Protect your privacy with Redact — remove hidden EXIF and container metadata from photos and videos, inspect what is embedded before you share, and convert formats locally on your device.
Take control of your digital footprint and share content on your terms.
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Complete metadata cleaning: Remove GPS, device info, timestamps, and hidden EXIF/XMP from images and videos. Strict Clean re-encodes video for maximum removal; a faster remux path is available when compatible.
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Metadata scanner: View organized metadata before cleaning. Copy fields, open a file in Clean, or send it to Convert.
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Format conversion (local): Convert images (JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC on supported devices) and transcode video (H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1) without cloud upload. Convert changes format only — run Clean afterward if you also want metadata stripped from converted files.
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Batch processing: Clean or convert up to 20 files per batch. Partial success is reported when some items fail.
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Share sheet integration: Share photos or videos into Redact from any app. Optional confirmation dialog, cancelable progress, partial batch success, and automatic cleanup of temporary share files.
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Privacy-first permissions: Pick files with Android’s document picker (Downloads, Files, gallery folders) without broad
READ_MEDIA_*access on Android 13+. OptionalACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATIONreveals GPS fields in Scan. Notifications are off by default. -
100% on-device processing: Your media is never uploaded for core features. Optional crash reporting sends anonymized diagnostics only (see below).
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13 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Hindi, and Arabic.
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Open source & ad-free: No ads or behavioral analytics. Code is on GitHub for community review.
Install Redact through the Google Play Store.
- Minimum Android: Android 12 (API 31)
- Target Android: API 37
- Permissions:
- Android 13+: File selection uses the system document picker — browse Downloads, Files, or any folder without broad
READ_MEDIA_*access. OptionalREAD_MEDIA_IMAGES/READ_MEDIA_VIDEO(or partial access on Android 14+) can still help in some cases. - Optional:
FOREGROUND_SERVICE(data sync / media processing) — shows progress during long clean or convert jobs when notifications are enabled. - Android 12 and below:
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGEfor gallery access. - Optional:
ACCESS_MEDIA_LOCATION— needed to read GPS coordinates embedded in media during Scan. - Optional:
POST_NOTIFICATIONS— for task-finished and progress alerts (master toggle off by default).
- Android 13+: File selection uses the system document picker — browse Downloads, Files, or any folder without broad
- Open Clean, Scan, or Convert.
- Tap Select Files and browse Downloads, Documents, gallery folders, or any storage provider.
- Choose up to 20 images or videos on Clean/Convert, or one file on Scan.
- Clean — strip metadata and save to
Pictures/RedactorMovies/Redact. - Scan — view metadata; use action buttons to copy fields, open in Clean, or send to Convert. Grant photo-location permission to see GPS.
- Convert — change format/codec; use Clean afterward if you need metadata removed too.
- Share a photo or video from any app to Redact.
- Confirm stripping (if enabled in Settings).
- Redact removes metadata locally, then opens the share chooser with clean file(s).
- Cancel a long job from the progress dialog if needed.
All core processing runs locally. Optional crash reporting (off by default) may use the network for anonymized diagnostics only.
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) and related container metadata can include:
- GPS location coordinates
- Date, time, and timezone
- Device manufacturer and model
- Camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.)
- XMP/IPTC and video container tags
Cleaning aims to preserve visual quality while removing metadata. Strict Clean and full video transcode re-encode video and may change encoding parameters. Image cleaning preserves orientation when possible.
No. Convert changes format/codec only. Use the Clean tab (or share-in) to strip metadata.
No, for cleaning, scanning, and converting. If you enable Send Crash Reports in Settings (off by default), anonymized crash diagnostics may be sent to Sentry over HTTPS.
Cleaned and converted files are saved under Pictures/Redact and Movies/Redact in the MediaStore. Share-in uses app cache; temporary files are deleted after sharing (with a short delay so the target app can read them).
Settings let you overwrite temporary files before deletion (limited benefit on modern flash storage). Clear Cache on Startup removes processing cache files older than 24 hours when the app opens.
Optional crash reporting uses Sentry. It is disabled by default and must be turned on in Settings.
When enabled, anonymized data may include device model, Android version, app version, stack traces, and scrubbed diagnostic tags. URIs, filenames, and GPS are redacted before upload. Your photos and videos are never uploaded.
- Check GitHub Issues
- Open a new issue with steps to reproduce if needed
- Files stay on your device for core features
- No network required for clean / scan / convert
- Open-source code for transparency
- Configurable secure deletion of temp files (flash-storage limitations apply)
- Share-in always strips location; Clean can preserve location only if you explicitly enable Keep Location (with confirmation) and Strict Clean is off
- Temporary and stale cache cleanup options in Settings
Redact is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0.
I hope you enjoy using Redact to protect your privacy online!