Facebook Image Search is a technique used to find the profile of a Facebook user using a photo Id, picture search, advanced Facebook search or Facebook reverse image search.
You will learn how to use reverse image search for Facebook to search profile by means of photo upload (or right-click) from your mobile, iPhone, iPad, iOs, or Android device.
Before we discuss ways of finding a Facebook profile from a picture, be it your friend’s pic or any person on the social media network – let’s quickly define what Facebook is all about, and its uses.
What Is Facebook And What Is It Used For?
Facebook is the most visited and popular free social networking website that allows people to create an account, login as registered users to create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages, chat live, post comments, share photographs and post links, check account activity log, and keep in touch with loved ones, family, colleagues, and friends.
To make use of Facebook chat, you have to login into your account to access Messenger, Facebook requires your email address or phone number, and a password for privacy and security reasons.
There are many things you can do on Facebook such as changing your account setting, clear history, log activities, view and filter search result, and perform image search or used it to search for images on net.
See: Yahoo Reverse Image Search
Instagram Reverse Image Search
What Is Facebook Image Search?
Facebook image search is a method of using reverse image search for FB to search profile by photo.
It lets you search for pictures using the identification number assigned to every photo uploaded by a user on the social network.
You can use this method to find (uncover) the profile of the FB user by means of a photo ID, photo search or advanced Facebook search or through facial recognition/matching tagging.
Related Reading: Facebook Reverse Image Search
Watch This Video About Facebook Image Search
Search Facebook Profile By Picture
Using reverse image search for FB photo ID or URL you can find the profile of any Facebook user by using a picture.
Photos with a public setting always appear in the search results.
Privacy settings are a determining factor for every user’s FB account.
How To Search An Image On Facebook
In general, to search for pictures on facebook you need to sig into your account and type in the name of someone or relevant keyword and Facebook will display the results based on the query.
You can get more relevant results for specific picture by adding “photo of” to your query.
Also, you can use https://facebook.com/directory and Social Search Engine to find the profile, use search parameter options to get filtered results to find a specific profile.
Facebook Photo Finder
With a Facebook Photo Finder app you can have the picture of someone and know more. May be you don’t know how to find them, where they live or their name.
Facebook uses 3 factors to find, analyze and display a picture for a search query.
- It takes into account the privacy settings of the users.
- It crawl Facebook photos based on the user’s account ID.
- Can only display public photos.
Here’s how to do it.
How To Find A Facebook Profile With An Image?
Here are the methods to find a person on Facebook using a photo. It’ll help you find details of the FB profile of a user based on an image.
1. Find A Person On Facebook Using A Photo Via Reverse Image Search
Reverse image search is a technique to find the source of the photo you are searching for.
This technically helps you discover similar images from the sample you uploaded onto the search engine. The search engine will display related images from around the internet.
If the photo source is related to Facebook URL then you can find the profile of the user and corresponding information.
There are a lot of online reverse image search engines that lets you find the information for a specific picture.
Using Search By Image Google To Find Somone On Facebook
- Go to https://images.google.com
- Click on the Camera icon in the search bar.
- Upload the image from your device gallery.
- Google will display the results based on the pic.
Pro Tips: For Google advanced search and custom results, enter site:facebook.com in the search bar just before the uploading. You’ll only get image search results from https://facebook.com. This makes finding the Facebook profile easier without having to weed out unnecessary off-platform sites’ pages.
Using TinEye To Find Someone Facebook’s Profile
TinEye is best known for rev image searching and it lets you upload the image or paste the URL and get related or similar images and websites that those images appear.
Bing Visual Search Tool
Bing Rev Image Search lets you search for the profile info using an image with its visual search tool. To search with an image, you will need to access Bing website or allow Bing access to your mobile phone camera.
- Go to https://bing.com and click images.
- Click on the camera icon to upload the photo to the Bing search engine.
- You’ll be greeted with similar images in the search results page.
