How to Remove Metadata From HEIC, RAW and DNG Files

Metadata removal advice online almost always assumes a JPEG. iPhone photos are HEIC by default, and anyone shooting RAW is dealing with CR2, NEF, ARW or DNG files — and the built-in Windows and macOS tools that handle JPEG metadata reasonably well often can't touch these formats at all.

HEIC: Apple's default photo format

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) stores EXIF and GPS metadata the same way JPEG does, so it carries exactly the same privacy exposure. The complication is tooling: Windows' built-in “Remove Properties and Personal Information” feature was built around JPEG/TIFF and doesn't reliably support HEIC without an additional codec pack installed. A metadata tool with native HEIC support avoids the issue entirely.

RAW formats: CR2, NEF, ARW and friends

RAW files carry the same EXIF fields as JPEG — camera, capture settings, and GPS if it was recorded — but the format itself is manufacturer-specific and far less universally supported by consumer-facing tools. The bigger issue isn't whether a tool can read RAW metadata; it's whether it can strip it without risking the original sensor data, which most RAW-native workflows handle by writing changes to a separate .xmp sidecar instead of the file itself.

DNG: Adobe's RAW format

DNG (Digital Negative) is Adobe's open RAW format, either shot natively by some cameras or converted to from a manufacturer RAW. It stores metadata identically to other RAW formats — same GPS and camera exposure, same need for sidecar-based editing to avoid touching the underlying image data.

What to check before trusting a tool with these formats

Does it explicitly list HEIC and your specific RAW extension as supported?
Does it write RAW edits to a sidecar, or does it modify the original file?
Does it process files locally, or does “support” mean uploading them somewhere first?

The Exif Forge way

HEIC and 15+ formats, RAW originals never touched

Exif Forge reads and writes HEIC, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, DNG natively, and reads RAW formats like CR2, NEF and ARW — with edits always going to a companion .xmp sidecar, never the original.

Native HEIC, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP and DNG read/write support

RAW formats (CR2, NEF, ARW) read, with edits to .xmp sidecar

One-click Privacy Mode strips GPS, camera and software info

Runs fully offline — files never leave your machine

See Supported Formats

FAQ

Does converting HEIC to JPEG remove the metadata automatically?

Not necessarily — many converters carry EXIF and GPS data straight over into the new JPEG rather than dropping it, so conversion alone isn't a reliable way to strip metadata.

Is it safe to strip metadata from a RAW file directly?

A properly built metadata tool won't touch the RAW capture at all — it writes changes to a companion .xmp sidecar instead, which you can delete if you want to fully revert to an untouched state.

Do DNG files carry the same privacy risks as JPEG?

Yes — DNG stores EXIF and GPS metadata the same way JPEG does. Being a RAW-adjacent format doesn't make it any less exposed if location data was recorded at capture.