Easy as 1, 2, 3—Here's Exactly How To Do a Reverse Image Search on Your iPhone
Find out where that photo really came from!
Reverse image searching can be extremely beneficial for a multitude of reasons. If you've ever found one of your photos or images being used online without your consent, it can be pretty disheartening. What's more, without the proper credit, you won't receive the compensation you should either. Maybe you want to search an image simply because you're curious or want to find similar products or images. Maybe you want to see if it's from a free photo site that allows you to use it for your personal blog. No matter the reason, knowing how to do a reverse image search, even with your iPhone, is the first step to mastering it.
Images and photos contain information embedded within them almost similar to a human's DNA. This information, called metadata, can tell you where it came from and what it's made of, and even who has rights to it. Digital photographs contain what is referred to as EXIF (or exchangeable image file format) that details exactly where and when an image was taken. Depending on the camera used, some photos can even depict that camera brand and model. If you want to utilize all of this information, all from the convenience of your cell phone, here's how to do a reverse image search on your iPhone.
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Can I Reverse Image Search on My iPhone?
Absolutely! If your cell phone has a search engine or internet browser, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to perform a reverse image search using your phone. The trick is knowing how to use the browser that you have, or knowing which app or browser to download in order to make this task easier.
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How To Do a Reverse Image Search With Google Chrome
As Google Chrome is not the default browser for iPhones, you will need to download the app if you choose to go this route.
Open the Google Chrome browser and go to the website that contains the image you want to reverse search.
Tap and hold the image. Once the list of options comes up, select "Search Image with Google."
A new page will display with options to find the image source or do an additional search.
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Using an Image from Image Search Results
In the Google Chrome app, type in a keyword and select "Images."
Find the image you want to reverse search, then tap and hold it. A list of options will show up. Select "Search Image with Google."
A new page will display options to find any text within the image, similar images, or to find the image source.
Using a Photo in Your Photos App
If you have a picture saved in your photo gallery, here's how you can do a reverse image search using it on your phone.
First, click on the photo and choose the "Share" option. Then, select "Copy Photo."
Next, double-click on the search bar in the Chrome app and click on "Search for Copied Image."
How To Do a Reverse Image Search With Safari
This method is essentially the same as using Google Chrome, with some slight differences. Since Safari is the default browser for iPhones, you will not have to download any apps. However, the process is a bit longer.
Using an Image from Image Search Results
Open Safari and go to images.google.com. Search for an image by using keywords, such as "pumpkin patch." Click on the image of your choice, and then on the "Google Lens" icon in the top-right corner.
Using a Photo in Your Photos App
Open Safari and go to images.google.com. Tap on AA in the left corner of the search bar and select "Request Desktop Website."
Tap on the camera icon in the search bar.
Click on "Upload a File" and select "Photo Library."
Select a picture and tap "Choose" to upload it and see the results.
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Can You Reverse Image Search a Screenshot?
Reverse image searching does work on screenshots! Even though this is a photo you took and is only a representation of a website or image, the browser will still recognize it the same way.
Upload the screenshot into Google images in the same way that is described above.
Select the screenshot you want to reverse search and select "Choose."
A new page will display with the option to find the image source.
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