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EXIF & camera data
Make, model, lens, exposure settings, timestamps and orientation fields.
METADATA FREE IMAGE FORENSICS · PRIVATE BY DESIGN
Image Metadata &
Forensic Analysis in one upload.
Drop any image and PictureMatters builds a structured BlackBox report — camera metadata, GPS, provenance markers, entropy profile, byte signature and a cryptographic identity. Facts separated from interpretation, always.
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Evidence, not guessesHard file facts kept apart from signals.
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AI provenance cluesGenerator markers & Content Credentials.
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Live entropy previewSee the file's structure before uploading.
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Compare two imagesHash & dimension diffs, side by side.
0scan layers
0MB max size
0min retention
0accounts needed
PICTUREMATTERS / BLACKBOX CONSOLE
READY
◉ Browser preflight: dimensions, fingerprint and entropy are calculated before upload. Nothing leaves your device yet.
VS
Compare runs entirely in your browser: SHA-256 equality, size, dimensions, aspect and megapixel differences. Two files with matching SHA-256 are bit-for-bit identical; different hashes with identical pixels usually mean a re-save or re-encode.
No image handy? Generate a test specimen — a real PNG built in your browser, stamped with the metadata profile you pick, then run it through the analyzer to see a full report.
SPECIMEN SYNTHESIZEDspecimen.png
The specimen carries a tiny visible watermark; it is a synthetic demo image, not evidence of anything.
WHAT PICTUREMATTERS FINDSEvery layer,
Every layer,
one readable report.
What a PictureMatters report reads inside an image file — from camera metadata to provenance signals. Every layer is documented, with its limits, in the methodology.
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GPS & location
Embedded coordinates with an approximate place name when available.
GPS▤
XMP / IPTC metadata
Workflow and publishing fields: creator tools, titles, credits, source declarations.
METADATA✦
Provenance signals
AI generator markers, IPTC digital-source declarations and C2PA Content Credentials presence.
PROVENANCE◈
File structure
The container mapped segment by segment — segments, chunks, comments, trailing data.
STRUCTURE▂▄▆
Entropy profile
Byte-level unpredictability across the file, slice by slice.
ANALYSIS◍
Compression facts
JPEG quality estimate, progressive vs baseline, format-specific encoding details.
ENCODING#
File identity
Exact SHA-256 hash plus a perceptual fingerprint for near-duplicate comparison.
HASHES◐
Image characteristics
Dimensions, megapixels, aspect ratio and a sampled color palette.
CHARACTERISTICS◌
Processing traces
Software strings left by editors, exporters and platforms that touched the file.
SOFTWARETHE PICTUREMATTERS METHODLess guessing.
Less guessing.
More clues.
01
Drop the picture
Your browser calculates dimensions, a SHA-256 fingerprint and an entropy preview before anything is sent.
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We inspect the file
Metadata, GPS, entropy, byte structure, palette, hashes and provenance markers are read.
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We separate fact from signal
A generator marker is not proof of AI. Missing metadata is not proof of anything either.
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You get the BlackBox report
One page shows what was found, what it may mean, and where the evidence has limits.
WHY PICTUREMATTERSBuilt to be trusted,
Built to be trusted,
not just used.
Image analysis is only useful if you can trust how it's done. Three commitments shape every part of the product.
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Private by architecture
No account. No database. The original is deleted right after analysis and reports expire automatically. Not a promise — the way it's built.
READ THE SECURITY MODEL →⚖
Honest about limits
Signals are labeled as signals. No fake certainty about AI detection or authenticity — the methodology documents what each layer can and cannot establish.
READ THE METHODOLOGY →◔
Fast, free, open access
Works on any device including iPhone HEIC, no install, no signup wall — and the knowledge behind it is free to read.
BROWSE THE GUIDES →IMAGE METADATA & FORENSICS, EXPLAINEDUnderstand
Understand
the report.
Metadata can be removed. Markers can be edited. Entropy is statistical. Start with the plain-language guides — then read any report like an analyst.
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What Is EXIF Data?
The metadata standard your camera writes into every photo — and what it reveals.
Does WhatsApp Remove EXIF?
What actually happens to metadata when images pass through messaging apps.
Can a Photo Reveal Your Location?
GPS metadata, who can read it, and how to stay in control.
How to Check If an Image Is Edited
Which signals honestly help — and which are folklore.
STRAIGHT ANSWERS
Asked before every scan.
Short, honest answers about what image forensics can and cannot tell you.
Is my image stored anywhere?+
No. The image is assembled temporarily for analysis and deleted immediately after the report is generated. The report itself expires automatically within 15 minutes.
Can PictureMatters prove an image is AI-generated?+
No. Generator strings, C2PA markers and entropy are clues, not proof. Metadata can be removed or forged, so the report separates hard file facts from interpretation.
Does missing metadata mean the image is AI?+
No. Screenshots, social apps and export tools routinely strip metadata. Absence of EXIF proves nothing about how the pixels were created.
Do you support iPhone HEIC photos?+
Yes. HEIC and HEIF files are converted to JPG inside your browser before upload — on iPhone the conversion uses the browser's native decoder. Note that the conversion output is what gets analyzed, so the report reflects the converted JPG, not the original HEIC container.
What is the entropy profile?+
It measures how unpredictable the file bytes are, slice by slice. Compressed photo data sits in a predictable range; appended payloads and embedded archives often stand out. Note that entropy alone cannot establish the presence of hidden data — unusual byte-pattern characteristics flag a region worth examining, nothing more.
What are Content Credentials (C2PA)?+
C2PA is an industry standard for cryptographically signed provenance — a tamper-evident record of how a file was created and edited. PictureMatters detects supported markers but does not perform full cryptographic validation.
PRIVATE BY DESIGN
Your images are analyzed, not archived.
No account. No image library. The original file is used for analysis and then deleted automatically. We don't build a collection of your photos.