What is hiding in an image file?

Photos carry more than pixels. Most cameras and phones save EXIF data with each picture: the camera model, the date and time, and often the exact GPS location where it was taken. Puzzle makers also hide text in comments, in special PNG text fields, or in extra data added after the end of the image, which the picture itself never shows.

Choose, drop or paste an image and CacheCrack lists everything it finds. GPS locations come out in geocaching format with buttons to open them in Google Maps or Apple Maps. CacheCrack also finds files tucked inside or after the image, like a ZIP archive, and lets you download them. It shows the stored thumbnail, IPTC captions and keywords, XMP fields and the color profile, and checks PNGs for a changed size that hides part of the picture.

Why is there no metadata?

Many websites and social apps strip metadata when a photo is uploaded, partly to protect privacy. If a cache page shows an image, save the original file rather than a screenshot, since a screenshot is a brand new image with none of the original data.