File metadata, explained
Every file has a story.
Drop in a photo, PDF or Office document. Metvoro reads the hidden metadata inside and explains in plain language what it reveals: when it was made, with which device or app, by whom, and sometimes where. Then download a clean copy without it, if you like.
- Free, no account
- Analysed in memory, never stored
- Evidence behind every finding
Drop a file to read its story
Photos, PDFs and Office documents, up to 25 MB.
- JPG
- PNG
- HEIC
- DOCX
- XLSX
- PPTX
Sent over HTTPS, analysed in memory, never stored. How we handle files
No file to hand? Try a sample:
How it works
Metadata is written for machines. Metvoro translates it.
Files carry dozens of technical fields. Metvoro finds the ones that matter, tells you what they mean and what they don’t, and keeps the original field next to every finding.
GPSLatitude 54; 41; 13.77 NGPSLongitude 25; 16; 46.75 EThis photo reveals where it was taken, to within a few metres.
DateTimeOriginal 2024:03:12 14:32:07GPSTimeStamp 12:32:07 UTCTaken at 14:32 by the phone’s clock. The GPS time suggests the phone was set to UTC+2.
/Creator (Microsoft® Word)/Producer (Adobe PDF Library 23.1)Written in Word, then converted to PDF by an Adobe tool.
<w:del w:author="Tom Smith"> <w:delText>Acme HoldingsDeleted text is still in the document, along with the name of who deleted it.
What it reads
Photos, PDFs and Office files.
Photos
JPEG · PNG · HEIC
- When it was taken, and by which clock
- Phone or camera model, lens and settings
- GPS location and altitude
- Editing apps and edit history
- Owner names and camera serial numbers
- AI-generation labels and Content Credentials
PDFs
- The app it was written in and the PDF converter
- Author, internal title and dates
- Whether it was changed after it was first saved
- Digital signatures and form fields
- Attachments and JavaScript
- Scans, fonts and page size
Office files
DOCX · XLSX · PPTX
- Author, last editor and company
- Comments and tracked changes
- Hidden text, sheets and slides
- Speaker notes
- Editing time, revisions and last printed date
- Usernames leaked through file paths
Our principles
Metadata is a claim, not a proof.
- 01
We show our evidence.
Every finding names the exact field it came from, so you can check our reading instead of taking it on trust.
- 02
We say what we can’t know.
Clocks drift and fields can be edited. Each finding states its limits, and dates are never presented as verified facts.
- 03
Missing isn’t suspicious.
Most platforms strip metadata. A file with no metadata isn’t fake, edited or AI-made, and Metvoro will never claim it is.
Privacy
What happens to your file.
- 1
Encrypted upload
Your file travels over HTTPS to Metvoro’s server. Nothing is sent to third parties.
- 2
Isolated analysis
It is read in a separate, locked-down process with strict time and memory limits.
- 3
Memory only
The file is never written to disk, and its contents are never logged.
- 4
Discarded
Once your report is sent back, the file is gone. The report lives only in your browser tab.
Questions
Good questions, straight answers.
Is Metvoro free?
Yes. Metvoro is free to use and needs no account. To keep it fast for everyone there is a fair-use limit on how many files one connection can analyse in a short time, and files can be up to 25 MB.
What is file metadata?
Metadata is information stored inside a file about the file itself, separate from what you see. Phones record the camera model, time and often the location in each photo. Office apps record authors, company names and editing history. PDFs record which apps created and converted them.
Can metadata prove when a photo or document was made?
No. It tells you what the device or app wrote, which is usually right but not guaranteed. Clocks can be set wrong, and free tools can change dates. Metvoro shows each date with where it came from and treats it as a claim, not proof.
Does Metvoro detect AI-generated images?
Only when the file itself says so. Some AI tools label their output with an industry-standard tag or save their generation settings, and Metvoro reports those labels. It doesn’t judge images by their pixels, and a file without a label tells you nothing either way.
Do you keep my files?
No. Your file is sent over an encrypted connection, analysed in memory in an isolated process, and discarded as soon as the report is sent back. It is never written to disk and its contents are never logged. The report exists only in your browser tab.
Why does my photo show no location or camera details?
Many apps remove metadata to protect privacy. Messaging apps, social networks and many websites strip it on upload, and screenshots never had it. Location is also missing when location access is turned off for the camera.
How do I remove metadata before sharing?
After analysing a JPEG, PNG, PDF or Office file, use “Download clean copy” in the report. Metvoro removes the metadata, keeps the visible content unchanged, and re-checks the copy so you can see what’s left. Comments and tracked changes are content, so remove those in Office with File › Info › Check for Issues › Inspect Document.