Further Reading: Bing Reverse Image Search
Using RIS Mobile App To Find A Person’s Profile On FB With A Photo
With RIS Mobile App, you can upload the photos on the smartphone app and find the origin of the Facebook pictures.
The App automatically scans for the source across multiple search engines. The app is built on the framework of Facebook Image Search APK and works on iOs, iPhone, iPad, tablets and Android devices.
Yandex Reverse Image Search
Yandex image engine app and browser extension is one of the ways to find a person via their photo you found on Facebook. The search results page gives you lots of options to filter the pictures based on posted dates, how old or new the profile picture was updated.
You can also search by graphic using Yandex to get similar graphic illustrations or diagrams from Facebook.
Also Read: Yandex Reverse Image Search
Image Upload Facebook Application
This is a third party picture recognition technology and reverse image search app like search engine that can quickly identify a Facebook user profile from a picture search.
2. Using Photo ID
Here is how to find someone on Facebook using a picture identification number. Supposing you downloaded a photo from Facebook, you can use this method to identify the image’s identity.
- Check the file name of the photo.
- The picture will have the fb in the file name.
- The file contains three set of
numbers separated by periods. Look for the middle set of numbers.
For example, fbid=738381&set=a.7838393.839393.8484 - The set I’ve underlined is the profile ID of a Facebook user. That’s what we are looking for.
- Copy and paste in the URL: https://facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=PROFILE ID.
- Replace PROFILE ID with the underlined numbers from #3 above, at the end without a space.
- Open your browse and paste the URL from #6 above and hit enter on your keyboard.
- You should be greeted with the profile of the Facebook user from the picture reverse image search.
Although the above method is limited by privacy settings of the user profile, but still remains the easier way using photo to find a person’s profile on Facebook.
Related Reading: Reverse Image Search
3. Using SearchIsBack For Advanced FB Search For Finding Pictures On Facebook
SearchIsBack lets singles find people by relationship status, first name, school, city, company logo used on FB profile, and more.
It has the ability to search for events, posts, photos, logos, beautiful places, and landmarks.
Search Is Back service makes finding people on Facebook super easy without any complicated search terms, but with a limited resource.
With these 3 techniques you can perform image upload on third-party web services to do Facebook image search. And find users by means of a picture by using the photo ID, URL or pic recognition technology.
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Can I Use Face Recognition To Find Someone’s Identity On Facebook?
Although FB image search lets you search for pictures using identification number assigned to the image uploaded by a user.
Looking for someone? If the people that are in a group picture are connected to you as friends on Facebook, Facebook face recognition matching technology has the ability to identify people faces so that you can map them and link back to their profile accounts.
With the hard way to locate the number Facebook uses to identify the photo and try to search FB for the user who posted the image online.
Is There A Reverse Image Search Engine For Facebook Profile Pictures?
Reverse image search engines are online tools that don’t require you to use text keyword to find pictures. Instead, if you are searching for photos of family and friends or looking for pictures of yourself in other people’s albums, you have to upload a picture or paste image url and the engine finds similar images to the sample images.
Nevertheless, there are some reverse image search engines for Facebook profile pictures.
Here’s the list:
1. Google Images Helps Finding Pictures On Facebook Easier
Google images uses algorithms based on attributes like shape, color, size and resolution to get similar pictures. It’s free to use. Google Images’ mobile site does not perform reverse image searching as you can’t upload or paste a link to a photo, unless you request the Desktop Site version via a browser app on your mobile, smartphone or tablet device.
Tips: Google Chrome users can right-click on the image found on Facebook and click “Search Google for this image”.
2. TinEye Is Perfect For Looking For Pictures Of Yourself In Other’s Albums On Facebook
TinEye uses the image identification technology to hunt for similar pictures. It can be used to track down the use of your images on other people’s albums on Facebook.com
3. Yandex Could Help You When Searching For A Specific Photo On Facebook Platform
Yandex is Russia’s search engine that has its own reverse photo search tool. It lets you upload an image directly from your computer or simply input image URL.
If you’re using Yandex browser to access Facebook platform, you can quickly run the search by right clicking on it and choose “Search for this image on Yandex”.
