This is extremely useful if you want to know where the picture was first posted or grab it at a different size or quality. You’ll immediately see a list of matches together with their resolution and the website they’re on. To access the same tool from a mobile device, tap the image source button in the lower right-the icon looks like a small magnifying glass and globe. (Optional) To find exact matches from a desktop browser, click Find image source. As soon as you upload the image, Google will show you results for it.Ĥ. On mobile, you can snap an image with your camera or tap the picture icon to the left of the search button to choose an image from your phone.On desktop, you can drag an image in from another window, upload a file from your computer, or paste in the URL of the image you want to find.Click or tap the search by image button-it looks like a colorful camera.
From a desktop or mobile browser, head to Google ImagesĢ. If it’s a logo, for example, you might see the company’s website, or if it’s a plant you might see its name and information about the species.ġ. Generally, Google can identify what’s in your photo, so you might also see related text results. Whichever one you choose, you’ll typically end up with a gallery that includes exact matches to your picture, as well as results that look similar to it. Google allows you to submit your image in a number of ways. Search by image on Google Google image search will allow you to see similar photos to the one you’re using for your query. You might also want to find the original iteration of a picture or piece of digital art-or make sure no one is using your content without permission. Reverse image searching is a good way to find photos similar to ones you already have, or better quality versions of them. The most accurate reverse image search tool will heavily depend on what you’re looking for, so it’s worth trying all of these options to see how the results compare.
You may have heard of it used in connection with Google image search, but the Big G is only one of the platforms offering this feature-there are several others you can use for free on your phone, tablet, or computer. Sometimes called backwards image search, this technique allows you to use a picture from your device’s gallery, a screenshot, or an image URL as a starting point to find out where it’s been used online. Knowing how to reverse image search is a useful skill. PopSci composite: Domenico Loia/Unsplash Screenshot: Google SHARE
You can use an image on your device or a URL to find similar photos or where it was first posted.