ExifTool is a platform-independent Pearl library plus a command-line application for reading, writing, and editing meta information in a wide variety of files – and it’s a portable application. The usage is very simple just drag the file and drop it on ExifTool(-k).exe – and this action will open in a command prompt with all the meta-information. Or you can rename the .exe to .pl and use it as a command-line application.

Read, Write, Edit Meta information on Windows

Here is a little explanation on how to use the app for the developer’s website:

From the command line:

The Perl application (“exiftool“) is run by typing “perl exiftool“. Alternately, you may be able to rename it to “exiftool.pl” and type “exiftool.pl“, but this requires that the proper Windows associations have been made for the “.pl” extension. The stand-alone version (“exiftool(-k).exe“) should be renamed to “exiftool.exe” to allow it to be run by typing “exiftool” at the command line. If the ExifTool executable (“exiftool.pl” or “exiftool.exe“) is not in the current directory or your system PATH, then its directory must be specified on the command line (ie. by typing “c:\path_to_exiftool\exiftool.pl” or “c:\path_to_exiftool\exiftool“). Note that when typing commands in the “cmd.exe” shell, you should use double quotes instead of single quotes as shown in some examples.

The stand-alone version in the Windows GUI:

Double-click on “exiftool(-k).exe” to read the application documentation or drag-and-drop files and folders to run ExifTool on the selected files. Simple options may be added inside the brackets in the name of the stand-alone executable. (But note that the characters /?*:|"<>may not be used because they are invalid in Windows file names.) In this way, the behavior of the drag-and-drop application can be customized.

Output Example:

Features

Powerful, fast, flexible, and customizableSupports a large number of different file formatsReads EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, JFIF, MakerNotes, GeoTIFF, ICC Profile, Photoshop IRB, FlashPix, AFCP, ID3, and more.Writes EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, JFIF, MakerNotes, ICC Profile, Photoshop IRB, AFCP, and more.Reads and writes maker notes of many digital camerasDecodes a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigmaProcesses entire directory treesCreates a text output file for each image fileCreates binary-format metadata-only (MIE) files for metadata backupAutomatically backs up original image when writingOrganizes output into groupsConditionally processes files based on the value of any meta informationAbility to add custom user-defined tagsSupport for MWG (Metadata Working Group) recommendationsRecognizes thousands of different tagsTested with images from thousands of different camera modelsNumerous output formatting options (including tab-delimited, HTML, XML and JSON)Multi-lingual output (cs, de, en, en_ca, en_gb, es, fr, it, ja, ko, nl, pl, ru, sv, tr, zh_cn or zh_tw)Geotags images from GPS track log files (with time drift correction!)Generates track logs from geotagged imagesShifts date/time values to fix timestamps in imagesRenames files and organizes in directories (by date or by any other meta information)Extracts thumbnail images, preview images, and large JPEG images from RAW filesCopies meta information between files (even different-format files)Reads/writes structured XMP informationDeletes meta-information individually, in groups, or all togetherSets the file modification date from EXIF informationSupports alternate language tags in XMP, PNG, ID3, Font, QuickTime, ICC Profile, MIE, and MXF informationAdvanced verbose and HTML-based hex dump outputs.

ExifTool download

For more documentation and download visit the developer’s website. It doesn’t have an installed, but you can directly use it from the Windows Terminal or Command Prompt. See how you can Remove Properties and Personal information from photos, files in Windows 10/8/7. PS: You can also remove metadata with ExifCleaner.

Do all photos have EXIF data?

Yes, but the amount of data may differ. For example, if you look at the EXIF data from a smartphone and compare that to an image that you created on your PC using a tool, there will be some information that will be missing.  Images may have location data when shot from the phone, but a DSLR without GPS may miss it. However, both will have common data such as image properties.

Does Gmail Remove Exif Data?

If you are directly uploading an image into Gmail, then yes all EXIF data is removed. Even if you insert it from Google Photos to Gmail, it will happen. It ensures no personal data is given to anybody.