Ferrocast Remove location and metadata from photos, video, audio and PDF on a Mac
Ferrocast strips metadata on your Mac and saves a copy next to the original. In a JPEG it drops the EXIF block (where GPS and camera tags live), XMP, IPTC and comments and copies the image data unchanged, so there is no recompression. In a PNG it drops the text and EXIF chunks. With ffmpeg installed it removes tags and chapters from video, audio and GIF without re-encoding, and it clears the document properties of a PDF. Nothing is uploaded.
It is not a forensic scrubber. HEIC, WebP and TIFF photos are not handled directly, and “Remove all” leaves some container tags; the table and the limits below say what. Ferrocast is free and open source (MIT). I make it, so every Apple row links to Apple’s own page.
Download FerrocastFree · MIT · Apple Silicon · ffmpeg only for video, audio and GIF
Ferrocast, Photos and Preview for removing metadata
| Ferrocast | Photos (Mac) | Preview (Mac) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location of a photo | Removes the whole EXIF block of a JPEG (GPS included) and the EXIF chunk of a PNG, into a copy | Select the photos, then Image > Location > Hide Location; Revert to Original Location undoes it | Apple’s page describes viewing the location (Tools > Show Location Info); removing it is not described there |
| Other photo tags (camera, XMP, IPTC) | Dropped from a JPEG; text and EXIF chunks dropped from a PNG | Not stated in the pages checked | The Inspector shows image information; editing it is not described on that page |
| Video | Yes, with ffmpeg: tags and chapters removed, streams copied | On export you choose whether metadata such as a title or caption is included; location is not mentioned on that page | Not covered in the pages checked |
| Audio and GIF | Yes, with ffmpeg; a GIF can only be stripped, not edited | Not covered in the pages checked | Not covered in the pages checked |
| Clears Title, Author, Subject and Keywords; Creator and Producer are shown but not written back | Not covered in the pages checked | The Inspector shows general information such as the author name; editing it is not described on that page | |
| HEIC, WebP, TIFF photos | Not handled: Ferrocast asks you to convert to JPEG or PNG first | Not stated in the pages checked | Not stated in the pages checked |
| What happens to the original | Untouched; the copy is named “… clean” (photos) or “… edited” (everything else) | Not stated whether a copy is written; Revert to Original Location is offered | Apple says changes made to a Preview document are saved automatically |
Apple: Manage location metadata in Photos, Export photos and videos in Photos, See where a photo was taken in Preview and View information about PDFs and images, read on 28 October 2026. Ferrocast: Edit metadata docs and the app’s source code.
How to remove metadata with Ferrocast
- Install Ferrocast. Download the DMG or install it with Homebrew. For video, audio and GIF also run brew install ffmpeg; photos and PDFs need nothing else.
- Open the Tools wheel. Drag the file from Finder and tap ⌘ while you hold it. You can drag several photos at once.
- Choose Metadata. For JPEG and PNG photos it runs at once and writes a copy named “… clean” next to each original.
- For video, audio, GIF and PDF, switch on Remove all metadata. A window lists the tags grouped by file, track and chapter. Turn on Remove all metadata and press ↵ (Save copy); the copy is named “… edited”.
- Check the copy. In Preview, open the photo and choose Tools > Show Location Info: if it is grayed out, the image has no location. For other files, open the copy in Ferrocast’s Edit metadata window to see what is left.
Install Ferrocast with Homebrew
brew tap drumst0ck/ferrocast
brew install drumst0ck/ferrocast/ferrocast
ln -sfn "$(brew --prefix)/opt/ferrocast/Ferrocast.app" \
/Applications/Ferrocast.app
open /Applications/Ferrocast.appWhat stays behind
- In video, audio and GIF, “Remove all” leaves some tags that the format writes itself (the window says: “Container brands and some muxer tags stay”).
- Ferrocast copies every stream. I have not tested embedded cover art in audio files, which is stored as a stream, so do not assume it is removed.
- In a PDF, the window shows Creator and Producer but does not write them back. I have not checked whether other metadata stored in a PDF, such as an XMP packet, survives, so open the copy and look.
- In a PNG only the text and EXIF chunks (
eXIf,tEXt,iTXt,zTXt,tIME) are removed; other chunks stay. - A JPEG’s colour profile goes with the rest of the metadata, and so does the EXIF rotation flag. I have not tested whether either changes how a photo looks in other apps, so view the copy before you send it.
- Metadata is not content: faces, street signs and file names are not touched.
iPhone photos are HEIC: convert first
Remove metadata runs on JPEG and PNG. On a HEIC, WebP or TIFF photo Ferrocast says “metadata removal supports JPEG and PNG; convert to one of those first”. Convert it with HEIC to JPG, then run Remove metadata on the JPG. I have not checked whether a conversion carries the location across, which is why the second step matters: look at the result in Preview.
Another route: the Convert view
You can also press ⌘T on a file result and run Convert Files. Photos show a “Remove metadata” action; a single video, audio, GIF or PDF opens the metadata window. That window works on one file at a time.
Related guides
Questions
How do I remove the location from a photo on a Mac?
Two ways. In Photos, select the photos and choose Image > Location > Hide Location, as Apple’s Personal Safety guide describes. Or drag a JPEG or PNG onto Ferrocast’s Tools wheel (tap ⌘) and choose Metadata: it writes a copy with the EXIF removed, GPS included, and leaves the original alone.
Does removing metadata reduce the quality of a JPEG?
Not through Ferrocast. For a JPEG it removes the metadata segments and copies the image data unchanged, so there is no recompression. A PNG loses only its text and EXIF chunks.
Can I remove metadata from a video on a Mac?
Yes, with ffmpeg installed. Ferrocast copies the streams, removes the tags and chapters and saves a copy named “… edited”. Some container tags that the format writes itself stay.
How do I remove metadata from a PDF on a Mac?
Select the PDF, open Edit metadata from the Tools wheel, turn on Remove all metadata and press ↵. Ferrocast clears Title, Author, Subject and Keywords and saves a copy. Creator and Producer are shown but not written back.
Does it work on HEIC photos from an iPhone?
Not directly: it handles JPEG and PNG. Convert the HEIC to JPG first, then remove the metadata from the JPG and check the result.
Does “Remove all” remove everything?
No. Some container tags stay in video, audio and GIF, Creator and Producer are not written back in a PDF, and a PNG keeps chunks other than its text and EXIF ones. Open the copy and check before you share it.
Can I share a photo from an iPhone without its location?
Apple’s Personal Safety guide says to select the photos in Photos, tap Share, tap Options and turn off Location, then share as usual.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Ferrocast works on your Mac with its own code, ffmpeg and PDFKit.
What languages is Ferrocast available in?
English, plus Spanish, German, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. It follows the macOS language order, or Settings → General → Language. The choice stays on that Mac and is not synced. Anything not translated yet shows in English. Names you type and what Raycast extensions show are never translated.