ExifCleaner 4.7.0

ExifCleaner 4.7.0 updates the app to Electron 44. It no longer runs on 32-bit Windows or macOS 12. The 4.6.x line is the last that does, and 4.6.0 is the version to reinstall on those systems.

What's new

• Updated to Electron 44. Electron's own notes are at electronjs.org/blog/electron-44-0. File cleaning behaviour is unchanged.

Requirements changed

• 32-bit Windows is no longer supported. To check, right-click Start, choose Settings, select System, pick About, and look under Device specifications, which says whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit (Microsoft's instructions). If it says 32-bit, stay on 4.6.0.
• macOS 13 (Ventura) or later is now required. macOS 12 users should stay on 4.6.0.

Windows 10 or later (64-bit) and Linux (64-bit) are as before.

Known limitations in 4.7.0

No executable release-blocking known gaps are approved for this release; documented format constraints follow below.

Format constraints

• TIFF: only the first page of a multi-page TIFF is cleaned; later pages keep their own ImageDescription, Software, Artist and Copyright. HostComputer, DocumentName and CameraSerialNumber also remain on the first page.
• RAW: some Canon maker-note tags stay because ExifTool cannot delete them (for example the CR2 maker-note SerialNumber). The RAW fix was measured on CR2, CR3, DNG and RW2 samples; no claim is made for ARW, NEF, ORF, PEF or SRW. RAF cleaning is still refused and the source is left unchanged.
• Time limits: a write's limit is 30 seconds plus one second per 20 MB of the file. 20 MB per second is an assumed floor for slow disks, not a measured speed. With Save as copy off, for formats ExifTool rewrites in place such as JPEG and PNG, a stop that lands just after ExifTool replaced the original leaves the original cleaned even though the app reports a failure.
• PDF: ExifTool uses reversible updates, so prior metadata may remain recoverable.
• MKV: unsupported because ExifTool does not expose a writable removal path.
• HEIC, HEIF and AVIF color profiles: when the built-in cleaner declines a file and ExifTool cleans the copy with Preserve color profile off, ExifTool cannot remove the embedded color profile, so the copy keeps it.
• Leftover metadata check: if ExifTool's copy of a declined HEIC, HEIF or AVIF file still fails the leftover-metadata check, the copy is discarded, the file is reported as failed, and the original is left untouched.
• iPhone HDR photos: cleaning an iPhone HDR HEIC loses Apple's HDR brightness information, so the copy can display as standard dynamic range. This was measured on one iPhone 13 Pro Max photo on macOS. Earlier versions using ExifTool did the same, so this is not new in 4.6.0.
• Windows HEIF Image Extension: cleaned HEIC and AVIF copies were not tested in the Windows HEIF Image Extension.

Rollback

If 4.7.0 does not work on your computer, reinstall 4.6.0 from the releases page. Trade-offs: there will be no further 4.6.x changes, Electron 43 reaches end of life in January 2027, and ExifCleaner does not check for updates, so it will not prompt you to move.

For maintainers: reverting the Electron bump in a 4.7.x release cannot restore 32-bit Windows or macOS 12.

The full list is in CHANGELOG.md.

Downloads

Verify downloads against the release's SHASUMS256.txt file.

Opening unsigned builds

ExifCleaner remains unsigned. Signing would require publishing the maintainer's verified legal identity; no signed build is being promised.

• macOS 14 and earlier: right-click or Control-click the app, choose Open, then choose Open again.
• macOS 15 and later: open the app once, then use System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
• Windows: if SmartScreen appears, choose More info → Run anyway after verifying the checksum.
• Linux: make the AppImage executable with chmod +x ExifCleaner-4.7.0.AppImage; .deb and .rpm packages install normally.

Every artifact is built publicly from tagged source by GitHub Actions. ExifCleaner makes no network requests during normal use.

Only download ExifCleaner from the GitHub releases page.

Full changelog: v4.6.0...v4.7.0