Popular web browsers such as Google, Bing, and others can discover the source of a photo or image by performing a Reverse Image Search.
What is Reverse Image Search?
Users generally search for information on the internet by typing a relevant keyword, phrase, or short sentence into the search bar of Google, Bing, or another web browser.
When a browser is given an image or photo URL, it can perform an Image search and return relevant results.
Using a photo instead of a keyword/phrase to search for information on the internet is known as “Reverse Image Search.”
Who Uses Reverse Image Search?
Fake News Websites and Toxic Social Media Pages frequently use Photos and Images to convey false information, according to the adage “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.”
It has created a demand for Fact-Finding websites that use Reverse Image Search to disprove internet lies, misinformation, half-truths, and misleading information.
A Reverse Image Search will lead you to the image’s source and other websites where the image has been used.
Trained individuals then evaluate this data at Fact-Finding websites to provide a convincing report about a viral social media post or an article on a website that is deceptive or openly disseminating lies.
1. Reverse image search on PC and Mac using Google
Google Image Search works best on a desktop or laptop computer, and it can be used regardless of the web browser on your computer (Chrome, Safari, etc.).
1. Open your computer’s web browser.
2. Navigate to the website or social media page where you found the photograph.
3. From the menu that appears right-click on the image and select Copy Image Address.
4. Launch a new browser tab, go to google.com, and click the Images link in the upper-right corner.
5. Select the Camera icon from the Search Bar.
6. Paste the Image URL (copied in step 3) into the pop-up and select Search by image.
The websites that appear in the search results, including the original website where this image first appeared, are listed.
Typically, the information revealed by a reverse image search provides enough indications and rationale to call out or disprove an article or social media page spreading fake news.
2. Reverse Image Search on iPhone using Google
Because Google’s image search works best on a desktop site, you must use the desktop version of Google to perform a reverse image search on your iPhone.
1. Firstly, open Safari and go to the website that contains the image you want to study.
2. Tap and hold the image, then select Copy from the menu that appears.
3. Open a new browser window and go to images.google.com.
4. When you’re on Google, click the AA letters and select the Request Desktop Website option.
5. On the Desktop site, open Google Image search by tapping on the Camera button.
6. In the pop-up, paste the image URL (copied in step #2) and choose Search by image.
It will appear in the Google Image Search results, listing both the original and other websites where this image has been published.
3. Reverse Image Search on Android Phone using Google
Similarly, you can use Google Image Search on your Android phone to perform an image search.
1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to the image’s website or social media page.
2. Hold down the image and select Open Image in a New Tab.
3. Copy the URL of the image from the new tab.
4. Open a new browser window and go to images.google.com.
5. Once on Google, click the three-dot menu icon and choose Request Desktop Site.
6. Tap the Camera icon on the Desktop site to launch a Google Image search.
7. In the pop-up, paste the image URL (copied in step #2) and choose Search by image.
It will take you to the image’s relevant search results, including the website where it was first published.
