How ExifScrub Works Technically
Understand the exact process happening under the hood when you use our tools. Transparency is our priority.
Local File Selection
When you select an image, your web browser loads the file into its temporary local memory. The image is not sent over the network. ExifScrub simply requests permission from your browser to read the file's bytes locally.
Deep Binary Inspection
If you use the Scanner, our JavaScript engine parses the raw binary headers of the image (specifically looking for APP1 segments in JPEGs). It translates complex offset directories into human-readable data like exact GPS coordinates, timestamps, and device names so you can review them.
Canvas Re-encoding & Scrubbing
When you choose to scrub or make private, ExifScrub draws your image onto an invisible HTML5 Canvas element inside your browser. By exporting the image out of this canvas, the browser naturally generates a fresh file stripped of the original EXIF directories. For specific formats, we explicitly overwrite the EXIF binary blocks to ensure they are empty.
Strict Verification & Download
Before generating your download link, the tool automatically re-scans the newly generated blob. If the EXIF fields read zero, it confirms the privacy check. You then download the file directly from your own browser's memory.