Inspect
HEIC Metadata Viewer
A complete tag explorer for HEIC: every Exif, GPS, MakerNote, XMP, ICC and HEIF property, searchable, copyable and exportable.
Input
Drop HEIC or HEIF files here
or choose them from your device
HEIC or HEIF · up to 100 MB per file · processed on your device
At a glance
- Best for
- Finding one tag among hundreds
- Groups
- IFD0, Exif, GPS, Interop, IFD1, MakerNote, XMP, ICC, HEIF
- Each row
- Tag ID, value, meaning, hex bytes and a copy button
- Export
- JSON or CSV of the filtered view
What this tool does
This is the complete tag explorer: every metadata entry in the file in one filterable list, with nothing summarised away. Each row shows the tag's hex ID (0x010F), its name, the decoded value, a plain-words meaning where one is known, and the stored bytes. The Exif data is read by an in-house TIFF reader that walks every directory and keeps the ID, type, count and raw bytes next to each value, so a tag that has no known name still appears as an unknown tag instead of vanishing. Apple's MakerNote is decoded using the tag names documented by the ExifTool project, and Apple tags that are not documented are labelled that way rather than guessed at. A MakerNote from another maker is listed as one "not decoded" row with its size and signature.
Rows are grouped the way the file is organised. IFD0 holds the main-image tags, Exif the capture settings, GPS the location, Interoperability a small compatibility block, and IFD1 the embedded Exif thumbnail, which is previewed right in the group. XMP is parsed into key and value rows labelled by namespace, with a "View raw XMP packet" expander for the original text. The ICC profile is decoded into its description, class, colour space, white point, colorants and tone curves. The last group lists the HEIF properties of the primary image: pixel size, bit depth, the nclx colour description translated into primaries, transfer, matrix and range names, the HEVC profile and level, rotation, mirror and light-level values when present. A "Not present in this file" line names any group that was looked for and is not there, which matters because absence is often the answer.
The filter box matches tag names, IDs, values, meanings and group titles, so "GPS", "0x010F", "Display P3" or "lens" all work. JSON and CSV buttons export exactly the rows on screen, which means a filtered view exports only the filtered rows. When you want to understand what the data means for your privacy, the EXIF & GPS viewer interprets it for you. When you want the whole file as one machine-readable document, use Metadata to JSON. This page is for reading the raw record yourself.
How to use it
- 01
Choose a HEIC or HEIF file
The file is parsed as soon as you pick it. A file that is not a HEIC, such as a renamed JPEG, is named for what it really is instead.
- 02
Check the row count
A line under the filter reports how many rows were found in how many groups. The first three groups open automatically, and Expand all and Collapse all control the rest.
- 03
Filter for what you need
Type a tag name, a hex ID, a value or a group name. Matching groups open on their own and the line reports how many rows match.
- 04
Open a row's bytes
Hex shows the storage type, byte count and the first 256 bytes of the stored value. The copy button puts "Name: value (meaning)" on your clipboard.
- 05
Read what is missing
The "Not present in this file" line lists absent groups such as GPS, XMP or an ICC profile, which is useful evidence in itself.
- 06
Export if you need a copy
JSON keeps IDs, values, meanings, types and hex. CSV has Group, Tag ID, Name, Value, Meaning and Type columns. The file name ends in -metadata, or -metadata-filtered when a filter is active.
When to use it
Finding where a piece of information is stored
A name or a place can sit in more than one block. Filter for it and you see whether it is in Exif, repeated in XMP keys such as a city or creator, or both, which tells you what a clean-up has to cover.
Seeing what an editor wrote back
Editors change the Software tag, add XMP properties and sometimes attach a new ICC profile. The groups show each of those changes, so you can compare a photo before and after editing.
Chasing a colour mismatch
If a photo looks different between apps, look at the ICC group and the HEIF nclx rows. A Display P3 profile, a named colour primaries value or a limited-range flag is often the whole explanation.
Quoting an exact value
For a bug report, a catalogue record or a forensic note, the per-row copy button and the hex view give you the value and the bytes it came from, without retyping.
Good to know
- 01It shows only what the file stores. Messaging apps and many editors strip metadata, so a short list or an empty GPS group is normal and says nothing about where the photo came from.
- 02Values are shown as stored. A time may carry no time zone, and the DateTime tag in IFD0 is a modification time, not the moment of capture (the row says so). The capture time is DateTimeOriginal in the Exif group.
- 03The HEIF properties group covers the primary image only. Properties of thumbnails, depth maps and tiles are in the HEIC Inspector.
- 04Reads are bounded because the data is untrusted: up to 512 entries per directory, long value lists are abbreviated after 16 numbers, the hex view stops at 256 bytes, and the raw XMP preview shows the first 20,000 characters.
- 05Only Apple's MakerNote is decoded. A damaged block is shown as unreadable rather than being fixed or guessed at.
- 06Nothing is written back to the photo. To remove what you find, use Remove HEIC Metadata.
Technical notes
Privacy and limits
Your file stays on your device
This tool runs in your browser with WebAssembly. The file is read into the tab, processed there and discarded when you close it — there is no upload and no account. You can check this yourself in your browser's network panel, and the privacy page lists what analytics does and does not receive.
Limits and checks
Up to 100 MB and 100 megapixels per file; batches of up to 50 files and 500 MB. Files are treated as untrusted input and every output is re-opened and validated before it is offered — see how we handle untrusted files.
Frequently asked questions
Related tools and reading
Further reading
Last updated: . Something wrong or out of date? Tell us — corrections are recorded in the changelog.