Metadata and pixels are separate
JPEG, PNG and WebP files store image data and supporting information in identifiable segments or chunks. A cleaner can create a new container that omits selected metadata while retaining the supported pixel-data path.
- The original file stays unchanged
- The cleaned file can be smaller
- Dimensions can remain the same
- Preserved pixel data is not the same as a visual quality estimate
When quality can change
An editor that decodes and exports an image may apply a new quality setting, resize it, change its color handling or remove animation. That is a new encoding operation, not simply metadata removal.
How to check your result
Compare dimensions and format, confirm the cleaner's preservation claim for that format, and inspect the cleaned copy again. Keep the original whenever the image has archival, legal or evidentiary value.
What this does not prove
A metadata result describes the fields and structures that the supported parser could read. It does not, by itself, prove authenticity, intent, authorship or the truth of the visible scene.