The Photo Investigator is a metadata inspection and editing utility for iPhone photos and videos.
Product velocity
Dormant
Daily rank 🇺🇸
—
Photo & Video
Sentiment
4.4
1k reviews
Nemesis
Screenshot App: Snipping Tool
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users open the app to clean sensitive location data or manage copyright information before sharing images, a task that native iOS tools do not support.
For iPhone users who need to manage, clean, or inspect the technical metadata of their personal photo and video libraries.
What does it look like?
Key features
View comprehensive file data including location, filesize, xattr, camera settings, and depth maps.
Modify or remove location, caption, copyright, and date fields.
Apply predefined metadata settings to multiple photos and videos simultaneously.
How much does it cost?
Freemium model gates utility-heavy editing features behind an in-app purchase while keeping inspection tools free.
Velocity
Dormant developmentUX improvementsShow more...
The app has not received a public update in over three years, indicating a complete cessation of development activity. The last release, which introduced metadata templates and new editing extensions, dates back to March 2023. Given the lack of any releases within the last 12 months, the app is classified as a zombie project.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a mixed sentiment. Users appreciate granular metadata inspection tools provide deep technical insights for professional photography workflows and intuitive interface design makes complex metadata editing tasks accessible for casual users, but report unexpected file size inflation occurs after editing or scrubbing metadata from images.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- Granular metadata inspection tools provide deep technical insights for professional photography workflows
- Intuitive interface design makes complex metadata editing tasks accessible for casual users
- Unexpected file size inflation occurs after editing or scrubbing metadata from images
83 of 332 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Mixed overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 more frustration theme and 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for The Photo Investigator
How's the Photo & Video market?
The Photo Investigator occupies a technical niche in the Photo & Video category, currently ranking #75 Grossing in its sub-category. The lack of updates since 2023 limits its ability to compete with high-frequency productivity tools that dominate the broader image-utility space.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Moon Technolabs Pvt Ltd
This app competes for the same utility-focused user base that manages, edits, and organizes image metadata and screen captures.
- Massive user base and review volume create a significant barrier to entry for new competitors.
- Focuses on rapid screen capture and annotation workflows rather than deep metadata inspection and editing.
- Leverages high-frequency updates to maintain platform relevance compared to our more static metadata toolset.
TinyPhoto: Convert Resize CropContender
Watermark Maker: Add CopyrightContender
ID Photo Maker document photosContender
Status Bar - Screenshot EditorContenderUnlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for The Photo Investigator
Where is it heading?
The metadata utility market is consolidating around tools that offer faster, more reliable batch processing. Without a return to active development, The Photo Investigator will likely lose its remaining professional user base to competitors that maintain compatibility with the latest iOS photo formats.
- Users report: The three-year release gap indicates a maintenance-only posture, which leaves the app exposed to OS-level changes in iOS photo handling.
- Persistent complaints regarding file size inflation and monetization confusion suggest that the current product experience is actively driving away power users.
The SWOT
- Granular EXIF/xattr inspection provides specialized utility for professional photography
- Intuitive interface design makes complex metadata editing accessible
- Advanced filtering for images lacking geotags would solve a top-requested workflow gap
Next best moves
Audit file-saving logic because users report file size inflation post-edit → reduce storage-related churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's three-year dormancy is actually a moat, as its simple…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Advanced geotag filtering (available in rival utility workflows but missing here)
Since the last report: The outlook for The Photo Investigator has shifted from stable to declining, as the three-year development freeze now actively drives user churn through unresolved file-size inflation and monetization confusion.
Bottom line
The Photo Investigator provides high-utility metadata tools that retain a loyal professional base, but the three-year development freeze leaves it vulnerable to faster-moving rivals. Addressing file-handling bugs and simplifying the monetization model would stabilize the user base and unlock long-term retention.
Unlock 3 critical frictions, 1 market threat, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is The Photo Investigator safe to use for cleaning photo metadata?
How does The Photo Investigator compare to general screenshot apps?
Is there a free way to edit photo metadata?
What are some alternatives for batch photo editing?
Sources
- [1] App Store, source
Report last updated