How to strip HEIC metadata in place and keep .heic

At a glance

  • DropMeta first tries to delete identifiable Exif/XMP inside the HEIC container (no re-encode, keep .heic).
  • If the container cannot be parsed or verification still finds metadata, it converts to JPEG (quality 0.95) and shows a warning.
  • Files never leave your browser.

HEIC is awkward for many online tools because they force a JPEG conversion. DropMeta prefers an in-place path that keeps the .heic file when the container can be cleaned cleanly.

In-place path: delete identifiable Exif/XMP inside the HEIC container without re-encoding. Fallback path: if the container cannot be parsed or verification still finds metadata, convert to JPEG (quality 0.95) and show a warning so you can decide.

Steps on /image/: drop a HEIC (or HEIF) photo, strip, then download. Processing never leaves your browser.

Honest limits: complex containers may fall back to JPEG. DropMeta targets the image file you drop — it is not a full Live Photo pair editor.

FAQ and limits

Does HEIC stay HEIC?

Usually yes — in-place strip keeps .heic. If that fails, convert to JPEG (q=0.95) with a warning.

Is the fallback lossless?

No. Fallback is JPEG quality 0.95; we warn so you can decide.

iPhone Live Photos?

DropMeta targets the image file you drop (HEIC/JPEG). It is not a full Live Photo pair editor.