4. How To Use Facebook Image Search With Reddit Karma Decay
Karma Decay is a reverse photograph search engine exclusively for Reddit.
It’s a handy tool that you can use to track down images that have been posted to Facebook groups by inputting the image URL in the search bar.
5. Looking For Images Without a FB Account, Use Pinterest Visual Search Tool
Pinterest Visual Search tool is the most advanced reverse image technology that lets you search for visually similar images as pins.
It has the ability to zoom within a particular image and drag the zoom tool over the specific parts in the Pin and search for it. The result will show visually similar search results to the focused part only.
The feature works on web platform as well as on iOs apps, Android devices and iPad.
You can take any picture you come across on Facebook and upload it to Pinterest and run a reverse image search to find the original source of that photo almost instantly.
Further Reading: Best Reverse Image Search Tools
6. Image Identity By Wolfram Is A Handy Tool For Checking For Stolen Images On Facebook Social Network
Image Identity is an image identification tool that uses AI intelligence to identify images by looking at them. Image Identity was launched in May 2015. It’s a part of the Wolfram Language Image Identification Project.
Image Identity is the best example of AI that you can use to identify any picture you’ve found on Facebook including fake profile pictures.
Related Reading: Image Search Catfish
7. Image Raider Offers Multiple Ways To search As Well As Viewing FB Photos Without An Account
Image Raider is a reverse image lookup engine that uses Bing, Yandex, and Google search results to provide Facebook reverse image search on any user’s profile pictures.
With its additional features, it lets you input several Facebook images at a time. This means you can save time using this tool by running a multiple reverse image search for up to 20 pictures at a time.
Unlike other picture finder tools and Facebook picture search where you can only upload an image or input its URL, here you have multiple options to provide query image via:
- You can add images directly from Facebook, Flickr, Reddit, DevianArt, Dropbox or 500px account.
- Add image from XML Sitemap.
- Fetch all the images from a page and use them as input for running the search simply by adding the URL of that page.
If you’re a parent you can use this tool to be checking up on your children and track websites or Facebook groups where their pictures have been published without your permission. It’s a handy tool for designers and photographers to monitor and track down their creative and beautiful work around the web.
More Images for Facebook Image Searches
8. China’s Baidu Reverse Image Search Tool For Checking Up On Your Children
China’s search engine Baidu also offers reverse image search tool that Chinese parents often use to keep an eye on their children. Especially what kind of photos are they posting on social networks like Facebook, Reddit or Twitter.
Multiple Ways To Search By Image To Find Similar Images On Facebook
Here are multiple ways how to do Facebook reverse image search on smartphone and mobile with the help of apps.
Reverse Image Search App For Android
How To Reverse Image Search Using Google Goggles App
Google Goggles is an app from Google that lets you find images on Facebook by giving an input image instead of text. It has a lucid interface and smart algorithm implemented in searching gives you quality results.
Reverse Image Search App for iPhone
Use Veracity App for Finding Original Sources and Relevant information on FB Profile Pictures
Veracity app is a free reverse image search app when it comes to iPhone. With a satisfactory results, the app lets you choose a Facebook profile picture from Camera Roll, Dropbox or Photo Library. It shows you the matching results once your chosen image is tapped and searched.
Reverse Image Search App for Windows Phone – A Perfect Example of Image Search
Reverse Image Search App is a Fine Tool for Facebook Picture Search
Reverse image search app is an app on the Windows platform for reverse image search.
It allows you to use Yandex, Bing, TinEye or Google search engine to upload photos from your camera or by URL or album.
The app also allows you to crop an image before uploading it into the search bar.
Reverse Image Search Add-Ons/Extensions for Browsers For Off-Platform FB Picture Searches
Google Reverse Image Search (Firefox)
Google reverse image search add-on saves your time and allows you to search relative images from Google images’ database. Reverse image search is useful on Facebook when using Google method viz its Firefox add-on.
