Remove metadata from a PNG
Drop a PNG file below. This tool reads its chunk structure in your browser, removes text, EXIF and C2PA chunks, keeps the colour profile and DPI, and gives you a cleaned file to download. The image never leaves your device.
What a PNG carries besides pixels
A PNG file is a sequence of chunks after an 8-byte signature. Each chunk has a 4-byte length, a 4-byte type, its data, and a CRC checksum. Critical chunks build the image, ancillary chunks add extras, and a tool can drop the ancillary ones that carry text or provenance without touching the image data.
| Chunk | Carries | Removed |
|---|---|---|
| tEXt, iTXt, zTXt | Free text fields, often a generator name or a workflow | Yes |
| eXIf | EXIF block, camera or GPS style fields | Yes |
| caBX | C2PA manifest | Yes |
| iCCP, gAMA, sRGB | Colour profile | Kept |
| pHYs | Physical pixel size, DPI | Kept |
This tool removes metadata, it doesn't change pixels. PassReal also processes the pixels.
Questions
Where does a PNG store its metadata
In ancillary chunks placed between the header and the image data: tEXt, iTXt and zTXt for text fields, eXIf for a camera-style EXIF block, and caBX for a C2PA manifest. Each chunk has a type, a length and a checksum, so a parser can remove only the ones that are not the pixel data.
Does this keep my colour profile and DPI
Yes. The iCCP, gAMA, sRGB and pHYs chunks control colour and print resolution, not identity, so this tool leaves them in place while removing text and provenance chunks.
Will the PNG still open normally after cleaning
Yes. Only ancillary chunks are removed. The critical chunks, IHDR, IDAT, PLTE where present, and IEND, are untouched, so the file stays a valid, fully decodable PNG with a correct checksum on every remaining chunk.
Three images free, no card.