Title: Meow Lightbox Author: Jordy Meow Published: August 23, 2016 Last modified: March 9, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/meow-lightbox/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3001743) ![](https://ps.w.org/meow-lightbox/assets/icon-256x256.gif?rev=3004933) # Meow Lightbox By [Jordy Meow](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tigroumeow/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/meow-lightbox.5.5.1.zip) * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/#description) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/#reviews) * [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/#installation) * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/) ## Description **Meow Lightbox is the photographer’s choice for WordPress**. Built from scratch for speed and elegance, it showcases your images beautifully while displaying EXIF data, GPS maps, and metadata—all in a clean, responsive interface. Stop settling for bloated lightboxes that slow down your site! 😘 Meow Lightbox focuses on what photographers actually need: **Beautiful Presentation** and **Technical Details**. Choose between our custom engine or PhotoSwipe, both optimized for performance. Check out [our official site](https://meowapps.com/meow-lightbox/) to see it in action. ### Core Features 📸 **Responsive Design** Looks stunning on mobile, tablets, and desktop. Images adapt to screen size for optimal viewing on any device. 🎨 **Dual Lightbox Engines** Switch between our custom Default Engine or PhotoSwipe. Both are optimized for speed and elegance, with full EXIF support. 📊 **EXIF Data Display** Show camera settings, lens info, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and capture date—perfect for photography portfolios. 🗺️ **GPS & Maps** Display shooting location with Google Maps or Leaflet integration when GPS data is available in your images. ### 📸 Photography Features Your photos deserve to shine. Meow Lightbox displays them beautifully with all the technical details photographers love. **Image Information:** * Camera and Lens * Shutter Speed & Aperture * ISO and Focal Length * Capture Date & Time * Keywords and Metadata * GPS Coordinates **Display Options:** * Responsive layout for all devices * Fullscreen mode * Zoom and pan on images * Keyboard navigation * Touch gestures on mobile **Gallery Support:** * Works with [Meow Gallery](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-gallery/) * Compatible with WordPress core galleries * Supports WooCommerce product images * Separate galleries mode ### 🎯 Lightbox Engines Choose the engine that fits your needs best. Both are fast, elegant, and fully featured. **Default Engine:** * Custom-built for photographers * Smooth zoom animations * Clean, minimal interface * Optimized for EXIF display * Glass morphism design **PhotoSwipe:** * Industry-standard lightbox * Touch-optimized gestures * Smooth transitions * Full EXIF integration * Modern UI with caption support ### Pro Features * Deep-Linking: Share URLs that open specific images * Slideshow: Auto-play through your gallery * Social Sharing: Let visitors share your photos * Animation: Beautiful open/close transitions * Google Maps: Display shooting locations * Priority Support ### Why Meow Lightbox? **Performance First** No bloat, no unnecessary features. Just clean, fast code that showcases your photos beautifully. **Built for Photographers** EXIF data, GPS maps, and metadata display—everything photographers need in one elegant package. **Flexible** Works with any gallery plugin or WordPress core galleries. Choose your preferred lightbox engine. **Developer Friendly** Clean APIs, WordPress hooks, and filters. Extend it your way. **Constantly Evolving** Regular updates based on real photographer feedback. We listen, we improve. ## Screenshots * [[ * Lightbox displaying EXIF information * [[ * [[ ## Installation 1. Upload `meow-lightbox` to `/wp-content/plugins/` 2. Activate through the ‘Plugins’ menu 3. Visit Meow Lightbox in your admin menu 4. Configure your preferences 5. Start showcasing your photos! 