Further Reading: Google Reverse Image Search
Who Stole My Pictures? (Firefox)
Want to perform Facebook image search or just finding profile from a picture, this Firefox add-on lets you search for a picture (gotten from a Facebook profile) on a variety of reverse image search engines, which includes VK.com, Tineye, Yandex, and Google images. Just right click on any photo and you can run a query for it on your choice search engine.
Searching for a Specific Photo with Search By Image for Google (Chrome)
Search by Image Chrome extension is a simple tool that lets you right click on the image, as the tool gathers info from the source. It allows you to search similar images or same image in higher resolution.
Reverse Image Search Web-based Add-on
This website provides you with a web-based add-on interface to find related photos from internet. It’s one of the best reverse image search web services for related photo lookup.
You can search by image to find related photos from website using three options:
- Drag files to upload or copy paste screenshot.
- Or, paste URL (click here to see how to copy and paste URL)
- Search by keyword.
Read: Best Reverse Image Search
Bing Image Match (Chrome) is a Handy Reverse Image Search for Android, iOs and Desktop
Bing image match is a chrome extension and my personal favorite tool for Android, iOs, and desktop computer whenever I’m searching for a picture I found on Facebook.
It displays image results and information as an overlay page within the same tab.
Its working is more convenient tha other add-ons, extensions, and plugins.
How To Do An Image Search On Facebook With TinEye Reverse Image Search (Plugin)
TinEye plugin is available for Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
TinEye plugin has a context menu item that lets you search for a photo, provides its source, its type of uses, higher resolution and modified versions.
How To Reverse Image Search Facebook
Though there are many services that offer reverse image search, the concept is not so popular on Facebook since Facebook is yet to have an official reverse image search capability.
However, there are 2 ways to do reverse image search for FB.
Again, although FB doesn’t have, you can use any reverse image search engine or FB ID number.
First, as discussed earlier, you need to locate user’s photo ID number and next, opeing up the FB profile with the photo ID as fully highlighted in steps from section 2 of Using Photo ID above.
Prominent Uses of Reverse Image Search On Facebook
Many people have no idea why and how to search by image, its uses and applications as one of the most useful services on the internet.
Important Read: Search by Image Android
Why Perform Reverse Photo Search On Facebook?
The service can be useful in many ways. Here are some high points or reasons for Facebook reverse image search.
- Gaining insights of your work.
- False rumor alert on social media platforms.
- Find similar images.
- To identify the objects in an image.
- Know unknown things.
- To learn more about the objects in an image.
- To discover more photos, which are visually similar photo match.
- To find image’s original creators or owners.
- To discover and uncover plagiarized images.
- To dredge up or rout out fake accounts.
- To enhance search engine optimization.
Frequently Asked Questions About Facebook Image Search (FAQs)
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the applications of Facebook reverse image search.
Can You Image Search On Facebook?
You can image search on Facebook using Google images to find someone. In the search bar tap the camera icon to pop up a drop-down menu. Then click “Search by Image”. From the several options that will drop down, choose “Copy Image Location” then go to images.google.com and paste the URL of the image location in the search bar.
Can You Search An Image On Facebook?
Here are ways to find a person on Facebook via their photo. Use TinEye to do a reverse image search by upload of a photo or paste the photo’s URL. The longer step is to locate the number Facebook uses to identify the photo and image search Facebook for it. Also, use Google images to find all the Facebook groups or places where that photo is posted online. Google Images can also find photos that look-like the query picture you uploaded.
How Do I Find Someone On Facebook With Just A Picture?
Here’s how to find someone on Facebook with a picture through Google Images
- Launch your web browser.
- Enter https://images.google.com into your search bar or browser’s address bar.
- Click the “Search by Image” camera icon located at the right side of Google Images search bar.
- Click the Upload an image tab and click Choose file.
- Browse your computer folders and upload the image.
- Hit “Search” and Google will display a list of all the web pages where that image appears.
How Can I Search A Person By Image?
Using TinEye Search Engine To Search Through Images.
- Locate the image that you want to search with.
- Go to Tineye.com
- Upload your image or paste the image URL.
