint. For GPS removal, default is sufficient.
How large a clip can the free tier handle?
Up to 1 GB per file on Free, one file at a time. Pro allows 10 GB and 5 files, Pro-media 100 GB and 50 files, Developer 100 GB with unlimited batch. There is no length limit — only file size.
Can I do this without an account or install?
Yes. It runs in any modern browser tab — no download, no FFmpeg install, no sign-in needed for files within the free 1 GB cap. That makes it usable on a locked-down work laptop or a borrowed machine where you would not want to install software anyway.
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.