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How to do a Reverse Image Search: Home

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Additional Resources

Often, claims or stories will come to you in the form of images and media. How do you know if they have been digitally altered (Photoshopped), created by AI, or shared out of context (misrepresented)? 

  1. Search the relevant text from the image. Visit the Evaluating Web Sources Resource Guide to learn how to fact check.
  2. Use “reverse image search” in Google. This page will show you how. Apply the reverse image search technique to a reverse video search.

  3. Read the article, Use These Google Tools to Tell If a Photo Is Fake.

Fact Check a Photo with a Reverse Image Search

 

 

Search with an Image on Google

You can learn more about an image or the objects around you with Google Lens. For example, you can take a photo of a plant and use it to search for info or other similar images.

What you find when you search

Your results can include:

  • Search results for objects in the image
  • Similar images
  • Websites with the image or a similar image

How to do a Reverse Image Search

Compatible browsers

You can do a visual search with Lens on most browsers, like:

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Safari
  • Edge

Upload an image

  1. Go to Google.com.
  2. Click Search by image .
  3. Click Upload a file.
  4. Select an image.
  5. Click Open or Choose.

Drag & drop an image

  1. On your computer, find the file with the image you want to search.
  2. Click the image.
  3. Drag the image to the search box.

Search with a URL

  1. On your computer, go to the website with the image you want to use.
  2. To copy the URL, right-click on the image and click Copy image address.
  3. Go to Google.com.
  4. Click Search by image .
  5. In the text box, paste the URL in “Paste image link.”
  6. Click Search.

Tip: Browsers don't save the URLs you search within your browsing history. Google may store the URLs to make our products and services better.

Search with an image from a website

  1. On your computer, go to the Chrome browser.
  2. Go to the website with the image you want to use.
  3. Right-click the image.
  4. To display results in a sidebar, click Search Image with Google.

Search with an image from search results

  1. Go to Google.com.
  2. Search for an image.
  3. Click the image.
  4. Scroll down to see related images.
  5. To go back to the result page, at the top right, click Close Close.

Attribution

Search with an Image on Google

What you need

Search with an image from search results

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, go to Google.com.
  2. Search for an image.
  3. Tap the image.
  4. At the bottom left, tap Google Lens .

Search with an image from a website

Important: To search with a website image in the Chrome app, you must make Google your default search engine.

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, go to the Google app Google app or Chrome app Chrome .
  2. Go to the website with the image.
  3. Touch and hold the image.
  4. Tap Search image with Google Lens.
    • To search part of an image, drag the corners of the box around your selection.
  5. At the bottom, scroll to find related search results.
  6. To refine your search, tap Add to your search.
  7. Enter keywords.

Search with an image from your device

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google app Google app or the Chrome app Chrome .
  2. In the search bar, tap Google Lens .
  3. Take or upload a photo to use for your search:
    • To take a photo: Point to an object with your camera and tap Search .
    • To upload an existing image: Under "Screenshots", select a photo.
  4. Select the area you want to use for your search:
    • To search part of an image, tap the image, then drag the corners of the box around your selection.
  5. At the bottom, scroll to find your search results.
  6. To refine your search, tap Add to your search.
  7. Enter keywords.

Tip: To get more specific results, select a smaller area on the image.

What you need

  • The latest version of the Google app Google app
  • Chrome app Chrome  

Search with an image from search results

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Google.com.
  2. Search for an image.
  3. Select an image.
  4. At the bottom left, tap Google Lens .

Search with an image from a website

Important: To search with a website image in the Chrome app, you must make Google your default search engine.

  1. On your iPad or iPhone, go to the Google app Google app or Chrome app Chrome .
  2. Go to the website with the image.
  3. Touch and hold the image.
  4. Tap Search inside image .
    • To search part of an image, drag the corners of the box around your selection.
  5. At the bottom, scroll to find related search results.
  6. To refine your search, tap Add to your search. 
  7. Enter keywords.

Search with an image from your device

  1. On your iPhone and iPad, open the Google app Google app, Chrome app Chrome , or the Safari app.
  2. You can either
    1. In the search bar, tap Google Lens .
    2. Click: Search Inside photo from your camera roll.
  3. Take or upload a photo:
    • To take a photo: With your camera, point to an object and tap Search Search.
    • To upload an existing image: Tap Photo picker Gallery and select a photo.
  4. Select how you want to search:
    • Use part of an image: Tap the image then drag the corners of the box around your selection. At the bottom, scroll to find your search results.
  5. To refine your search, tap Add to your search.
  6. Enter keywords.

Tip: To get more specific results, select a smaller area on the image.

 If you're new to iPhone, you can learn how to search with your camera.

Control access to Photos

You can adjust access to your saved images on the device by:

  1. Go to Settings Settings.
  2. Tap Google and then Photos.
  3. Select
    1. None
    2. Limited access
    3. Full access