- Scan through the image search results.
- Visit pages with the image for more info.
How Do I Search An Image Online?
Using Google Image Search
Go to images.google.com and click on the camera icon to either upload image or paste an image URL that you want to search with. If the image you want to search for is online, right-click on it and choose copy Image Address/Copy Image URL if you’re using Google Chrome. The search results page will display similar images.
How Can You Do An Image Search On Facebook?
Using Google Images To Find Someone
- Visit Google Images.
- In the search bar, click the camera icon.
- Paste the URL of the image or upload a picture from your hard drive.
- Hit “Search” and Google will display all the websites that contain your photo.
- Browse through the list and locate Facebook pages if your query image is found on FB.
Is There A Reverse Image Search Engine on facebook?
Although Facebook currently does not have a reverse image search engine technology and features on its platform, however, you can perform an FB reverse image search.
Use Facebook image search to find the profile of an FB user or your friend by using a picture, photo ID or URL. The best way is to try reverse image search for FB to search profile by means of a photo.
Can I Use Google Images On My Facebook?
You can use Google to search for images that are not copyrighted and use them on your Facebook.
First of all, when you search for images on Google, the search results page contains links to images found online.
In general, some of these images are copyrighted and are not free to use. Posting them on your Facebook or website, could be a violation of the owner’s rights.
However, as an example, you can search on Flickr.com or free stock photos sites for photos that are published under creative commons license that are free to use.
Why Doesn’t Google Images (Search By Image) Show Public Facebook Pictures
Because Facebook feeds are private and Google can’t log into Facebook to crawl and index Facebook images.
Facebook and Google are advertising revenue competitors and are both aimed at monetizing their audiences.
So Facebook has no incentive to share their huge datasets or database of trillions of images with Google. At least for now, for the most past Twitter feeds are public but Facebook isn’t public. Privacy issues and the use case is not aligned with Facebook.
Where Does Facebook Messenger Image Search Pull Its Images From
Facebook messenger saves photos to $EXTERNAL_STORAGE/pictures/messenger on your device such as iPad, iOs, iPhone or Android. The variable depends on your device storage location and settings.
When you launch the Facebook messenger app on your phone, Facebook messenger image search pulls its images from View Photos action button from individual message thread where you’ve shared photos.
So Facebook messenger easily pulls images from individual message thread timeline.
Why Does Facebook Not Have An Image Search Options Like Google?
Because as a social media network, search capability is not Facebook’s core business model.
Secondly, the reason why Facebook does not have an image search option like Google is simply privacy issues. Third, the use case of image searches is not aligned with Facebook’s privacy policy and its desire to dominate in popularity.
Non stalker uses or legitimate uses where you have an image of someone you don’t know or forget his/her name.
Facebook had introduced facial recognition tagging but was rolled back after a backlash in the media. This was thought of as a threat to someone’s privacy that may appear in a group picture but doesn’t want his identity on Facebook reveal to non-friends.
Facebook image search or reverse image search Facebook basically would use the same or similar algorithm of facial recognition tagging or matching.
Facebook focuses its investment to improve users experience in connecting and sharing stuff on its timeline with friend, family and colleagues. This is where they make the most of their advertising revenues.
Should Facebook Introduce An Image Search Option?
Images contribute to the popularity and usage of Facebook. Facebook has invested in usage, performance and optimizing the image experience.
By analyzes, the biggest issues searching for an image without context may not be useful to Facebook, so they decided to stay away for some privacy reasons. So a plane image search will negate the context they bring.
On Facebook, we like images because of the context they bring and the person sharing it on its timeline.
Conclusion
In a nut-shell, Facebook image search is a means of finding user’s profile by using photo Id, picture, or URL, as well as performing reverse image search on Facebook to search similar images.
Although, Facebook doesn’t have a reverse image search feature, you can use other reverse search engines to access public images on Facebook.
Have you searched an image on Facebook before? If you’ve any thoughts on Facebook image search and FB reverse image search, we’ll love to hear your comment.