🚀 The lightbox activates for `.entry-content`, `.gallery`, and `.mgl-gallery` by default. Customize the selectors in settings if needed. ## FAQ ### Does this work with my gallery plugin? Yes! Meow Lightbox works with WordPress core galleries, Meow Gallery, and most other gallery plugins. We recommend [Meow Gallery](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-gallery/) for the best experience. ### Can I choose which EXIF data to display? Absolutely! You control exactly which EXIF fields appear: camera, lens, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, date, and keywords. ### Which lightbox engine should I use? Both are excellent! The Default Engine offers a custom-designed experience optimized for EXIF display. PhotoSwipe is industry-standard with touch-optimized gestures. Try both and see which you prefer! ### Does this work with WooCommerce? Yes! Meow Lightbox works great with WooCommerce product images. ### Can I display GPS locations on a map? Yes! If your images contain GPS data, you can display shooting locations using Google Maps or Leaflet (Pro feature). ### Is this suitable for large photography websites? Absolutely! Meow Lightbox is optimized for performance and works beautifully with sites of any size. ### Does this support keyboard navigation? Yes! Use arrow keys to navigate, ESC to close, and keyboard shortcuts for all controls. ### What about multilingual sites? Meow Lightbox works great with translation plugins and multilingual setups. ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6fa3c8506fdc37ce8b88441130637d342bd432b7e871393bb73f00c06c0301d0? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Very good](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/very-good-7756/)󠁿 [popkaraie](https://profiles.wordpress.org/popkaraie/) April 4, 2026 Simple is fine. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/aade31fa31adefc61847bd92503b7aa8d088b06c02cf39a47fc44b31f9fe8ac9? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Excellent tool](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/excellent-tool-496/)󠁿 [Walter Viana](https://profiles.wordpress.org/walterviana/) March 13, 2026 Like all the tools produced by this developer, this one is another must-have! Congratulations! ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/89219c530a3566fb8e8efc70ff29e07e08f63715c959fa6784863d72fe32be42? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Good and reliable app (and the Meow app collection in general)](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/good-and-reliable-app-and-the-meow-app-collection-in-general/)󠁿 [ac1643](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ac1643/) March 11, 2026 I’m a big fan of all the meow apps that I use, they have a good range of options( for free) and seem to be very reliable so far. The one time I’ve asked for support I received a quick reply, and the developer seems friendly and responsive. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f071dc46f8ccab50d9d4d335cc4169934a5fd4fdce8d59dde3c8595e3f640fdc? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Awesome](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/awesome-10637/)󠁿 [Cayce](https://profiles.wordpress.org/codeparachute/) March 11, 2026 Worked as intended, great developer ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2ae3215c78cebc8f67dc9fba8eb268a05fbbdc68859aaaf0dae869c2c893fd61? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Great plugin!](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-plugin-41339/)󠁿 [what1](https://profiles.wordpress.org/what1/) March 4, 2026 Great, fast, working great straight out of the box. Well designed, variety options, functionality A+. Highly recommended. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/96821337cbd4171b9802b9c1f900737e1587da06195c08a9b9e5959f8ab616a8? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Great plugin and great support 👍🏻](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-plugin-and-great-support-%f0%9f%91%8d%f0%9f%8f%bb/)󠁿 [DayDreamer](https://profiles.wordpress.org/daydreamerhk/) January 30, 2026 Thanks for creating this beautiful plugin and the quickly support😊👍🏻. [ Read all 179 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “Meow Lightbox” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Jordy Meow ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tigroumeow/) “Meow Lightbox” has been translated into 9 locales. Thank you to [the translators](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/meow-lightbox/contributors) for their contributions. [Translate “Meow Lightbox” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/meow-lightbox) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meow-lightbox/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/meow-lightbox/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/meow-lightbox/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/meow-lightbox/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 5.5.1 (2026/03/09) * Update: Improved image performance by using hardware-accelerated CSS on image elements. * Add: Added aria-label attributes to UI elements (accessibility for screen readers). * Fix: Corrected a configuration check in the bundled HTML parser