📱 ExifTool CLI Guide for Termux (2025 Edition)

📋 Table of Contents

About ExifTool
Installation in Termux
Latest Version Info
Complete Metadata Removal Guide
Essential Daily Commands
Advanced Usage & Examples
Privacy & Anti-Tracking Tips

🔍 About ExifTool

ExifTool is a powerful command-line application for reading, writing, and editing meta information in a wide variety of files. Created by Phil Harvey, it’s the most comprehensive metadata tool available.

Official Website: https://exiftool.org/
GitHub Mirror: https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool
Developer: Phil Harvey
License: Perl Artistic License / GPL
Supported Formats: 200+ file types

📥 Installation in Termux

Method 1: Using pkg (Recommended - Fastest)

# Update package lists
pkg update && pkg upgrade

# Install ExifTool
pkg install exiftool

# Verify installation
exiftool -ver

Method 2: Using Perl CPAN (Latest Development Version)

# Install dependencies
pkg install perl wget make clang

# Download latest version from official site
cd ~
wget https://exiftool.org/Image-ExifTool-12.76.tar.gz

# Extract
tar -xzf Image-ExifTool-12.76.tar.gz

# Navigate to directory
cd Image-ExifTool-12.76

# Install
perl Makefile.PL
make test
make install

# Verify
exiftool -ver

Method 3: Direct Perl Script (Portable)

# Download the standalone version
cd ~
mkdir -p ~/bin
cd ~/bin
wget https://exiftool.org/exiftool-12.76.tar.gz
tar -xzf exiftool-12.76.tar.gz
cd exiftool-12.76
chmod +x exiftool

# Add to PATH (add this to ~/.bashrc)
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/bin/exiftool-12.76:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Test
exiftool -ver

📊 Latest Version Info

As of November 2025:

Latest Stable Version: 12.76+ (Check official site for exact version)
Release Frequency: Updated regularly (monthly/bi-monthly)
Official Source: https://exiftool.org/

Check Your Version

exiftool -ver

Update ExifTool in Termux

# If installed via pkg
pkg upgrade exiftool

# If installed manually, re-download and install latest version
cd ~
wget https://exiftool.org/Image-ExifTool-12.76.tar.gz
# Then follow installation steps above

🗑️ Complete Metadata Removal Guide

⚠️ CRITICAL: Privacy & Anti-Tracking

Metadata can reveal:

📍 GPS location (where photo was taken)
📱 Device information (phone model, camera)
🕐 Timestamps (when file was created/modified)
👤 Author/owner information
🖥️ Software used to create/edit file
📝 Edit history and comments

🔒 Remove ALL Metadata from Images/Photos

Single Image

# Remove ALL metadata (RECOMMENDED for privacy)
exiftool -all= image.jpg

# This creates a backup with _original suffix
# The cleaned file replaces the original

# To avoid backup files
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original image.jpg

Multiple Images in Directory

# Remove metadata from all images in current directory
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg

# All images recursively in subdirectories
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r /path/to/directory/

# Specific formats
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg *.jpeg *.png *.gif *.webp

Remove GPS Data Specifically

# Remove only GPS/location data
exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original image.jpg

# Remove GPS from all images in directory
exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original -r .

🎥 Remove ALL Metadata from Videos

Single Video

# Remove all metadata from video
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original video.mp4

# For multiple formats
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.mp4 *.mov *.avi *.mkv *.webm

Batch Process Videos

# All videos in directory and subdirectories
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r -ext mp4 -ext mov -ext avi /path/to/videos/

📄 Remove Metadata from Text/Document Files

Markdown Files (.md)

# Note: MD files typically have minimal metadata
# But can contain YAML front matter

# Remove any embedded metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.md

# Recursive for all MD files
find . -name "*.md" -exec exiftool -all= -overwrite_original {} \;

Shell Scripts (.sh)

# Remove metadata from shell scripts
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.sh

# Note: This won't affect shebang or script content
# Only filesystem and extended metadata

Python Files (.py)

