How to strip iphone gps, device, and date from .mov before sharing
- Step 1Get the .MOV onto your computer — AirDrop, sync, or copy the recording to the machine running this tool. iPhone videos are usually
.MOV(HEVC) or.MP4— both are accepted, along with MKV and WebM if you've already converted. - Step 2Check what's embedded (optional) — To see the leak before you scrub, open the file in any 'media info' viewer or
ffprobe— you'll find thecom.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709GPS string,make/model, andcreation_time. For a JPEG still or extracted poster frame, exif-map-previewer plots its GPS on a map. - Step 3Drop your video — Upload the .MOV or .MP4. The tool infers the container from the extension and keeps it on output — a .MOV stays a .MOV. No format conversion happens, so AirDrop, Photos import, and editors still treat it as before.
- Step 4Pick the strip mode — The only control is a Mode select. default removes all GPS / device / date / software metadata but keeps any title and chapter markers. all additionally runs
-map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexactto wipe chapters and the title and emit a deterministic file. For a quick privacy scrub before posting,defaultis enough. - Step 5Run the scrub and download — FFmpeg runs
-i input -map_metadata -1 -c copy output. Because it's a stream-copy, no codec runs — only the metadata block is rewritten clean. Save the file: same resolution, same quality, with the location and device tags gone. - Step 6Optionally record a clean-file hash — If you keep an archive of what you posted, take a SHA-256 of the cleaned file with multi-hash-fingerprinter, and compare streams against the original with file-integrity-monitor to confirm only the header changed.
iPhone metadata in a typical .MOV
Tags iOS embeds in the QuickTime container, and how -map_metadata -1 handles each. All of these are container metadata — none are part of the encoded picture or sound — so removing them is always lossless.
| Tag | What it reveals | Removed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| `com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709` | GPS latitude/longitude where the clip was recorded | Removed | Lives in the moov/udta QuickTime metadata; cleared in one pass |
| `com.apple.quicktime.make` / `model` | Vendor (Apple) and exact device (iPhone 15 Pro) | Removed | Wiped wholesale along with every other tag |
| `com.apple.quicktime.software` | The iOS version that recorded the file | Removed | A device-fingerprinting string; dropped by -map_metadata -1 |
| creation_time | Date and time of recording, to the second | Removed | Capture timestamp goes with the rest of the metadata block |
| title / chapters | Any human-set title or chapter markers | Kept in default, removed in all | default preserves them; Mode: all runs -map_chapters -1 |
Mode option contract
The tool exposes exactly one control — a Mode select. There are no presets and no per-field toggles. These are the only two values and the exact FFmpeg arguments each produces.
| Mode | FFmpeg arguments | Keeps title / chapters? | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
default (default) | -map_metadata -1 -c copy | Yes — title and chapter markers preserved | Standard privacy scrub: strips GPS, device, date, and software tags before posting |
all | -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact -c copy | No — title and chapters wiped | Maximum cleanup: removes chapters, title, and encoder identifier strings via bit-exact output |
Formats, output, and tier limits
Real input formats and tier file-size limits. This security entry requires a Pro plan; processing runs through the Video Metadata Scrubber, so video-family streaming limits apply once the file is being scrubbed.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Accepted containers | MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM (AVI, M4V, and TS extensions are also recognised) |
| Output | Same container as input (extension preserved); lossless stream-copy |
| Engine | FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, running in your browser tab — no upload |
| Minimum plan | Pro (this tool is not on the Free tier) |
| Pro file size | Up to 10 GB per file; up to 5 files |
| Pro-media file size | Up to 100 GB per file; up to 50 files |
| Developer file size | Up to 100 GB per file; unlimited batch |
Cookbook
Concrete recipes for cleaning iPhone footage before you share it. The ffprobe-style listings show the metadata before and after the scrub; the footage itself is unchanged.
Strip GPS and device tags from a .MOV before posting
You filmed something at home and want to post it. The .MOV carries your GPS coordinates, the Apple make/model, and the exact recording time. Mode: default removes them while keeping the file a full-quality .MOV.