library. * Update: Reorganized the “Features” options for a clearer layout. * Add: Added support for fullscreen mode to provide an immersive viewing experience. #### 5.5.0 (2026/02/25) * Add: New autoplay option for slideshows so galleries can play automatically. * Add: Support for rendering the lightbox inside a parent element. * Update: Orphaned media now reuses existing IDs for the same URL to avoid duplicate entries. * Fix: Hotfix to prevent server errors (500) when EXIF GPS data is not formatted as an array. * Update: Upgraded the DiDom library to v2 to resolve double-encoding issues. #### 5.4.9 (2026/01/27) * Fix: Improve shutter speed handling by converting string values to floats. * Fix: Speed up thumbnail loading by cleaning URLs before checking for related media attachments. * Fix: Ensure deep linking only opens after the page has fully rendered to prevent broken or partial views. * Update: Improve mobile and tablet detection by using the browser’s user agent. * Update: Allow Orphans to support custom width and height attributes. * 🎵 Discuss with others about Meow Lightbox on [the Discord](https://discord.gg/bHDGh38). * 🌴 Keep us motivated with [a little review here](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/). Thank you! * 🥰 If you want to help us, check our [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/meowapps). Thank you! #### 5.4.8 (2026/01/05) * Update: Improve image matching and lazy loading by using data-src instead of src when available. * Fix: Improve display and interaction on small screens, including forcing arrow visibility on mobile devices. * Add: Support responsive images by handling srcset data for better image quality and performance. * Add: Introduce a “Skip dynamic” option to fetch images as orphans for setups not using wp-json. * Add: Enable the Metadata Toggle feature across all themes. * Add: Support infinite loading with Meow Gallery. * Fix: Improve lightbox behavior to properly handle rerendering while it remains open. * Add: Introduce a new “Flat Light” visual theme for the lightbox. #### 5.4.7 (2025/12/14) * Fix: Hotfix to resolve issues with duplicated cache entries. #### 5.4.6 (2025/12/07) * Fix: Correct handling of anti-selectors on parent classes so elements are excluded from the lightbox as expected. * Update: Clear the plugin cache automatically when a post is saved to ensure changes are reflected immediately. * Fix: Resolve an issue where the disable_cache setting was always treated as false in REST API requests. * Add: Introduce an option to enable JavaScript logs for easier debugging and support. * Add: New ‘include_orphans’ option to include media not in the WordPress Media Library in the lightbox. #### 5.4.5 (2025/12/04) * Update: Refactored how styles are loaded. * Update: Improved the way anti-selectors are handled. * Add: Added caching for dynamic content to reduce REST API calls. * Fix: Corrected the regenerate MWL data process. #### 5.4.4 (2025/12/03) * Fix: Prevent long image captions from running off the screen. * Fix: Correct EXIF data display in the Flat theme. #### 5.4.3 (2025/12/03) * Fix: Resolve a PHP warning related to image metadata handling for smoother media processing. * Fix: Prevent an error when combining keyword values to ensure keyword handling works reliably. #### 5.4.2 (2025/12/01) * Fix: Adjusted Flat theme captions so they no longer propagate clicks or move when toggling animations. * Add: Introduced orientation-based caption classes and a new Flat theme orientation setting. * Update: Simplified the Flat theme by forcing the “below” display. * Add: Added a rendering delay option and improved handling of static and dynamic content, including a renderMeowLightboxWithSelector function and more reliable media queuing. * Fix: Improved EXIF time handling by using EXIF OffsetTime (0x9010). * Fix: Made the Flat theme use only lightboxified elements, optimized JavaScript selectors, and ensured captions no longer get stuck hidden. * Fix: Updated data transformation and regeneration functions to better handle null or undefined inputs and reliably find attachments by ID. * Update: Refreshed documentation to cover the new Flat theme options and rendering behavior. #### 5.4.1 (2025/11/25) * Add: New Preview Lightbox in the Settings. * Add: Introduced a new “Metadata Toggle”. * Update: Refreshed the Dark Glass, Light Glass and Plain Dark themes. * Update: Simplifid the Settings UI. * Fix: Correct separate galleries skipping the first gallery. * Fix: Improved caption focus and related events. * Fix: Prevent magnification from zooming when disabled. * Fix: Hide the social sharing icon unless deep linking is enabled. * 🎵 Discuss with others about Meow