# Remove metadata from Python files
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.py

# Batch process
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r -ext py /path/to/scripts/

PDF Documents

# Remove ALL metadata from PDFs
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original document.pdf

# Remove author, title, subject, keywords
exiftool -Author= -Title= -Subject= -Keywords= -overwrite_original document.pdf

# Batch process PDFs
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.pdf

Microsoft Office Documents

# Word, Excel, PowerPoint
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.docx *.xlsx *.pptx

# Older formats
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.doc *.xls *.ppt

🚀 Essential Daily Commands

1. View All Metadata

# View all metadata from a file
exiftool image.jpg

# View specific tags
exiftool -GPS* -Make -Model image.jpg

# Export to text file
exiftool image.jpg > metadata.txt

# View in organized groups
exiftool -G image.jpg

2. Check for GPS/Location Data

# Check if file contains GPS data
exiftool -gps:all image.jpg

# Quick check (returns nothing if no GPS data)
exiftool -n -GPS* image.jpg

3. Strip Metadata but Keep Orientation

# Remove all except orientation (important for photos)
exiftool -all= -tagsfromfile @ -orientation -overwrite_original image.jpg

# For all images in directory
exiftool -all= -tagsfromfile @ -orientation -overwrite_original *.jpg

4. Remove Metadata from Specific Tags Only

# Remove only author and copyright
exiftool -Author= -Copyright= -overwrite_original document.pdf

# Remove GPS and timestamps
exiftool -gps:all= -AllDates= -overwrite_original photo.jpg

5. Batch Process Entire Directory Tree

# Remove ALL metadata from ALL files recursively
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r /path/to/directory/

# Process only specific file types
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r -ext jpg -ext png -ext mp4 /path/to/directory/

6. Create Clean Copies (Keep Originals)

# Create cleaned copy in new directory
mkdir cleaned
exiftool -all= -o cleaned/ *.jpg

# This keeps originals untouched and creates clean versions

7. View Before & After

# Before removal
exiftool image.jpg > before.txt

# Remove metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original image.jpg

# After removal
exiftool image.jpg > after.txt

# Compare
diff before.txt after.txt

8. Remove Thumbnails (Hidden Preview Images)

# Remove embedded thumbnail
exiftool -ThumbnailImage= -overwrite_original image.jpg

# Remove all previews
exiftool -all:all= -overwrite_original image.jpg

9. Verify Complete Removal

# Check if metadata was removed
exiftool -a -G1 image.jpg

# Should show minimal information only

10. Emergency Full Directory Clean

# NUCLEAR OPTION: Remove ALL metadata from EVERYTHING
cd /path/to/sensitive/files/
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r .

# This processes all files recursively

🎯 Advanced Usage & Examples

Example 1: Preparing Photos for Anonymous Upload

# Scenario: Upload photos to public forum without revealing identity/location

# Step 1: Navigate to photo directory
cd ~/Pictures/to_upload/

# Step 2: Check what metadata exists
exiftool -a -G1 photo.jpg

# Step 3: Remove ALL metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg

# Step 4: Verify clean
exiftool photo.jpg  # Should show minimal info

# Step 5: Optionally, strip EXIF but keep image orientation
exiftool -all= -tagsfromfile @ -orientation -overwrite_original *.jpg

# Scenario: Share video without revealing camera info, location, timestamps

# Check current metadata
exiftool -a -G1 video.mp4

# Remove everything
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original video.mp4

# Verify
exiftool video.mp4

Example 3: Anonymize Documents for Whistleblowing

# IMPORTANT: For sensitive documents

# Check metadata
exiftool -a -G1 document.pdf

# Remove all identifying information
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original document.pdf

# Double-check author info is gone
exiftool -Author -Creator -Producer document.pdf

# Additional: Remove timestamps
touch -t 202501010000 document.pdf  # Sets to Jan 1, 2025 00:00

Example 4: Batch Clean Before Cloud Backup

# Clean all files before uploading to cloud

# Create script for automation
nano ~/bin/clean_before_backup.sh

Add this content:

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash

# Clean Before Backup Script

BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/storage/shared/Documents/to_backup"

echo "Cleaning metadata from all files in $BACKUP_DIR"