Before (ffprobe -show_format excerpt): com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 : +37.3349-122.0090/ com.apple.quicktime.make : Apple com.apple.quicktime.model : iPhone 15 Pro creation_time : 2026-06-08T19:22:04.000000Z Scrub: Mode = default ffmpeg -i clip.mov -map_metadata -1 -c copy clip-out.mov After: (no location, no make/model, no creation_time) Video stream: bit-identical HEVC bytes, full quality
Maximum cleanup with Mode: all
An iMovie or CapCut export still carries a title and chapter markers plus the editor's software stamp. For a clip where you want nothing identifying at all, Mode: all wipes chapters and title and suppresses encoder strings via +bitexact.
Before:
title : HomeReno_June
Chapter #0: 00:00 'Kitchen'
encoder : Lavf60.16.100
Scrub: Mode = all
ffmpeg -i export.mp4 -map_metadata -1 -map_chapters -1 \
-fflags +bitexact -c copy export-out.mp4
After:
(no title, no chapters, no encoder stamp)
Deterministic: re-running gives byte-identical outputClean a batch of clips before sharing an album
You're sending a set of family clips to a cloud drive, each carrying GPS and recording dates. On a Pro-media plan you can drop the batch and scrub each. Each output keeps its own container and quality.
Inputs (Pro-media, up to 50 files): IMG_4410.MOV, IMG_4411.MOV, IMG_4412.MP4 ... Each processed: -map_metadata -1 -c copy IMG_4410.MOV -> location + make/model + creation_time removed IMG_4412.MP4 -> same All outputs: same container, same encode, location gone
Confirm only the header changed, not the picture
To be sure scrubbing didn't touch the footage, compare the source and the cleaned file's streams with file-integrity-monitor — it reports byte-equality and the first-difference offset, which sits inside the rewritten container header.
Workflow:
1. Scrub clip.mov -> clip-clean.mov (Mode: default)
2. file-integrity-monitor: drop clip.mov (A) + clip-clean.mov (B)
-> first-difference offset inside moov/udta,
confirming the mdat (media payload) is unchanged
3. multi-hash-fingerprinter: SHA-256 the clean fileAudio-only? Use the right tool instead
If what you actually have is a standalone audio recording (an M4A/MP3 voice memo with embedded tags), this video container tool isn't the right fit — point at the dedicated audio tool.
Video container (this tool): ffmpeg -i clip.mov -map_metadata -1 -c copy out.mov Standalone audio (wrong tool here): An MP3's ID3 tags + artwork are not a video container -> use audio-id3-ghoster (/security-tools/audio-id3-ghoster) which is purpose-built for audio metadata
Edge cases and what actually happens
Audio and video streams are never altered
PreservedBecause the command is -c copy, the encoded HEVC/H.264 picture and AAC audio are copied byte-for-byte. The tool cannot transcode, downscale, or re-compress — it only rewrites the container's metadata block. If you need to actually change the encode, that's a different video tool.
.MOV stays .MOV — no conversion to MP4
By designThe output keeps the input's extension. iPhone .MOV files come out as .MOV; the tool never silently converts to MP4. If a platform specifically needs MP4, scrub the metadata first, then run a separate format conversion — combining the two would change the encode.
Faces and license plates in the picture are not removed
Not removedThis tool clears metadata, not pixels. A recognisable face, a house number, or a street sign visible in the footage is part of the picture and survives the scrub. To blur faces in video you need a redaction tool — see /video-tools/face-pixelate — not a metadata stripper.
MKV / WebM are fully supported
SupportedThe underlying Video Metadata Scrubber accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, and WebM. -map_metadata -1 clears Matroska/WebM tags (WRITING_APP, DATE_RECORDED, creation_time) just like the QuickTime atoms in a .MOV. The output keeps the same container.
Title and chapters survive in default mode
By designMode: default keeps any human-set title and chapter markers, since they're usually wanted navigation rather than a privacy leak. If a title or chapter names a location, switch to Mode: all, which adds -map_chapters -1.
File over your tier's size limit
rejectedThis tool requires Pro. Pro allows up to 10 GB per file and 5 files; Pro-media up to 100 GB and 50 files; Developer up to 100 GB and unlimited batch. A long 4K recording above your tier's ceiling is rejected before processing. There's no Free-tier access.
