Image analysis is the process of examining a photograph before sanitization. It helps you understand which metadata, additional content, and other potentially sensitive information are present in the original file.
PhotoSanitize can analyze individual images or several included files in one operation. Inspection does not modify the source photographs, so it is safe to examine files before deciding whether they need cleanup.
Running an analysis
- Add the photographs to the Photo Queue.
- Check the files you want to inspect.
- Choose Analyze Selected.
- After processing finishes, highlight an image and open the Inspector.
The Inspector displays the analysis results for the highlighted file. If you have analyzed several images, you can move between them without repeating the operation.
Although PhotoSanitize can offer to analyze files when sanitization is started, performing analysis first is preferable when you want to review the findings and choose a suitable profile.
The Summary tab
Summary provides a general view of the selected image, including its format, dimensions, and the available inspection results. It gives you enough information to recognize the file and assess whether a closer examination is useful.
A photograph with numerous metadata entries is not necessarily more dangerous than one with very few. What matters is which information is present and whether it is appropriate for the intended recipient.
For instance, ordinary exposure settings may be unimportant to a privacy decision, while embedded GPS coordinates might identify a private residence or sensitive business location.
The Findings tab
Findings presents detected concerns using severity classifications and descriptive information. The three severity levels are Critical, Warning, and Information.
A Critical finding calls attention to information or conditions considered especially important, such as embedded location data or certain problematic additional content. Warning identifies other issues that may deserve review, while Information records relevant observations without necessarily indicating a privacy concern.
The classification helps you prioritize your inspection, but it is not a legal assessment or a guarantee that all risks have been found.
Each finding can include a description and recommended action. Read these details in context rather than relying on severity alone.
Filtering the findings
When the findings list is long, use its filter to show All, Critical, Warning, or Information entries.
You might begin with Critical and Warning to identify the most relevant issues, then return to All if you want to understand the complete inspection result.
This is useful when examining professional photographs that contain a large amount of technical metadata. The filter lets you concentrate on potential privacy concerns without losing access to the more detailed information.
Examples of findings
A smartphone photograph may contain GPS coordinates and camera-identification details. A picture produced by an editing application may include descriptive metadata or embedded previews. A Motion Photo may carry additional video or audio content beyond the main still image.
An image can also contain Content Credentials associated with its provenance or additional Windows NTFS information associated with the file.
These categories are not interchangeable. Metadata stored inside an image, information held in its container, and file-system properties can require different checks and cleanup operations.
The Details tab provides additional information when you need to investigate a finding.
Failed or incomplete analysis
An image may fail inspection if it is corrupted, inaccessible, unsupported, or exceeds applicable processing limits. PhotoSanitize reports the failure rather than treating the image as successfully analyzed.
If this happens, confirm that the source file exists and can be opened in a compatible viewer. Check whether the extension matches the actual format, whether the file is complete, and whether your Windows account has permission to read it.
For files stored on network drives, also check the connection. If the same image fails repeatedly, retain the original and investigate the reported error before attempting further processing.
Finally, remember that a file with no significant metadata findings can still contain sensitive information in the visible picture. Analysis should be followed by visual review whenever that content matters.