Remove metadata from video files: MP4 and MOV without re-encoding
iPhone and other Apple videos can store the recording location, device model and software in metadata boxes inside the MOV or MP4 file.
Drop files here or paste an image. Photo on your phone? Open scrubphoto.com there.
- No upload. Works offline once the page loads.
- Lossless. Every pixel kept, byte for byte.
- Free. No sign-up, no limits.
ScrubPhoto removes metadata from MP4, MOV and M4V videos by blanking the boxes that hold it, so GPS location, device details and Content Credentials are gone while every frame and audio sample stays exactly as recorded. Choose the video above, tap the Scrub button, then Share or Download the clean copy.
What metadata is inside an MP4 or MOV video
An MP4 or MOV file is a series of boxes, each with a size and a four-letter name. The picture and sound usually sit in one large box. The metadata sits in smaller ones around it:
- udta (user data) inside the movie header box, moov. Apple writes the recording location here, plus the make, model and software of the device.
- meta boxes, at the top level, inside moov and inside each track. Apple apps also keep location and device details here, as keys and values.
- uuid boxes at the top level. One kind holds a C2PA manifest, another an XMP packet with editing and AI tags.
The checker lists which of these boxes your video has and their sizes. GPS shows only as "GPS: present", never as coordinates.
How the video metadata remover works without re-encoding
Cutting a box out of a video means rebuilding the whole file around the gap. ScrubPhoto does something smaller. It renames each metadata box to free, the standard name for unused space that players skip over, and overwrites its contents with zeros.
Because nothing moves, the pointers that tell a player where each frame lives stay valid. The file keeps the same size, the video and audio data are untouched, and nothing is re-muxed or re-encoded. The tool reads only the box headers, in slices, so memory stays flat and even a large clip finishes in about a second. There is no size limit on video.
Remove location from iPhone videos
Videos get the same location treatment as photos on iPhone. According to Apple's personal safety guide, the Camera embeds coordinates in every clip it records while it has Location Services access, and the Share Sheet's Options include a Location switch for a single send. That switch is about location only. Scrubbing here also clears the device model and software, and you can confirm the result in the checker. Step by step: iPhone guide.
C2PA in AI video exports and TikTok downloads
Content Credentials are not only for photos. OpenAI's help center lists them as the provenance signal for its video. In its May 2024 newsroom post, TikTok said Content Credentials let it recognize and label AI content, starting with images and video, and that it would attach credentials to TikTok content that stay on downloads. So a clip saved from TikTok can carry a manifest into your next upload. Run your own exports through the checker rather than guessing.
Meta handles video another way. By its own account it cannot yet read provenance signals in most video from other companies' tools, so it leans on uploaders to say when a realistic clip or voice was made or changed digitally, and it may penalize people who stay quiet. Scrubbing a video leaves that duty exactly where it was. More on Reels and TikTok: video guide, TikTok, Instagram.
What a video metadata remover cannot remove
- Watermarks in the frames. A visible logo, or an invisible watermark like SynthID woven into video frames, is part of the picture.
- Timed metadata tracks. Some recordings store data as a separate track that plays alongside the video. ScrubPhoto leaves tracks in place to keep the file valid, so check the result with the checker.
- Audio watermarks hidden in the sound itself.
- A label on a video that is already posted.
The limits page has the full list.
Questions about removing metadata from videos
How do I remove metadata from an MP4?
Choose the MP4 above and tap Scrub. C2PA, XMP and the udta and meta boxes are neutralized in place, and the clean copy downloads under the same name with "-scrubbed" added.
Does removing metadata from a video reduce quality?
No. The video and audio bytes are never decoded or re-encoded, so the clean file plays back exactly like the original.
Why is the scrubbed video the same size as the original?
Each metadata box is renamed and zero-filled where it sits instead of being cut out. Keeping every offset unchanged is what lets the tool skip rewriting the file.
Can I remove C2PA from a video?
Yes. A C2PA manifest in an MP4 lives in a top-level uuid box, which ScrubPhoto neutralizes. The C2PA remover page explains what you give up when the manifest goes.
Will this remove the AI label from a TikTok video?
It removes the Content Credentials TikTok says it reads, from the copy you upload. It cannot change a video already posted, an AI label you added yourself, or a watermark in the frames.
Is there a file size limit for video?
No. Video is read in slices rather than loaded whole, so file size does not matter.
Does it work with M4V files?
Yes. M4V uses the same box structure as MP4 and MOV, and it gets the same lossless treatment.
Sources
Official pages this page was checked against in October 2026: