Google Reverse Image Search – How to Find Similar Photos Online with Search By Image

Google Reverse Image Search can help you quickly discover visually similar photos & know more about any photograph available on the internet & find sources.

Use Google reverse image search engine below to search for similar pictures across the web.

Google Reserve Image Search

Upload Picture or Enter URL

Click the upload picture button to upload and submit an image for reverse search. We help you know more about any photograph with Google reverse image search.

What is Google Reverse Image Search?

Google Reverse Image Search is a search by image technique that helps you discover visually similar images and where they appear from around the web. You upload a photograph from your desktop and Google images automatically searches the web to identify the original sources of that image.

Related Reading: Yahoo Images

How to Do Reverse Image Search on your Mobile Phone

The “search by image” feature on Google images is not available on tablets and mobile phones or devices. It’s only the desktop version that is available for computer users. So you need to transfer your photo to a desktop and perform a reverse search.

Related: Instagram Reverse Image Search

However, on mobile phones you can use an online tool like Reverse.Photos or TinEye to perform reverse image searches.

Here’s the How To

1. Launch your Mozilla Firefox, chrome or safari iPad browser app.
2. Go to tineye.com or reverse.photos on your mobile phone.
3. Click Upload image button.
4. Select an image from the photo gallery on your phone.
5. Click Show Matching Images to send your photograph to Google Images database.
6. Google reverse image search engine will scan the web and show you visually similar phones.

What is Google Search by Image?

Google search by image is an image recognition technology and online tool that lets you upload an image for search (instead of keyword) and will show you related images that appear on other websites and also different sizes of the same image.

You can take a new photo with your iPhone, iPad or Android device camera or upload pictures from your phone library or download images from Cloud storage platform like OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox from within your tablet or mobile phone to perform google reverse image search.

Google reverse image search is useful for identifying and verifying the source of a screenshot, photographs, WhatsApp images, memes, and maps.

Facebook and Tinder users use “search by image” Google tool to research and identify profile pictures of their dates.

Photographers and journalists use the Google search engine search by image option to find the original source of an image and the published date of a picture on the web.

Bloggers and webmasters can use search by image feature to discover websites where their photographs appear online.

Reverse image search lets you search the web and find similar images. Travellers can use it to find the photo’s location. Matrimonial sites and PNG renders websites use Google reverse image search to automatically detect fake image uploads.

Google Search by Image Privacy Policy

Just like when you search Yahoo, Google allows users access to search setting so that you can control what appears on the search results page. Google respects users by keeping uploaded images 100% safe and secure and doesn’t save to their database or your browsing history.

The images uploaded into search by image database are hosted anonymously on the web and other users cannot discover them.

Google search engine automatically delete all uploaded photos within few hours of uploading or sometimes after 7 days.

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What is Reverse Image Search?

According to Wikipedia, Reverse image search is content-based image recognition, scanning, and retrieval query technique that provides the CBIR system with a sample image that it will based its search, formulates a search query for information retrieval to display image search results from around the web.

Reverse Image Search

Upload

Reverse Image Search by Google lets you search by images instead of key phrase or keywords. Upload a photo from your tablet, desktop or mobile phone and Google will display all the web pages or blog posts on the internet that contain visually similar images.

Google Reverse Image Search Made Simple

Do you want to search visually similar or related images? Google Reverse Image Search tool makes it super easy and quick to do an image search by entering an image URL, or upload an image or choose an image from Dropbox or Google images.

Search by Keyword – Upload Image – Enter Image URL

Here’s the trick, you found a picture and let’s say you don’t know anything about the photo. Now, how would you search for the information related to the image?

That’s where Google reverse image search functionality comes into play.

How Google Reverse Image Search Engine Works?

There are technicalities with similar image search to find information about a photo including places, metadata or objects based on the sample query image.

Google Reverse Image Search engine works by using content-based image retrieval (CBIR) query technique, also know an query by image content (QBIC) and content-based visual informational retrieval (CBVIR) to apply computer vision in retrieving digital images from the internet and Google Index based on mathematical models.

To retrieve the information, Google’s search by image uses the sample image to formulate a search query and remove the needs for users to guess by keywords.

Watch This Classic YouTube Video on Google Reverse Image Search & How It Works

The above video shows you a quick demo of how Google’s reverse image search tool can be used to fact check, research, and investigate images.

If you ever wondered about the history behind or source of an image, try Google image search to help provide you with answers. If you’re curious or doing research, reverse image search offers a digital paper trail of where an image has originated from as well as appeared on the web. You can paste a url into the search bar or drag and drop an image into the images.google.com search bar, or right click on an image when using the Chrome browser.

Google reverse image search engines can help you build your web literacy and fact-checking skills as well as investigation of a crime.

What Can You Do With Google Reverse Image Search Engine | Why Perform Reverse Image Search?

There are many benefits of using this classic tool and here are some of them:

• Detect fake accounts – helps to dredge up or rout out fake profiles.
• Identify products, people and places.
• Find, discover and uncover plagiarized recent photographs.
• Learn more about an object or metadata of an image.
• Create quality, high domain authority backlinks opportunities.
• Discover more recent and older versions of a particular image.
• Find and discover the original sources of images.
• Find visually similar or related images and the websites they appear online.
• Based on search settings – you can discover even more photos that are visually similar photo match, different sizes, resolution, color and dimensions.
• To find image’s original owners or creators.
• To enhance search engine optimization with unique images that is not found elsewhere.

These are some of the few reasons or why you need to perform reverse image search with Google.

Reverse Picture Search for Mobile Users

Because Google search by image works on desktop computers and not on tablets and mobile phone devices, you’ll need third party apps that integrates Google image search tool for mobile devices, including iOs compatible phones, tablets and Android.

How to Find Visually Related Images with Google Reverse Image Search

Google reverse image search allows you to use any picture to find related photos, graphics, infographics, photography works, or images from around the internet.

Here are what you’ll find

When you perform a search with an image or pic, your results may include the following:

• Visually similar and related images.
• Other sizes of the same image you searched with.
• The websites that these images appear.

Content Safety Guarantee & How Google Uses the Photos You Search With

Google stores the images you upload in your search for 7 days. They are not a part of your search history. Google uses them to make an informed decision to improve their services and products and make them better during that period of 7 days.

How to Perform Google Reverse Image Search on Android

Here’s how to search for pictures.

1. On your android phone or tablet, tab the Chrome app to open your mobile browser.
2. Visit images.google.com
3. Type a description of the picture you want to search for.
4. Tap Search
5. Tap the image you want to search with.
6. Tap a white dot or Google Lens
7. Or use a stylus or your finger, circle part of the image.
8. Touch and hold the picture.
9. Tap Search Google for this image.
10. Browse through the search results page for similar or related pictures.

How to Perform Reverse Image Search Google on iPhone & iPad

Follow these steps to search for pictures.

1. Open the chrome app on your iPhone & iPad.
2. Go to images.google.com
3. Type in a description of the photo you want to find.
4. Tap Search
5. Tap the picture you want to search with.
6. Tap Google Lens or a white dot. You can use your finger or stylus to circle part of the picture.
7. Touch and hold the picture.
8. Tap Search Google for this image.
9. View the search results page for related images.

How to Perform Google Reverse Image Search on Computer

Compatible Browsers

The following browsers are good fit for reverse image search:

• Safari
• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox

Upload a Picture

1. Open a Chrome, Safari or Firefox browser on your computer.
2. Go to images.google.com
3. Click Search by Image icon
4. Click Upload an image > Choose File or Browser
5. Select a picture from your computer.
6. Click Open or Choose
7. Relax and watch Google perform a reverse image search and display its results.

Drag and drop a picture

To drag and drop pictures for reverse image search, you’ll need to use either Firefox or Chrome browser.

1. Open a browser like Firefox or Chrome on your computer desktop.
2. Go to Google Images at images.google.com
3. Locate the picture file you want to search with on your computer.
4. Click the picture file.
5. Hold down the mouse, drag the picture and then drop it into the search box.
6. Scan through the Google search results page for visually related pictures.

Search with a URL

1. Open a Safari or Chrome browser on your desktop computer or laptop.
2. Visit the website that contains the picture that you want to search with.
3. Right-click the picture to copy its URL
4. Click Copy image address.
5. Go to Google Images (images.google.com)
6. Click Search by Image.
7. Click Paste image URL.
8. Paste the URL in the search text box.
9. Click Search by image.
10. Browse through the Google Image search results page for related photos.

Note: Your searched image URLs aren’t saved in your browsing history. However, Google may store the URLs to enable them make their products and services better.

Search with a Picture from a Website

1. Open Chrome browser on your laptop or desktop computer.
2. Go to the website where the picture you want to search with appears.
3. Right-click on the picture.
4. Click Search Google for this image.
5. A new tab will open to display your results; you can click in the bottom navigation number to browse other pages that contain the related images.

2 Ways How to use Google Reverse Image Search

There are two basic methods to search photos from the internet with Google reverse image search.

1. You can upload pictures in .jpg, .jpeg, .png, and .gif file extensions.
2. You can paste the image URL directly into the search text box.

Working of Image Finder

Image Finder otherwise called reverse image search works by checking your sample image based on its algorithm across different search engines like Google Index, Yahoo, Bing and Yandex to discover visually similar images.

Alternatives to Google Reverse Image Search Engines

Are there image search engines or picture search engines available? There are trillions of images available on the internet and several companies have developed tools and apps to help you perform reverse image search directly from their databases.

They include:

1. TinEye Reverse Image Search

TinEye is a powerful reverse image search engine and face recognition tool. Its search by image feature lets you upload an image and it will show you where the image appears on the web. TinEye also has TinEye Alerts that tracks where your pictures appear online and automatically send you an email alert in real time within seconds.

See: Reverse Image Search

2. Image Search Catfish

Another great reverse image search engine that identify the real person’s identity behind a catfish image.

Related Read: Image Search Catfish

3. Facebook Image Search

Give you the ability to find someone profile by means of profile ID associated with or assigned to every image downloaded from Facebook timeline or profile.

See Also: Facebook Image Search

4. Google Image Advanced Search

Lets you find images in any size and aspect ratio you need. It gives you out of the gate options to specify the shape of images, colors in image such as any color, full color, black & white, transparent and so on.

Further Reading: The Best Reverse Image Search Tools to Find Original Sources – Reverse Image Search Engines

5. Search by Image Android

Most people go to Google to search for images and information but sometimes you want to look up an image you already have on your phone to know where it originated from, its sources or creators. That’s when you need to know how to perform a reverse image search in Android or iOs to know more about previously unknown pictures on your phone.

Also Read:  Search by Image Android

6. Yahoo Reverse Image Search

If you’ve a picture and want to know what it is or where it originated from. Yahoo has a reverse image search capability that helps you identify the sources and other metadata about that photo.

Handpicked Related Reading: Yahoo Reverse Image Search

7. Yandex Reverse Image Search

Yandex Search by Image feature lets you to search for amusing pictures, frame photos, wallpaper for your desktop, answers to your image questions, photos, diagrams, infographics and illustrated instructions. You can search for visually similar images on the internet with Yandex reverse image search engine.

Also Read: Yandex Reverse Image Search

8. Reverse Image Search Facebook

Facebook reverse image search lets you find the profile of someone by using a picture, photo ID or URL. Use reverse image search for FB to search profile by means of photo using the identification number assigned to the photo if the photo is from Facebook. You may have other options such as Google reverse image search on Android and how to search image from gallery on your mobile phone, iOs, tablets and smartphone devices.

Interesting Reading: Facebook Reverse Image Search

Why Use Alternative Reverse Image Search Engines Other than Google Images

• As a photographer – you can protect your digital assets from illegal use.
• If you are a webmaster – you can use Google reverse image search to obtain backlinks to your sites.
• Personal Safety – creative professionals use these tools to protect their personal photos and video snapshots or screenshots taken directly from their viral videos on YouTube or Vimeo.
• For mobile users – Android phones, Windows phones, iPhone, iOs, iPad and all tablets users can use these tools directly from their mobile browsers and photo library or gallery.

Googlebot primarily crawls and indexes pages that contain images that were previously unknown to Google search – which you can use reverse image search to uncover the sources.

Google introduced Google Image Search in July 2001 and in 2011 it added a photo search function to Google reverse image search that uses a query technique called CBIR, CBVIR or QBIC to apply computer vision to retrieval digital images based on algorithmic models.

Most Popular User Group for Google Reverse Image Search

• Anyone looking for images online.
• Mobile users who use Google Images app from their smartphones or iPhones.
• Publishers and website owners searching for quality images to boost their content.
• Users who want to find original source of an image.
• Police investigators and defense lawyers who are investigating criminal cases.
• Celebrities and individuals checking if their personal photos are used online.
• Digital marketers and SEO professionals looking for websites using their images and graphics to gain backlinks and image credit.
• Artists and photographers looking for websites that use their creative work without permission or copyright credit.

Frequently Asked Questions about Google Reverse Image Search

Below is a list of the most common questions people have about Google reverse image search and our responses.

How Do I Use Google Reverse Image Search?

Google reverse image search works best on desktop computer using Chrome or Firefox browser.

Go to images.google.com, click the camera icon reverse (), and upload an image from your hard drive or drag an image from another window or paste the URL of an image you’ve found online into the search text box. And click Search.

How Do You Check If a Picture is on the Internet?

Use Google image search to verify, track or find information about any picture or image if it’s already on the internet. You can also use TinEye or Google reverse image search to fact check images on the internet. It’ll tell you where the image appears on the web and will return no results if the picture is not found online.

How Do You Image Search a Picture?

To search an image, just tap and hold the image and click on Search Google for this image. You can use Chrome to image search a picture by tapping the Camera icon at images.google.com.

How Do I Find the Original Owner of a Picture?

Go to Google Image Search page at https://images.google.com and click on the Camera Icon. Upload the image and review the search results for your sample picture or image.

You’ll need to browse through the search results and go through the number of results returned and check the websites that the image you uploaded appears online.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned how to reverse image search on your phone, what’s next? Do you want to search similar images across the internet? Google Reverse Image Search tool makes it super quick and easy to do an image search for personal or work use. All you need to do is simply upload an image or enter the image URL, or choose an image from Dropbox or from Google Images.

Know more about any photograph you’ve found online or on your phone with Google Reverse Image Search. Google Reverse Image Search helps you quickly discover visually similar images from around the web in minutes.

Have you try Google reverse image search before? Let us hear from you in the comment section below.