# Remove all metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r "$BACKUP_DIR"

echo "Cleanup complete!"
echo "Files cleaned: "
find "$BACKUP_DIR" -type f | wc -l

Make executable and run:

chmod +x ~/bin/clean_before_backup.sh
~/bin/clean_before_backup.sh

Example 5: Compare Metadata Between Files

# Compare two images
exiftool -s image1.jpg > meta1.txt
exiftool -s image2.jpg > meta2.txt
diff meta1.txt meta2.txt

Example 6: Extract Specific Information

# Extract only camera information
exiftool -Make -Model -LensModel image.jpg

# Extract date/time
exiftool -CreateDate -ModifyDate image.jpg

# Extract GPS coordinates
exiftool -n -GPSLatitude -GPSLongitude image.jpg

Example 7: Preserve Copyright but Remove Everything Else

# Keep copyright, remove everything else
exiftool -all= -tagsfromfile @ -copyright -overwrite_original image.jpg

🛡️ Privacy & Anti-Tracking Tips

🔴 Maximum Privacy Setup

# 1. Create alias for quick metadata removal
echo 'alias cleanmeta="exiftool -all= -overwrite_original"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Usage: cleanmeta image.jpg

# 2. Create function for recursive cleaning
echo 'cleanall() { exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r "$1"; }' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Usage: cleanall /path/to/directory

🔍 What Metadata Can Reveal

# Check what your phone camera saves
exiftool -a -G1 photo_from_phone.jpg | grep -i gps
exiftool -a -G1 photo_from_phone.jpg | grep -i make
exiftool -a -G1 photo_from_phone.jpg | grep -i software

Common tracking metadata:

GPS Coordinates: Exact location
Device Make/Model: Phone or camera brand
Software: Apps used to edit
Serial Number: Unique device identifier
User Comment: Hidden notes
Timestamps: When/where taken

🎯 Best Practices

Always clean before sharing publicly

exiftool -all= -overwrite_original file.jpg

Verify after cleaning
```
exiftool file.jpg  # Check results
```
Use automation scripts for routine cleaning
Clean at upload time, not storage time (keep originals for yourself)

For maximum anonymity: Re-encode images

# Install imagemagick
pkg install imagemagick

# Re-encode (destroys all metadata)
convert input.jpg -quality 90 output.jpg

📚 Additional File Types

Audio Files (MP3, FLAC, OGG, M4A)

# Remove metadata from audio
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.mp3

# Remove ID3 tags specifically
exiftool -all:all= -overwrite_original song.mp3

# Batch process music library
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r ~/Music/

RAW Camera Files

# DNG, CR2, NEF, ARW, etc.
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.dng *.cr2 *.nef *.arw

# Be careful: May affect image processing

Archive Files (ZIP, RAR)

# ZIP files can contain metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original archive.zip

🔧 Useful Command Combinations

Find Files with GPS Data

# Search for files containing GPS metadata
exiftool -if '$gpslatitude' -filename -r /path/to/search/

# Count files with GPS
exiftool -if '$gpslatitude' -filename -r . | wc -l

Create Metadata Report

# Generate HTML report of metadata
exiftool -h -r /path/to/directory/ > metadata_report.html

# CSV format for analysis
exiftool -csv -r /path/to/directory/ > metadata.csv

Remove Specific Metadata Tags

# Remove only author-related tags
exiftool -Author= -Creator= -Artist= -overwrite_original file.jpg

# Remove only date information
exiftool -AllDates= -overwrite_original file.jpg

# Remove comments/descriptions
exiftool -Comment= -Description= -UserComment= -overwrite_original file.jpg

🚨 Important Notes & Warnings

⚠️ Backup Warning

# ExifTool creates backup files by default
# Files ending in _original are backups

# To delete all backup files after cleaning:
find . -name "*_original" -delete

# Or use -overwrite_original flag to avoid backups:
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original file.jpg

⚠️ File Integrity

ExifTool is non-destructive to image data
It only modifies metadata sections
Original image quality is preserved
However, always keep backups of important files

⚠️ Limitations

# Some metadata cannot be removed:
# - File system timestamps (use touch command)
# - Intrinsic image properties (dimensions, color space)
# - Embedded watermarks (not metadata)