Lightbox on [the Discord](https://discord.gg/bHDGh38). * 🌴 Keep us motivated with [a little review here](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/). Thank you! #### 5.3.8 (2025/11/19) * Fix: Hotfix to prevent errors by ensuring selectors are not empty. #### 5.3.7 (2025/11/18) * Add: New Cosmic Theme and Glass features. * Fix: Slideshow intervals for more consistent display. * Fix: Cursor issues when hovering over thumbnails. * Fix: Styling inconsistencies. * Update: Updated MeowKit. #### 5.3.6 (2025/11/12) * Update: Added option to toggle fullscreen mode from settings. * Update: Disabled fullscreen mode when map is open. * Update: Preserved fullscreen state across different media. * Update: Improved accessibility with labels and focus navigation. * Fix: Hidden elements with display none when zoomed in. * Fix: Hotfix for charset handling in HtmlDomParser. * Fix: Corrected mobile meta size to prevent images from jumping during load. * Update: Added “Hide Arrows On Mobile” option for cleaner mobile view. #### 5.3.5 (2025/09/29) * Add: GPS feature with direct link to Google Maps. * Fix: Optimized PhotoSwipe for better performance. * Fix: Removed unnecessary logs. * Update: Moved ALT attribute handling. #### 5.3.4 (2025/08/27) * Fix: Resolved overlapping checkboxes. * Fix: Fixed PhotoSwipe AntiSelector logic to correctly handle images with same ID. #### 5.3.3 (2025/08/16) * Add: Support for “Separate Galleries” feature when using PhotoSwipe. * Update: Enhanced PhotoSwipe UI with sleek, liquid glass finish. * Fix: Corrected missing or incorrect ALT text for images. * Fix: Reversed PhotoSwipe data order to ensure thumbnails display correctly. * Fix: Resolved issue where PhotoSwipe captions weren’t visible when animations enabled. #### 5.3.2 (2025/07/23) * Add: Leaflet images that were missing to improve map visuals. #### 5.3.1 (2025/07/01) * Update: Improved zoom functionality for better mobile experience. * Fix: Refined initialization process to prevent unwanted Meow Common messages. #### 5.3.0 (2025/05/04) * Add: Support for keyboard navigation. #### 5.2.9 (2025/05/01) * Fix: Ensured end_ob function only flushes if output buffering is active. * Add: Added internationalization support for translations. * Fix: Removed “auto” value from file sizes in image attachment handling. * Add: Introduced deep linking slug option to customize URL structure. * Update: Dynamically imported PhotoSwipe CSS with namespace to avoid conflicts. #### 5.2.8 (2025/03/12) * Update: Improved MIME type detection for better media compatibility. * Fix: Resolved warning related to MIME type handling. * Add: Added logging for media ID resolution and DOM element detection. * Update: Refactored PhotoSwipe captions to render properly, matching Default behavior. * Update: Enhanced captions with scrolling, improved layout, and better visibility. #### 5.2.7 (2025/02/17) * Add: Support for videos in Default Engine. * Fix: Prevented Default Engine from closing when clicking on map. * Update: Improved PhotoSwipe by allowing captions to show/hide when zooming. * Add: Implemented anti-selector filtering in PhotoSwipe data. * Update: Refactored social sharing to use dynamic settings. * ✨ If you have a moment, please write a little [review for Meow Lightbox](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?rate=5#new-post). Thank you! 💕 #### 5.2.6 (2025/01/01) * Fix: Hide EXIF data if none should be displayed. * Fix: PhotoSwipe Map scales same way as Default Engine. * Fix: Hide captions on map view for PhotoSwipe. * Update: Reorganized EXIF to have Lens and Camera together. * Fix: Remove Camera Name from Lens to avoid seeing it twice. #### 5.2.5 (2024/12/06) * Change: Scaling logic moved to server-side. * Fix: Compatibility with Envira Galleries (and more, via mwl_image_attributes). * Fix: Error “Could Not Update Options”. * Add: addToMeowLightboxQueue to dynamically add images with metadata. #### 5.2.4 (2024/11/04) * Add: Google Maps settings for Map Types. * Fix: PhotoSwipe Location without GPS data. #### 5.2.3 (2024/10/17) * Add: RTF Fix option for Default Engine. * Update: Enhanced code architecture. * Fix: PhotoSwipe display issues. #### 5.2.2 (2024/09/19) * Add: PhotoSwipe support with compatibility for all Meow Lightbox features. * Add: New Lightbox Engine option (choose between Default Engine and PhotoSwipe). * Fix: Zoom to Full Resolution. #### 5.2.1 (2024/06/28) * Update: Optimized loading and library loading. * Fix: Many minor issues. * Fix: Download link was not using original image. #### 5.2.0 (2024/06/15) * Fix: Avoid loading scripts when not needed. * Fix: Issue related to image_meta and other minor issues. #### 5.1.9 (2024/06/05) * Update: