Google Images is commonly used to find images and display results based on keywords or phrases related to your query that you type in the search bar. However, in case you need to find the origin of an image or want some similar images to the one you already have, this feature comes in quite handy.
This is a pretty well known feature, with many other variations. An example of this is image search on Facebook, where users can find FB profiles with pictures.
You can perform reverse image searches on both desktop and mobile. However, using Google to search for images can be a fairly straightforward affair on your computer but can take a lot more work on your phone.
So this article will help you to find the answer for how to reverse google image search on desktop and phone. But first, learn when you should use it.
When should you use reverse image search?
Considering the number of people using Google searches every day, you’re probably wondering what images people usually search for. Many photographers and professionals use it for a number of advantages.
So when it comes to how to reverse lookup or image search, this comprehensive guide will help you know how to use it, when to use it, and what other options you have for the same purpose.
To get started, learn when you should use this option:
- You can use Google image search when you need to retrieve some useful information from an image. With the help of this Google service, you can find web pages with relevant information about the person in the photo. In addition, you can also find the product description of the item shown in the image.
- If you are concerned about image plagiarism, you can use Google image search with photos. With this process, you can find out if the image has been copied from somewhere.
- Now, the most common reason people use this image search feature is to find images that may be related to the image used for the search. Google will show several similar or related images within a second.
So these are the common reasons why people like to use image search. Now let’s see the steps to perform reverse image search on your computer.
How to do reverse image search on desktop?
As mentioned earlier, doing this method on the desktop is the easiest of all methods. If you are using Windows operating system, follow these steps:
- Open Google Images in Chrome and click the camera icon on the right.
- After clicking on the camera icon, you will see two options:
- Drag an image here or upload a file.
- Drag an image here or upload a file.
The “upload file” option allows you to upload an image from your Windows computer and find more similar images. Alternatively, if you’re using a Mac, you can also use a cropped screenshot.
On the other hand, “paste image link” will allow you to paste the URL of an image you find on the web. For a better explanation, skip to the next section.
By pasting the link
If you want to do a Google image search with a photo by pasting a link, you should follow these steps:
- First, you need to find the image using a Google search. For example, we will take a random image of a soccer ball from Wikipedia.
- Open the image in a new tab and copy its URL.
- Paste the URL in the space provided and click the Search button.
- It will take you to the Google Lens interface. From there, you need to click Find Source Image.
- On the right side you will see the source from which the image was taken. In this case – Wikipedia.
So here are the steps you need to follow to paste the reverse photo search link.
By uploading an image
You can also find similar images by uploading them to Google. For the sake of explanation, we have taken the “football” image from the previous section. With that, let’s take a look at the steps you need to follow:
- Instead of pasting the URL in the space provided, you should click “upload file”.
- Locate the file on your hard drive and click Open when you select it.
- As soon as you open the file, Google will direct you to the Google Lens interface and from there you can find the source just like you did in the previous method.
So here are two methods you can use to search for images on Google. However, if you are on a phone and want to use image search from your phone, please read the next section.
Steps to perform reverse image search on the phone
If you want to do a reverse image search on your phone (iOS or Android), you won’t find any built-in functionality. Therefore, you need to download the Google Chrome browser and perform the process differently on Android and iOS.
So let’s start with how to search by image on Android.
On Android
When you need Chrome to use reverse image lookup, this method will be somewhat similar to that on your workstation at home. To perform this method on Android, you need to follow these steps:
- Open Chrome and visit the Google Images page.
- Tap the camera icon in the search bar.
note
If you’ve never used Chrome, you’ll need to give the app access to your camera and gallery.
- You should see the open camera and your recent files on the screen. Then you can simply select any file from your phone memory or you can even take a screenshot and use it.
- Select an image for reverse search; in this case we will use an image of a labrador.
- When you select an image, Google Lens automatically starts scanning that image and gives you the same results.
Therefore, by following these steps, you can easily use Google reverse photo search feature on Android. Continue to see the steps on iPhone.
