Labs · 🟢 Local sample verified · 1 November 2026 · Viewer and cleaner compared
WebP metadata lab: does a format change drop EXIF and GPS?
If I convert a JPEG to WebP, do the old GPS and XMP disappear, and what does a local clean change?
Converting a JPEG to WebP does not automatically drop GPS or XMP. The local WebP sample still had a location until the cleaner wrote a copy without those fields. Clean the copy in this browser before sending. The file stays on this device and is not uploaded to this site.
Export tools often present WebP as the small, clean version. The container changed. The location block may have been copied along with the pixels.
Short answer
Direct answer: converting to WebP did not by itself mean the location was gone. The local sample still had GPS until the cleaner wrote a copy without those fields.
- What was measured: On 1 November 2026 the viewer read GPS and camera-style fields in the local WebP sample. The cleaner copy omitted them and the byte count fell.
- What that does not prove: One converter’s result is not a rule for every WebP export tool.
- What you can do first: Clean the copy in this browser before the file leaves the device. Nothing is uploaded to this site.
🟢 Local sample verified · 1 November 2026 · Viewer and cleaner compared
- Published
- Last updated
- Last tested
What we measured
Sample dated 2026-11-01. The viewer read location and camera fields. The cleaned file no longer has them. The file stayed on this device.
| Field | Local sample (viewer) | Cleaned copy (cleaner) |
|---|---|---|
| GPS / location | 37 deg 49' 11.64" N, 122 deg 28' 41.88" W | No GPS |
| EXIF | EXIF present (camera make, model, and settings) | EXIF fields cleared |
| Camera information | Camera make and model present | Camera make and model removed |
| Timestamps | 2026:11:01 18:00:00 | Capture time removed |
| Provenance / C2PA | No C2PA or JUMBF container | No C2PA or JUMBF container |
| Recompression / resize | 291,552 bytes, with location and the metadata above | 288,086 bytes; metadata removed, image scans unchanged |
GPS / location
The viewer read 37 deg 49' 11.64" N, 122 deg 28' 41.88" W. The cleaned file had no GPS.
EXIF
The viewer read a camera make, a model, and the capture time 2026:11:01 18:00:00. The cleaned file had no EXIF.
Test environment
Chrome 156.0.8078.47 and ExifTool 12.76. The file stayed on this device. Nothing was uploaded.
How to test your own file
- Convert a GPS JPEG to WebP in a local tool.
- Re-inspect EXIF.
- Do not assume the converter stripped headers.
Methodology
Every published result has to follow the same protocol: a known source file, a recorded hash, a specific upload path, and a downloaded copy. Folklore does not count.
Privacy implications
If a site serves WebP derivatives, inspect the served file, not only the camera original.