Remove Metadata From PNG Images

PNG is often associated with screenshots, graphics, transparent images, and lossless web assets, but a PNG file can contain metadata too. The format is built from typed chunks, and some ancillary chunks carry text, timestamps, profiles, or Exif information.

The PNG Metadata Remover should inspect those chunks directly and remove only the metadata categories selected by the user.

PNG Metadata Uses Chunks

The current W3C PNG specification defines a chunk-based file structure. It includes tEXt, iTXt, and zTXt chunks for textual information and an eXIf chunk for an Exif profile.

That means “PNG has no EXIF” is outdated as a general statement. A PNG can legally contain Exif data. It can also contain text such as descriptions, copyright notices, or application-written fields.

Textual Metadata in PNG

Text chunks can be useful for descriptions, copyright, comments, creation tools, or custom workflows. They are not automatically sensitive. The viewer should list the keyword and value so the user can decide whether a field belongs in a public copy.

For privacy cleaning, application-specific text, creation details, or imported location text may be candidates for removal. For publishing, a copyright notice may be worth keeping.

EXIF in PNG

The PNG Third Edition specification defines the eXIf chunk and notes that the Exif data may describe the original image data even if the PNG has later been edited. That is a useful warning: metadata can become stale.

The cleaner should therefore report Exif as information found in the file, not as unquestionable proof about the current pixels.

Remove Metadata Without Recompressing Pixels

A PNG cleaner can often remove ancillary metadata chunks while preserving the critical image-data chunks. That is preferable to drawing the image to a canvas and exporting it again when the only goal is metadata removal.

Re-encoding a PNG can alter file size, chunk ordering, palette choices, or ancillary information even when the picture looks the same. The product should use chunk-aware cleaning when technically possible and verify the output afterward.

FAQ

Can PNG screenshots contain metadata?
Yes. A screenshot is a newly created image file and can contain metadata written by the operating system, application, or editing workflow, even though it usually does not inherit the original camera EXIF from whatever was visible on screen.

Does PNG support GPS data?
It can carry Exif in the eXIf chunk, and Exif can include GPS fields. Location-like information could also appear in textual or XMP-related metadata depending on the software.

Should I remove the ICC profile from a PNG?
Usually not for privacy alone. ICC profiles support color management. Preserve them by default unless the user has a specific reason to remove color-profile data.