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Simple Photo Meta
What it is
Simple Photo Meta is a free, open-source desktop application for viewing and editing IPTC and EXIF metadata in image files. Its browser-based interface runs locally on the user's machine without a remote server, and the project is written for Linux and macOS. IPTC fields include keywords, captions, copyright, creator, city, and country; EXIF data covers camera details, exposure settings, GPS coordinates, and lens information. The app opens directories, scans subdirectories, and displays thumbnails in pages of 25. Users can search by metadata values and catalog existing tags in a collection. Editing tools include tag autocomplete, one-click deletion, and immediate saving when tags are added or removed, with prompts for unsaved changes. An overlay can show date, location, and keywords, and offline reverse geocoding can turn GPS coordinates into place names. Supported formats are JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIC/HEIF, with the latter requiring pillow-heif. The app stores its database locally, saves thumbnails in a .thumbnails folder within opened photo directories, and writes metadata directly to image files. The README labels it alpha software and warns it may destroy valuable images.
For and against
For
- Works locally without a remote server.
- Edits IPTC and EXIF metadata fields.
- Searches metadata values and catalogs existing tags.
- Offline reverse geocoding can show GPS place names.
- Free and licensed under GPLv3.
Against
- The README warns it may destroy valuable images.
- HEIC/HEIF support requires pillow-heif.
- The maker says it is untested on Windows.
The verdict
Simple Photo Meta offers local metadata browsing and editing, including GPS-related tools. Its alpha-stage warning about potential image destruction is an important caveat before using it on valuable photos.
Who it suits
Simple Photo Meta may suit Linux or macOS users who want to inspect and edit image metadata locally. Its alpha status and warning about possible image damage make it unsuitable for collections where preserving valuable images is essential.
Plans and prices
Simple Photo Meta
GPLv3-licensed alpha desktop application
Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Browsing and search
- It can recursively scan directories, show paginated thumbnails at 25 images per page, and search image metadata values in real time.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Data storage
- The app stores its database locally, keeps thumbnails in a .thumbnails folder within opened photo directories, and writes metadata directly to image files.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Download availability
- The README describes macOS Apple Silicon DMG and Linux Flatpak downloads, while the GitHub releases page opened during this research showed no releases.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Editing features
- The editor offers tag autocomplete, one-click tag deletion, immediate saving when tags are added or removed, and prompts for unsaved changes.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Image browsing
- Users can open directories, recursively scan subdirectories, and browse thumbnails in pages of 25 images.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Image formats
- The listed image formats are JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and HEIC/HEIF.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Integrations and technology
- The metadata engine uses Exiv2 through custom C++ bindings; the app also lists FastAPI, SQLite, Pillow, and pywebview in its technology stack.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- License and support
- The project is licensed under GPLv3 and invites bug reports and pull requests on GitHub.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Local operation
- The app uses a browser-based interface while running on the local machine, with no remote server required.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Metadata editing
- It supports IPTC fields such as keywords, captions, copyright, creator, city, and country, along with EXIF fields including camera details, dates, exposure settings, GPS, and lens information.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Metadata engine
- The app handles metadata through the Exiv2 library using custom C++ bindings.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Offline location lookup
- The metadata overlay can show GPS coordinates as place names using offline reverse geocoding.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Platform support
- The maker says the software was written for macOS Apple Silicon and Linux, and is untested on Windows.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Simple Photo Meta is a local desktop application for viewing and editing IPTC and EXIF metadata in image files.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Safety limitation
- The README describes the software as alpha testing software and warns that it may destroy valuable images.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Search
- The app searches images by metadata tag value and can discover and catalog existing tags in a collection.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Security and maturity
- The maker labels the software alpha and potentially unsafe for valuable images, warning that image files may be destroyed during testing.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Tag tools
- The app discovers existing metadata tags for autocomplete and supports adding and deleting tags with automatic saving.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