Cleaner UI and removed useless dependencies. * Fix: Issue with script loading. #### 5.1.8 (2024/05/30) * Add: “Selector Ahead” functionality. * Add: Better logs for debugging and performance. * Fix: Resolved fullscreen issue. * Fix: Addressed performance impact by avoiding Image ID resolution by default. #### 5.1.7 (2024/05/13) * Update: Only load map scripts when images with GPS data are present. * Fix: Corrected selector issue when “Ahead” option not used. * Fix: Improved zoom and close animations. #### 5.1.6 (2024/04/27) * Update: Pro scripts now load only on front-end, excluding admin pages. * Optimization: Added asynchronous loading for Leaflet. #### 5.1.4 (2024/03/16) * Fix: Avoid issues with non-image media. * Add: Static CDN support (to retrieve EXIF data for offloaded media). #### 5.1.3 (2024/02/02) * Add: Introduced “Selector Ahead” in Performance settings. * Update: Replaced “Hide/Show info” with “Fullscreen” feature. #### 5.1.2 (2024/01/20) * Add: Maintenance features with export, import, and reset options. * Update: Implemented map/image icon logic. * Update: Introduced separate galleries based on Selector functionality. #### 5.1.1 (2023/12/25) * Update: Single click feature for unzooming images. * Add: Zoom and Pan functionality for mobile devices. * 🌲💫 Merry Christmas! #### 5.0.9 (2023/11/29) * Add: Support for Meow Gallery collections. * Add: WordPress Big Image Display support. * Fix: Compatibility with Beaver Builder. #### 5.0.8 (2023/11/15) * Add: New backdrop opacity setting for enhanced visual customization. * Add: Animation speed control for dynamic gallery transitions. * Update: Compact carousel design with integrated navigation. #### 5.0.7 (2023/11/03) * Fix: Calculation for date. * Add: Toggle Animation. See it in action [here](https://meowapps.com/meow-lightbox/tutorial/). #### 5.0.5 (2023/10/23) * Fix: Issue related to zero date. * Update: If ran into Meow Gallery, lightbox only applies to gallery images. #### 5.0.4 (2023/10/02) * Fix: Compatibility with PHP 8.2 (DiDom). * Fix: Size of navigation arrows. * Fix: Use WordPress timezone for EXIF date. * Add: New option for Date Timezone Compensation. #### 5.0.3 (2023/09/15) * Add: Line returns in captions. * Add: Caption Ellipsis (for long captions) is now an option. * Add: HTML support for titles. #### 5.0.1 (2023/09/12) * Fix: It was only displaying the first 12 images of a gallery. #### 5.0.0 (2023/09/01) * Update: Complete plugin refactor. Many parts rewritten for better maintainability. ## Meta * Version **5.5.1** * Last updated **4 weeks ago** * Active installations **10,000+** * WordPress version ** 6.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.9.4** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Languages * [Chinese (Taiwan)](https://tw.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Czech](https://cs.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Dutch](https://nl.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [German](https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Italian](https://it.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Korean](https://ko.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Portuguese (Brazil)](https://br.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), [Russian](https://ru.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/), and [Spanish (Spain)](https://es.wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/). * [Translate into your language](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/meow-lightbox) * Tags * [exif](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/exif/)[lightbox](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/lightbox/) [photography](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/photography/)[photoswipe](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/photoswipe/) [responsive](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/responsive/) * [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/meow-lightbox/advanced/) ## Ratings 4.9 out of 5 stars. * [ 168 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 10 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 0 3-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 0 2-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 1 1-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/?filter=1) [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Jordy Meow ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tigroumeow/) ## Support Issues resolved in last two months: 4 out of 10 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/meow-lightbox/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://www.patreon.com/meowapps)