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Exif hound

EXIF Hound is a free and open source desktop application for inspecting Exif metadata in image files and plotting the GPS coordinates stored in that metadata on a map. It is released under the MIT license and built with Tauri (a Rust back end with a web-based user interface). It has been distributed since 2020.

EXIF Hound is local-first: metadata parsing runs on the examiner's computer, and image files, metadata, filenames and investigation data are not uploaded. The application has no user account and no telemetry. It uses the network only for:

  • map tiles (OpenStreetMap by default, or a custom tile server configured in the settings);
  • signed update checks against a static feed hosted on GitHub Pages;
  • optional reverse geocoding ("place names"), which is off by default. When enabled, only the latitude and longitude are sent to the OpenStreetMap Nominatim service.

Caution

Pros:

  • Images are not sent to a third-party web service, unlike many online Exif viewers. This lowers the risk of disclosing case material.
  • Batch view of many images, map plotting and CSV/JSON export help with triage and with reporting location and timestamp findings.
  • The source code is public, so its parsing behavior can be reviewed.

Cons and trade-offs:

  • EXIF Hound is an analysis and triage tool, not a validated forensic acquisition tool. Findings that matter for a case should be confirmed with a second tool, for example ExifTool.
  • EXIF Hound uses ExifReader to parse metadata, as far known, was independently developed of ExifTool, and therefore could be used for cross-tool validation.
  • As with any viewer, it is recommended to work on a verified working copy rather than the original.
  • Exif data is easy to edit or remove. Timestamps and GPS coordinates may have been changed, stripped by a social media platform, or set wrongly by the device, so treat them as indicators that need corroboration.
  • Loading map tiles sends tile requests to the tile server, which can show the general area being viewed. In sensitive cases, use a self-hosted tile server or work without a network connection; metadata inspection does not need the network.
  • If the optional place-name lookup is enabled, the coordinates are shared with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Leave it disabled when coordinates must not leave the examiner's computer.

Use

  • Review the full Exif metadata of one or many images (camera make and model, original and digitized timestamps, GPS fields) and compare images.
  • Plot GPS-tagged photos on an interactive map, with routes and clusters, to reconstruct where and in what order photos were taken.
  • Navigate a large set of imported images in a spreadsheet-style list view.
  • Import KML and export metadata as CSV or JSON for timelines and reports.

Version history

Version 2.7.0 was released on 2026-10-13. Signed installers are available for macOS (Apple Silicon), Windows (x64) and Linux (x64 and ARM64).

See Also