Search People by Photo Google vs Bing vs TinEye ... and 5 more
Edited by Jay, Eng
There are several reasons you may want to look up a person based on a photograph alone. Maybe you happen to have an image of someone but you don't know their name. If that image is indexed with either of the major search engines, the probability of finding a name increases greatly.
In today's ever-evolving digital age, there is no shortage of scams involving identity theft and fraud. By performing a reverse image search on one of your own photos, you can quickly see if anyone else has been using your pictures without permission. This might actually help prevent identity theft if you happen to catch something early on. If someone out there is using your photos it can be harmful to your personal and professional life.
Another great usage for a reverse image search is on dating site profile pictures. Spammers will often times create multiple accounts (all fake info) and simply grab pictures from real people's actual social media accounts. The purpose for this varies but the endgame is some kind of deceitful attempt to either get the user to submit personal information or sign up to something. Either way, doing a quick reverse image search will help you decipher whether the person you're dealing with is, actually who they say they are.
Below we discuss how to search for a person with a photo using Google, Bing, TinEye, and Yandex. We'll go over how to perform a reverse image search on a mobile device, using either a browser, service, or app.
Method 1: Google
Google is by far the largest search engine with the most images indexed.
To maximize your chances of finding a matching image, it's best to go with the largest database of images.
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- 3If you scroll down the page you'll see a list of images that are similar in appearance. If your image was not found, that simply means it's not indexed within Google's search network. You can try another search engine or image.If Google returns matching results, you'll see the name of the person directly below the first image.
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Method 2: Bing
Bing also offers a massive index of images to search through.
Bing's reverse image search is similar to Google's with the option to search by URL or uploaded image.
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Method 3: TinEye
TinEye is a Canadian company that offers search and image recognition services to large companies in the technology sector.
They offer a free search tool for non-commercial use that searches over 18.5 billion images.
- 1Open a browser and go to TinEye. Enter an image URL or upload one from your computer, then click the search button.
Method 4: Yandex
Yandex is Russia's largest search engine and has a great reverse image search option.
When searching for people by a photo, it's good to check search engines from other regions as well.
- 1Launch a browser, visit Yandex, and click on the camera icon to the right of the search box.
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Method 5: Google Chrome on Mobile (Android/iOS)
Both Android and iPhone users can perform an image search using Google Chrome.
This method only works for images you have a URL for, or find on a website. To search for an image from your camera or device folders, jump to the next method.
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Method 6: Ctrlq.org on Mobile
If you need to search for an image that's sitting on your device somewhere, CTRLQ.org is the tool to use.
A custom search that pulls results from Google's image index, ctrlq.org lets you upload a picture directly from your device.
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- 2Once Chrome is loaded, go to ctrlq.org and tap "UPLOAD PICTURE".
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Method 7: Search by Image Mobile App (Android)
Search By Image performs reverse image searches using both Google and Tineye.
Save yourself some time with this app by searching two of the largest databases at the same time.
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- 2Features.
- Fast, reliable, and easy to use.
- Open shared pictures from other social sites like Facebook, twitter, etc.
- Upload from the device's camera folders.
- 3Cost/Fees.
- Free version.
- In-app purchases at $2.49 per item.
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Method 8: Veracity Mobile App (iOS)
Another great mobile app (iOS) that performs reverse image searches on all images.
Veracity helps find more versions of an image or where it originated from.
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- 2Features.
- Figure out which social media profiles are real or fake.
- Search from the device's camera folders.
- Locate additional versions of the image, even if it's been cropped or resized.
- 3Cost/Fees.
- Free version.
- In-app purchases ranging between $1.39 - $3.99.
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If you're someone who has a lot of images on the internet, it might be a good idea to perform a reverse image search on some of your own pictures from time-to-time. You would be surprised how many people have their images taken and used on fake dating profiles.
Any of the tools discussed above is up to the task of finding similar or matching images on the internet. Remember, if all you have is a picture of someone, there is a good chance of learning their name by doing a reverse image search.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.