You posted a photo once, and now a friend says they saw it on a profile that is not yours. Or you simply want to know whether your pictures have travelled further than you intended. This guide explains the two main ways to look, how to run a search safely, and what to do with what you find.
Two kinds of search, two different questions#
Reverse image search answers: where else does this exact picture (or a close edit of it) appear? Similarity search answers: are there other pictures online that appear to show the same face? The first is best when you know which photo was copied. The second helps when someone may have used a different photo of you.
| Approach | Good for | Typical limit |
|---|---|---|
| Google Lens / Google image search | Finding pages that contain the same or a visually similar image | Results depend on what the search engine has indexed; private or logged-in areas are mostly invisible |
| Bing Visual Search | A second opinion; shows pages that use the image and related images | Different index than Google, so results differ |
| TinEye | Tracking copies of one specific image | Aimed at copies of an image, not at finding other photos of the same person |
| Face similarity search (this site) | Looking for other public images that may show your face | Returns possible matches only; a person must review them |
Step 1: Run the free general-purpose searches#
Google lets you search with an image by uploading a file, pasting a link or using Lens in Chrome; its results can include websites with the image or a similar one. Bing Visual Search works similarly: upload or paste an image and it returns pages that use it and related images. TinEye is a dedicated reverse image search. Run the same photo through all three, because their coverage differs.
- Use the original, highest-quality version of the photo, not a screenshot with the interface around it.
- Try a crop that excludes text, borders and filters; edits can hide a match.
- Note every URL that looks relevant, with the date, in a simple document.
Step 2: Use similarity search for your face#
General reverse image search struggles when the picture has been cropped, recolored or replaced by another photo of you. A similarity search compares a mathematical representation of your face with public images instead of looking for the identical file. This is what our tool does, and because it processes biometric data, you must give explicit consent and the photo must be of you (or of someone who has authorized you).
- Upload your photo and sign in
Choose a clear photo of your face and sign in with Google or an email code; the results appear right here and stay in your account. Tick the consent box confirming the photo is of you or that you are authorized by the person pictured.
- Quick pre-analysis in your browser
Your browser locates the face locally, only to show you what will be analyzed. When your browser supports it, EXIF and GPS metadata are stripped from the file before it is sent.
- Deep search on our server
The server extracts a vector from the image and searches public web pages. This takes a few minutes, so you can close the tab and wait for the email. The image is kept only as long as needed to complete and verify your report, then deleted (within 7 days at most).
- Summary on screen and by email
You see a summary with the number of matches, and we send the same summary by email with a link to your results. Your results stay in your account while the scan data is retained.
- Unlock the full report if you want it
Before unlocking, you see only how many matches were found; nothing is charged if there are none. The full report, with links to the pages and a removal roadmap, unlocks with 1 credit (packs from $9.90 / €9.90).
Step 3: Read the results critically#
A similarity result is a candidate, not a verdict. People who look alike, older photos and low-resolution images can all produce false matches, and genuine matches can be missed. For each result, look at the page itself and ask three questions: is this actually me, did I or someone I know post it, and did I agree to this use?
| What you see | Likely meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Your own post or a friend's tagged photo | Intended use | Nothing to do; consider privacy settings |
| Your photo reposted with credit | Possibly acceptable | Decide whether you are comfortable; ask for removal if not |
| Your photo on an account that is not yours | Impersonation | See the fake profile guide |
| Your photo in a scam or ad | Stolen image misuse | See scams using stolen photos |
| Intimate image you did not consent to share | Image-based abuse | See leaked intimate images |
| A face that only resembles yours | False match | Ignore; do not accuse anyone |
Step 4: Act on what you find#
- Capture evidence first: full-page screenshots showing the URL and date, plus the profile link. Do this before you report, as content can vanish.
- Report on the platform using its impersonation or privacy tools.
- If you took the photo yourself, you can also send a copyright takedown notice. See how to remove photos posted without consent.
- Ask search engines to drop the result with the steps in removing images from Google Search.
- Repeat the search later; copies can reappear on other sites.
What searches cannot do#
- They cannot see private accounts, closed groups, messaging apps or content behind logins.
- They cannot guarantee that nothing exists: no result does not prove your photo is not used somewhere.
- They cannot prove who posted an image or why.
- They cannot remove anything. Removal requires reports to platforms or site operators.
- A face similarity score is not identification and must never be used to accuse someone.
Want to check your own photo? You see the number of matches first; nothing to pay if there are none.
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