Corrupt or interrupted recording
errorIf FFmpeg cannot demux the input — a recording that was interrupted, a truncated AirDrop transfer, or a renamed non-video — the run exits non-zero and the scrub fails with an error rather than producing a half-written file. Re-transfer or repair the source first.
Live Photo / paired still is separate
Out of scopeAn iPhone Live Photo is a paired still image plus a short .MOV. This tool scrubs the video file you drop in; it does not see or clean a paired JPEG/HEIC. For the still's GPS and EXIF, use an image EXIF scrubber — see /image-tools/exif-scrubber.
Audio-only files are out of scope
Wrong toolThis is a video container tool. For a voice memo's M4A/MP3 tags and embedded artwork, use audio-id3-ghoster instead — it's purpose-built for audio metadata and runs in the browser too.
Re-running 'all' mode is deterministic
ExpectedMode: all adds -fflags +bitexact, which suppresses FFmpeg's own version/encoder strings and timestamps. Scrubbing the same clip twice then produces byte-identical output, useful if you keep a reproducible hash of what you posted.
Frequently asked questions
Does this remove the GPS location from an iPhone video?
Yes. iOS stores the GPS as a com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 tag in the QuickTime metadata, and -map_metadata -1 clears it along with every other tag. After scrubbing, the recording location can't be read from the file's properties.
Does it remove the iPhone model and iOS version?
Yes. The com.apple.quicktime.make / model and software tags are part of the metadata block, and the wipe is wholesale — it doesn't pick a subset, so the device make, exact model, and iOS version all go.
Will the .MOV stay a .MOV, or get converted to MP4?
It stays a .MOV. The tool keeps the input's container extension and never converts. If you need MP4 for a specific platform, scrub first, then convert with a separate tool.
Is the video re-encoded or compressed?
No. The command is -c copy, a stream-copy. The encoded HEVC/H.264 picture and AAC audio are copied straight through; only the metadata block is rewritten. There's no quality loss and no re-compression.
Does this blur faces or hide what's visible in the video?
No. It removes metadata, not pixels. Anything visible in the footage — faces, house numbers, street signs — survives. For face blurring you need a redaction tool such as /video-tools/face-pixelate, not a metadata stripper.
Does my video get uploaded to a server?
No. FFmpeg runs as WebAssembly inside your browser tab. Your video never leaves the machine — unlike pasting it into an online 'metadata remover' that uploads your file.
What about a Live Photo — does it clean the paired still?
No. A Live Photo is a still plus a short .MOV. This tool scrubs the video you drop in and doesn't see the paired JPEG/HEIC. For the still's GPS, use an image EXIF scrubber (/image-tools/exif-scrubber).
What's the difference between default and 'all' modes?
default runs -map_metadata -1 -c copy: it removes all GPS / device / date / software metadata but keeps the title and chapter markers. all adds -map_chapters -1 -fflags +bitexact: it also wipes chapters and title and suppresses encoder identifier strings.
Does it work on MKV and WebM too?
Yes. It accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, and WebM. The same engine clears Matroska and WebM tags (WRITING_APP, DATE_RECORDED, creation_time) exactly as it clears the QuickTime atoms in a .MOV, and the output keeps the same container.
Can I clean a whole album of clips at once?
Yes, in batch. Pro allows up to 5 files; Pro-media up to 50; Developer is unlimited. Each clip is scrubbed independently and each output keeps its own container and quality.
How do I know nothing in the footage changed?
Run the source and the cleaned file through file-integrity-monitor — it reports byte-equality and the first-difference offset, which lies inside the rewritten container header (the moov/udta), confirming the media payload is unchanged. Record a SHA-256 with multi-hash-fingerprinter if you keep an archive.
What file sizes are allowed?
This tool requires Pro: up to 10 GB per file and 5 files. Pro-media allows up to 100 GB per file and 50 files; Developer allows up to 100 GB per file with unlimited batch. It's not on the Free tier, and files above your ceiling are rejected before processing.
Privacy first
Every JAD Security operation runs entirely in your browser. Files, passwords, and PGP private keys never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.