Why is my photo only a few KB smaller after removing its metadata?
Because metadata is usually a small part of the file, from a few hundred bytes to some tens of KB when there is a thumbnail or maker notes, and the tool copies the image data byte for byte without compressing it. It shows you exactly how many bytes were removed; if you need a smaller file, compress it separately, which does re-encode the pixels.
Where a photo's size actually goes
A JPEG from your phone has two very unequal parts: the compressed image data, millions of pixels' worth, and small segments around it holding the metadata. The first part is what makes the megabytes. An EXIF segment in a JPEG cannot exceed roughly 64 KB in the first place, because the segment length is written as a 16-bit number. On a photo of several megabytes, even the largest possible EXIF segment is a small fraction.
An example from the tool itself
An 800 × 600 JPEG carrying a camera model and GPS coordinates. After removal the tool shows the size line, and the file is exactly 244 bytes smaller, which is the size of its EXIF segment. The dimensions are still 800 × 600 and the pixels are identical. 244 bytes is under a quarter of a kilobyte, yet it was enough to reveal where the photo was taken. That is the right yardstick: metadata matters for what it reveals, not for how much it weighs.
When the difference is bigger
- A thumbnail embedded in EXIF: the tool shows its size in bytes and removes it with EXIF.
- The manufacturer's MakerNote: can be relatively large, and the tool shows its size.
- XMP packets from editing apps, sometimes extended XMP spread over several segments.
- Data after the end of the image, such as a short video attached to some phone photos. There the difference can be megabytes, because the video itself goes.
If your goal is a smaller file
Removing metadata and compressing a photo are different jobs, each with its own tool:
- The Image metadata inspector and remover tool removes data with no change to the pixels. The size drop is small and the picture is exactly the same.
- The Image compressor actually shrinks the file. It redraws the image at a quality you choose, cutting the size a lot, and drops the metadata too because the image is redrawn.
If you want both, compression alone usually covers it, since it removes the metadata on the way. Use the metadata tool when you want the original file at full quality but without what exposes you, such as a photo going to a printer or a designer.
Reading the size line
After removal the tool shows a line with the size before and after and the number of bytes removed. If that number is close to zero, check the 'After removal' list: the file may simply have had nothing removable, which the tool states plainly.
Common questions
Can the file get bigger after removal?
No. The tool copies the kept parts as they are and leaves the rest out, so nothing is added.
I dropped the ICC profile too. Is that why more was removed?
Yes, the ICC profile adds to the bytes removed, but it can change how colors look, which is why it is kept by default.
Does removing metadata speed up my store?
Barely, since the size difference is small. For speed, compress your photos and reduce their dimensions.