Do you have a photo of someone you don't know or want to know what a picture represents? Use various image search tools on the Internet to find other copies of these images, trace the source and get more information. You could use for example Google Images and TinEye which are the most used. You even have the option to do this research on your phone.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use the Google Images feature
Step 1. Find the image you want to search for
Google also gives you the possibility to search for images instead of texts. It will try to find other copies of your image, as well as other similar images. This will allow you to know the source of the image and find other photos of the person. It is possible to search from images stored on your computer or to do so using the image link address.
- Find the address of an image by right-clicking on the image and select Copy image address.
- Save the image to the computer by right-clicking on the image and select Save image.
- If you're using a phone, skip to Method 3 in this article.
Step 2. Go to the Google Images site
Enter images.google.com in your browser. After that, you will see the Google search window appear.
Step 3. Click on the icon represented by a camera
This icon is located on the right side of the search window. So you can search by image.
Step 4. Add the image you want to search
You have two possibilities to do your research.
- Select Paste the image address and then click on to stick on to paste said address into the search field.
- Select option Upload Image and then find the images stored on your computer.
Step 5. Click on the Search by Image option
You will see a list of search results displayed on the screen. Images of different sizes found will appear at the top. Pages where the same image can be found will be below and similar images will show at the bottom of the first page of results.
Method 2 of 3: Use TinEye
Step 1. Find the image to search for
TinEye is a search engine that allows you to find images. Search using the image address link or upload an image file. Although TinEye does not search for similar images, you can use it to quickly find where an image is coming from.
- Find the address of an image by right-clicking on the image and select Copy image address.
- Save the image to the computer by right-clicking on the image and select Save image.
Step 2. Go to the TinEye website
Enter tineye.com in your browser.
Step 3. Upload your image or paste the URL that was copied
Click on To download to browse your computer for the image file or paste the URL of the copied image into the search box.
Step 4. Browse the search results
TinEye will only display results from the same image. So, browse the results obtained to find the origin of the file.
Step 5. Visit the pages with pictures that can provide more information
The page that contains the image can give you more information about the identity of the person. Check some of the results to see if you can learn more about that person. Read the captions for the image or the paragraph written around the image.
Method 3 of 3: Use a mobile device
Step 1. Install Chrome browser on your phone
You cannot use Google Images to search for images on phones. However, use the Chrome app to search. You can download it for free from your device's application store (Android and iPhone).
- You can also use TinEye (above) to do your research. You just need to copy and paste the URL of the image you want to search. To do so, press and hold an image and select Copy image address in order to copy the URL to your phone's clipboard. Then paste it into the TinEye search box.
Step 2. Find the image to search for
You cannot download images, but you can search for any image found on the Internet. Navigate to the image you want to search for with Chrome.
If you only have one image file on your computer, upload it first to a site that hosts images online, such as Imgur. Then find the file on your device
Step 3. Press and hold the image you are looking for
A menu will appear after a while.
Step 4. Select Find this image in Google
This action will perform a Google Image search based on the image you tapped.
Step 5. Browse the search results
Google will provide you with its best guess on the name, as well as the links to the page where the image is located. Similar images can be found at the bottom of the first page of results.