How to Do a Reverse Image Search: A Step-by-Step Guide

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A reverse image search allows you to find more information about an image or topic by using the image itself—instead of text. This technique can help you find a high-resolution version of an image, locate similar images, or identify the original source of the image. You can also use a reverse image search to search for specific products across the internet by uploading a photo.

For example, we used Google Lens to search for an image of a dress. And found several sites with the same dress.

In this article, we’ll walk you through a few techniques for doing a reverse image search on your mobile and desktop devices. We also share some creative ways to use reverse image searches (including how to use it to get more website traffic).

How to Do a Reverse Image Search on Mobile Devices

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to perform a reverse image search on both Android and iOS devices.

On Android Devices

Using the Google Lens App

One of the easiest ways to reverse image search on your phone is with the Google Lens app. Here’s how:

Download the Google Lens app on your mobile device. Then, launch the app and grant permission to access your device’s camera.

Use your camera to take a picture of any object you want to search for.

Tap the magnifying glass button to see results matching the object in your picture.

You can also click “ Add to your search” to add more keywords along with the image and find more relevant results.

Using an Image in Your Gallery

Another way to conduct a reverse image search is directly from your phone’s image gallery:

Open your phone’s gallery and choose the image you want to search for.

Tap the Google Lens icon and give the necessary permissions. The app will isolate some parts of your photo to highlight the main object.

Then, you’ll see all the results matching the original image.

The search result page is the same in both methods. It gives you the option to add more keywords to your image search and visit any of the result pages.

On iOS Devices

Using the Google App

To perform a reverse image search on your iPhone, you’ll need to use the Google app. Here’s how:

Download the Google app on your phone. Open the app and tap the Google Lens icon. Remember to enable camera access to take pictures.

Next, take a picture of any object you want to search for.

The app will show results matching your photo.

Click “ Add to your search” on an iPhone to find more results by adding more keywords. Like this:

Using Gallery Images

Run a reverse image search with images in your gallery by following these steps:

Open the Google app and click on Google Lens. Besides capturing images, the app also gives you an option to search with images in your gallery. Select any image you want to search for.

You’ll see results similar to this image based on specific data points. Like color, objects, text, and more.

How to Do a Reverse Image Search on a Desktop

Now, let’s break down the different ways to do a reverse image search on a desktop device. While we’re using Google Search to demonstrate the process, you can follow similar steps on other search engines.

Using Image Search Results

Follow these steps to use reverse image search:

Enter your search query on Google and hit “ Enter” (for Windows users) or “ Return” (for Mac users). In this example, we’ll search for a red panda.

Next, click the “ Images” tab to find images related to your search query.

Click on any image for which you need more information. This will open the image in an expanded panel on the right side of your screen.

Now, click the Google Lens icon in the bottom-left corner of the image.

This will return a list of images matching the original image you picked. Click on any of these results to visit a specific site.

The result page shows:

Using a Website Image

Another way to run a reverse image search is directly from a website. Here’s how:

Open any website where you want to run an image search.

Hover your mouse over any image you want to learn more about. Then, right-click the image to access different options. Such as copying it, creating a QR code, saving it, and more.

Click on “ Search image with Google” to run a reverse image search query.

A new pop-up will open in your browser, and you’ll see similar images.

The result page shows you how to:

Using an Image Address

You can also reverse search an image using the image address. Follow these steps to do it:

Find an image you want to search on Google.

Right-click the image. Then, click “ Copy image address” to get the link for your search query.

Next, go to Google’s homepage and click on the Google Lens icon.

Here, you’ll see the option to add an image link to run a search.

Add your link and hit “ Search” to see a variety of results matching the original image.

Using Images From Your Local Storage

You can also upload a file from your device to run a reverse image search. Here’s how:

Go to Google’s homepage and click on the Google Lens button.

Here, click “ upload a file” to add any image from your device.

Google will return several images matching the one you uploaded. You can find different sites listing this image and visit them to find more information about it.

5 Ways to Use Reverse Image Searches

There are many useful applications for reverse image searches. Each offers distinct benefits.

1. Identify the Original Image Source

One of the most common use cases of a reverse image search is to find an image’s original source.

Click “ Find image source” in Google Lens, and you will see a list of websites that have used the image you are searching for.

Then, find the result with the oldest publish date to identify the original creator. In this example, the oldest published data is for a Shutterstock page. Making Shutterstock the original image source.

2. Search for Products

Want to buy a product but can’t find a good store selling it? A reverse image search can help you find multiple sellers for that product.

Simply search for the product’s photo (ideally with its packaging). The search results will show all the websites where this product is listed or mentioned.

3. Find Higher-Resolution Versions of an Image

Another benefit of a reverse image search is to find a higher-quality version of an image.

4. Get Backlinks From Other Sites

Reverse image searches are great for marketers. You can discover sites using your images but aren’t linking your website as the source.

5. Detect Copyright Violations

If you’re an Artist or illustrator, you can use reverse image searches to identify sites using your work without permission.

4 Tips for Effective Reverse Image Searches

Having trouble getting the best results with reverse image searches? You might be doing it wrong. Keep these four tips in mind to find accurate information from an image search query.

Use High-Quality Images for Better Results

Use Additional Filters Provided by the Search Engine

Crop and Focus on the Main Subject

Try Multiple Reverse Image Search Engines

Use Reverse Image Search to Find New Opportunities

Whether you need information on an image, a product, or a photo’s original source, reverse image search is a powerful tool for uncovering valuable details—and new possibilities.