GPXFIT

Privacy Scrub

The Privacy Scrub tool allows you to review and remove sensitive metadata from your GPX or FIT files before sharing them publicly. This helps protect your privacy by removing device identifiers, personal information, and optional sensor data.

What Gets Detected

Device Information

Information about the GPS device or app that recorded the activity:

  • Manufacturer - e.g., "Garmin", "Wahoo", "Strava"
  • Product/Model - e.g., "Edge 530", "Fenix 7"
  • Serial Number - Unique device identifier
  • Software Version - Firmware or app version

Personal Information

Potentially identifying information embedded in the file:

  • Author/Creator - Name stored in the file metadata
  • Track Name - May contain personal details or location info
  • Description - Free-form text that might contain personal info
  • Creation Time - When the file was created
  • Keywords/Tags - User-added tags

Sensor Data

Biometric and performance data from connected sensors:

  • Heart Rate - Can reveal fitness level and health information
  • Power - Cycling power meter data
  • Cadence - Pedaling or running cadence
  • Temperature - Ambient or body temperature

Quick Actions

Use the quick action buttons for common operations:

  • Select All - Check all detected metadata for removal
  • Select None - Uncheck all items
  • Select Sensitive Only - Select only highly sensitive data (serial numbers, author name, sensor data)

Preview Summary

Before applying changes, the tool shows a summary of what will be removed:

  • Number of items selected for removal
  • Categories of data that will be affected
  • Estimated file size reduction (if any)

When to Use

Sharing Routes Online

Before uploading routes to public websites or sharing with others, scrub personal data to prevent:

  • Device serial numbers being exposed
  • Personal names or identifiers being visible
  • Health/fitness data being shared unintentionally

Creating Course Files

When converting an activity to a course for navigation, sensor data and personal info are not needed and can be removed.

Submitting to Route Databases

Public route databases often recommend or require stripping personal metadata before submission.

What Is NOT Removed

The Privacy Scrub tool does NOT remove:

  • GPS coordinates - The actual route points (use Crop tool to trim start/end locations)
  • Timestamps - Time data on track points (use Remove Timestamps tool separately)
  • Elevation data - Altitude values
  • Distance/speed - Calculated from coordinates

Notes

  • Scrubbing is non-destructive - your original file is not modified
  • The tool only removes data that exists in your file
  • FIT files typically contain more metadata than GPX files
  • Some devices store serial numbers in multiple locations
  • Changes can be undone using the undo feature before downloading