On iPhone
If you are not an Android user, there are different methods by which you can perform a reverse Google image search on your iPhone.
If you are using Chrome, the steps are the same as on Android. But you can also do the process using the Safari app. So if you are using Safari you should follow these steps:
- Open images.google.com in Safari.
- Select any image and tap the camera icon on the left side to get the same image. Here we have chosen an image of a waterfall.
- As soon as you tap the camera icon, you’ll see the same images below and the image ID.
Here we have similar photos of the falls and its name is “Abbi Falls”.
Now, moving on, let’s talk about some search engine other than Google to conduct image searches on your phone or computer.
Other Reverse Image Search Engines for Desktop
If you don’t want to use Google Chrome or Safari to do reverse image searches, you can try other search engines. So the other options you have as a search engine are:
Bing
Bing is a Microsoft search engine that can also perform reverse image searches. If you’re using Bing on your computer, just open it and click the camera icon next to the microphone icon.
When you click on it, it will show the same options as Google Chrome.
So you can upload an image from your desktop or paste a URL you find on the internet. The process will be the same as in Chrome.
TinEye
If you are wondering how to do reverse image search without Chrome or Bing, you can try other third-party browsers like TinEye. The search engine itself claims to have indexed over 60 billion images from the web.
If you are using a computer, you can easily search by URL, drag and drop any image, or directly upload an image for reverse image search. However, if you’re on a phone, just tap the upload icon and use any photo from your camera feed.
note
You can only use TinEye 150 times per week. To use more than that, you need to purchase the paid version.
Yandex
Yandex is a Russian search engine that helps you search by image just like the other browsers on this list.
If you are using a PC, you must open the Images section. You can then upload an image or paste a URL.
In addition to these browsers, you can try other options like Berify and Pixsy to search images by photo. However, these browsers are paid and can cause security issues.
Third-party reverse image search app for mobile devices
If you often use image search on your phone, then you’re better off getting a third-party app for that purpose. You can consider any of these applications for the procedure:
Search by image
Search By Image is a free reverse image search app that you can use on your Android device. It helps you find similar photos easily and use search engines like Google, Bing and TinEye.
Download for Android.
CamFind
If you ever come across an object or things in the real world and want to find out what it is, CamFind can definitely help you. The app will recognize the image for you, and if it’s a product, you can also get comparison results.
Download for Android and iOS.
Reverse
Reversee is a free app for iOS users that sends images directly to the Google Images database to find similar images. It also has a paid version that you can buy for $3.99.
Download for iOS.
Sherlock’s photo
Photo Sherlock is a great app for Android and iOS that comes with a simple user interface. The app pulls search results from Google and Bing, but you can also use it for celebrity facial recognition.
Download for Android and iOS.
honest
Veracity is another easy-to-understand reverse photo search app just for iPhone users. You can use any image from your Photo Library or Photo Library for reverse search purposes and even link it to your Dropbox account. However, you cannot share the results with any other users.
Download for iOS.
So here are some of the best apps that you should consider if you don’t want to use a browser for the process. They will certainly give you browser-like results and may offer additional benefits if you purchase the paid version.
Last word
Thus, with the above ways, you can easily perform image search on Google with a photo. Whether you’re using a desktop computer or a smartphone, this comprehensive guide covers every possible way. In addition, you may see a difference in the process when using your Android phone or iPhone for the process.
To search for images, you can try other search engines besides Google Chrome, such as Bing, TinEye, and Yandex. Alternatively, if you’re a regular Google image user, you can even try some apps like CamFind, Search by Image, Reversee, Photo Sherlock, and Veracity.
source
Wikipedia – Microsoft Bing, Reverse Image Search
wikiHow – Reverse Image Search in Google Lens: Android, iPhone, and Desktop
Also read:
- How to clear Google search history on different devices?
- The easiest way to make videos with pictures and music online
Read more Author: Prakhar Shivhare I am a Commerce graduate (Hons) from Hansraj College (Delhi University) with proven knowledge and skills in the fields of writing, health, fitness, internet and research.
Categories: How to
Source: newstars.edu.vn