Supported format
A PNG screenshot can carry text, software details and timestamps beyond the visible image. ScrubMetadata inspects supported PNG fields and chunks locally, removes supported privacy metadata and checks the output independently. Review the report for retained colour or animation structures before deciding whether the processed file is ready to share.
A PNG can contain text fields, compressed text, international text, Exif or XMP, as well as timestamps and software details. It can also contain colour profiles, provenance data and private chunks. The capture tool determines what was written, so inspect the file rather than assuming a screenshot has no metadata.
The supported path removes identified text, time, XMP and privacy-bearing ancillary metadata, then independently checks the output. Fields and their containing chunks both matter. Unknown ancillary chunks are reported as unassessed rather than identified personal fields; unknown critical chunks are rejected before a cleaned output is produced.
Image data, palette and transparency structures are treated as rendering dependencies. Declared APNG frame controls and known colour chunks also have separate retained dispositions, including a public ICC profile only after assessment. Inspect the processed image and any animation; retaining those structures does not itself prove the result is clean.
An unknown critical chunk is rejected because its role is not assessed. Invalid lengths, checksums or trailing bytes also require a precise outcome. Unknown ancillary chunks and malformed profiles cannot be described as identified private fields. Review the file report for the actual disposition and independent result.
Yes, it can carry text or software fields depending on the capture tool. The inspection records what the selected file contains; the filename and visible preview do not establish that those fields are absent.
The container policy preserves transparency and declared animation structures separately from privacy metadata. A clean result still depends on the processed file passing its independent checks.
Representative scenario
A screenshot is proposed for a disclosure pack. Inspect its text and software fields rather than assuming screenshots have no metadata. Review retained colour and transparency structures, then open the processed image and check what it visibly shows before the authorised person decides whether it belongs in the pack.
How to review file metadata before disclosureSupported PNG files are inspected and cleaned in your browser. Raw file bytes and raw metadata are not sent to ScrubMetadata servers, and only minimised evidence is recorded after processing.
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