Change File Timestamps

# Randomize file modification time
touch -t 202501010000 file.jpg  # YYYYMMDDHHMM

# Set to current time
touch file.jpg

# Batch randomize timestamps
for f in *.jpg; do
  touch -t "$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M -d "$RANDOM seconds ago")" "$f"
done

📖 Quick Reference Card

# View metadata
exiftool file.jpg

# Remove ALL metadata (with backup)
exiftool -all= file.jpg

# Remove ALL metadata (no backup)
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original file.jpg

# Batch process directory
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original *.jpg

# Recursive (all subdirectories)
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r /path/

# Keep orientation only
exiftool -all= -tagsfromfile @ -orientation -overwrite_original file.jpg

# Check GPS data
exiftool -gps:all file.jpg

# Remove GPS only
exiftool -gps:all= -overwrite_original file.jpg

# Check version
exiftool -ver

# Get help
exiftool -h
man exiftool

🔗 Official Resources

Official Website: https://exiftool.org/
Documentation: https://exiftool.org/exiftool_pod.html
Forum: https://exiftool.org/forum/
GitHub Mirror: https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool
Tag Names Reference: https://exiftool.org/TagNames/

📝 Automation Script Example

Create a comprehensive cleaning script:

nano ~/bin/metadata_cleaner.sh

Add this content:

#!/data/data/com.termux/files/usr/bin/bash

# Metadata Cleaner Script for Termux
# Usage: metadata_cleaner.sh /path/to/directory

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
    echo "Usage: $0 <directory>"
    exit 1
fi

TARGET_DIR="$1"

echo "╔════════════════════════════════════╗"
echo "║   Metadata Cleaner for Termux      ║"
echo "╚════════════════════════════════════╝"
echo ""
echo "Target Directory: $TARGET_DIR"
echo ""

# Count files
FILE_COUNT=$(find "$TARGET_DIR" -type f | wc -l)
echo "Found $FILE_COUNT files"
echo ""

# Confirm
read -p "Remove ALL metadata from these files? (yes/no): " CONFIRM

if [ "$CONFIRM" != "yes" ]; then
    echo "Cancelled."
    exit 0
fi

echo ""
echo "Cleaning metadata..."
echo ""

# Remove all metadata
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r -progress "$TARGET_DIR"

echo ""
echo "✓ Complete!"
echo ""

# Delete backup files if any
BACKUP_COUNT=$(find "$TARGET_DIR" -name "*_original" | wc -l)
if [ $BACKUP_COUNT -gt 0 ]; then
    echo "Found $BACKUP_COUNT backup files"
    read -p "Delete backup files? (yes/no): " DELETE_BACKUP
    if [ "$DELETE_BACKUP" = "yes" ]; then
        find "$TARGET_DIR" -name "*_original" -delete
        echo "✓ Backups deleted"
    fi
fi

echo ""
echo "All done! Your files are now metadata-free."

Make it executable:

chmod +x ~/bin/metadata_cleaner.sh

Use it:

~/bin/metadata_cleaner.sh ~/Pictures/to_clean/

🎓 Learning Resources

Practice Commands

# 1. Create test directory
mkdir -p ~/exiftool_practice
cd ~/exiftool_practice

# 2. Take/copy some test photos here

# 3. View metadata
exiftool test_photo.jpg

# 4. Practice removal
exiftool -all= test_photo.jpg

# 5. Check results
exiftool test_photo.jpg

# 6. Clean up
rm *_original

🆘 Troubleshooting

ExifTool Not Found

# Check if installed
which exiftool

# Reinstall
pkg reinstall exiftool

# Check PATH
echo $PATH

Permission Denied

# Make sure you have write permissions
ls -la file.jpg
chmod 644 file.jpg  # Give write permission

Files Not Cleaning

# Some formats may be read-only or corrupted
# Try with -overwrite_original_in_place
exiftool -all= -overwrite_original_in_place file.jpg

🏁 Final Privacy Checklist

Before sharing any file publicly:

Remove all metadata: exiftool -all= -overwrite_original file.jpg
Verify removal: exiftool file.jpg
Check GPS data: exiftool -gps:all file.jpg
Randomize timestamps if needed: touch -t 202501010000 file.jpg
Consider re-encoding: convert input.jpg output.jpg
Test upload with throwaway file first
Never upload from original device camera roll

📌 Quick Setup for New Termux Install

# Complete setup script
pkg update && pkg upgrade -y
pkg install exiftool imagemagick -y

# Create cleaning alias
echo 'alias cleanmeta="exiftool -all= -overwrite_original"' >> ~/.bashrc
echo 'alias cleandir="exiftool -all= -overwrite_original -r"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Test
exiftool -ver

echo "ExifTool setup complete!"
echo "Usage: cleanmeta file.jpg"
echo "Usage: cleandir /path/to/directory/"

Note: I noticed you included a link to super-productivity (https://github.com/johannesjo/super-productivity), but that’s a productivity/task management application, not related to ExifTool. If you need information about that tool as well, please let me know!

Last Updated: November 2025
ExifTool Version: 12.76+ (Check https://exiftool.org for latest)

📥 Save This Guide

# Save this markdown file
nano ~/exiftool_guide.md
# Paste content and save with Ctrl+X, Y, Enter

# View anytime with:
cat ~/exiftool_guide.md
# Or with less for scrolling:
less ~/exiftool_guide.md

Stay safe and protect your privacy!

📱 ExifTool CLI Guide for Termux (2025 Edition)#

📋 Table of Contents#

🔍 About ExifTool#

📥 Installation in Termux#

Method 1: Using pkg (Recommended - Fastest)#

Method 2: Using Perl CPAN (Latest Development Version)#

Method 3: Direct Perl Script (Portable)#

📊 Latest Version Info#

Check Your Version#

Update ExifTool in Termux#

🗑️ Complete Metadata Removal Guide#

⚠️ CRITICAL: Privacy & Anti-Tracking#

🔒 Remove ALL Metadata from Images/Photos#

Single Image#

Multiple Images in Directory#

Remove GPS Data Specifically#

🎥 Remove ALL Metadata from Videos#

Single Video#

Batch Process Videos#

📄 Remove Metadata from Text/Document Files#

Markdown Files (.md)#

Shell Scripts (.sh)#

Python Files (.py)#

PDF Documents#

Microsoft Office Documents#

🚀 Essential Daily Commands#

1. View All Metadata#

2. Check for GPS/Location Data#

3. Strip Metadata but Keep Orientation#

4. Remove Metadata from Specific Tags Only#

5. Batch Process Entire Directory Tree#

6. Create Clean Copies (Keep Originals)#

7. View Before & After#

8. Remove Thumbnails (Hidden Preview Images)#

9. Verify Complete Removal#

10. Emergency Full Directory Clean#

🎯 Advanced Usage & Examples#

Example 1: Preparing Photos for Anonymous Upload#

Example 2: Clean Video Before Sharing#

Example 3: Anonymize Documents for Whistleblowing#

Example 4: Batch Clean Before Cloud Backup#

Example 5: Compare Metadata Between Files#

Example 6: Extract Specific Information#

Example 7: Preserve Copyright but Remove Everything Else#

🛡️ Privacy & Anti-Tracking Tips#

🔴 Maximum Privacy Setup#

🔍 What Metadata Can Reveal#

🎯 Best Practices#

📚 Additional File Types#

Audio Files (MP3, FLAC, OGG, M4A)#

RAW Camera Files#

Archive Files (ZIP, RAR)#

🔧 Useful Command Combinations#

Find Files with GPS Data#

Create Metadata Report#

Remove Specific Metadata Tags#

🚨 Important Notes & Warnings#

⚠️ Backup Warning#

⚠️ File Integrity#

⚠️ Limitations#

Change File Timestamps#

📖 Quick Reference Card#

🔗 Official Resources#

📝 Automation Script Example#

🎓 Learning Resources#

Practice Commands#

🆘 Troubleshooting#

ExifTool Not Found#

Permission Denied#

Files Not Cleaning#

🏁 Final Privacy Checklist#

📌 Quick Setup for New Termux Install#

📥 Save This Guide#