How To Reverse Image Search On An IPhone

If you have never used reverse image search, what are you waiting for? It’s a really useful tool. It can help you identify people or items in photos, find the source of an image, even assist with finding something that you want to buy (or an item similar to it). Reverse image search is a tool offered through Google Lens, but it isn’t just available on Android devices. You can use it on your iPhone, too, just as easily.

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How to reverse image search on an iPhone using Google

Curious about online images?

If you don’t already have it, download the Google Chrome browser from the App Store.
Go to Google.com from the Chrome web browser.
When you come across the image you want to search, touch and hold it.
Select Search Image with Google. This will open Google Lens.
From here, you can scroll through the list of results where this image appears, or select Find image source to locate where the image originated. Note: since most images used online require accreditation, you will, in many cases, already see which person or company took and owns the photo. But using a reverse image search can also help you find similar photos, or identify what’s in the photo if it isn’t clear from the search result and/or the webpage on which the photo appears.

How to reverse image search on an iPhone from a website

Curious about website content?

If you don’t already have it, download the Google Chrome browser from the App Store.
Visit the website that has the image.
Touch and hold the image.
Select Search Image with Google.
Drag the search window around to the specific part of the image you want to search (if you are not interested in the entire image). This could be a piece of clothing, for example, or a single person’s face from a group image.
Scroll through the results to find related images, or an identification of the person or item.

How to reverse image search from your library

Curious about images in your photo library?

If there’s an image you want to know more about, like one you saw on social media, in a video, or something that was sent to you, save it to your library from wherever you received it. If it’s in a video, you can just grab a screenshot and use that.
From the Chrome or Safari browser, or within the Google app itself (which you can download from the App Store), select the Google Lens button in the http://www.google.com Search bar and select the image from your library you want to search. Alternatively, you can simply tap the Share button on the bottom, left of the photo right from your Photo Library then scroll all the way down to Search with Google Lens.
Browse the results.
If you want to refine the search further, type keywords into Add to your search.

How to reverse image search from your live camera

Curious about an item in front of you?

A particularly useful feature is the ability to use Google Lens with your iPhone to search for more about an item that’s right in front of you, like a plant, animal, landmark, piece of clothing, and more.

From the Chrome or Safari browser, or in the Google app itself, select the Google Lens button in the http://www.google.com Search bar.
Select Search with your camera. You may be required to first allow camera access in Settings if you haven’t already permitted this for Google Lens.
Point your camera at the subject in question and tap the Shutter button to take a photo.
Browse the results to identify the item or find similar ones.
You can also drag the corners of the box around the specific part of the image if you want to search only for a certain aspect, or certain subject, or want more specific results.
If you want to refine the search further, type keywords into Add to your search.

You’ll use it more than you think

Luckily, we live in an era where curiosity can be easily satisfied

Don’t think you’d ever use reverse image search? I have used it numerous times for a variety of reasons. For example, I took a screenshot of a fitness trainer from a video to help my friend identify the brand and model of running shoes she was wearing. I used reverse image search to figure out the identity of a cover model when a friend group was debating over who it was. If I find an image I want to use in an article, I run a reverse image search to find out the original source of the photo to ensure it isn’t copyrighted or to provide proper attribution. There are so many ways you can use reverse image search on all the latest iPhones.

Note that if you want to ensure your search doesn’t yield inappropriate results, turn on SafeSearch, which blocks inappropriate images. This includes images with nudity or sexually explicit material, as well as images that depict violence and gore. You can choose to Filter or Blur these images, or prevent them from showing up entirely. You can do this from Settings, SafeSearch in the Google app.

Once you have discovered the benefits of using reverse image search through Google on an iPhone, you can start to explore additional photo features. Baked into Apple’s own iOS, for example, is a feature called Visual Look Up that helps you learn more about things in photos, like landmarks, statues, plants, pets, art, and more.