How to do a search with a picture

Looking up a photo with the reverse image search feature on your iPhone is fast, easy and free

We’ve all been there: You see a cute picture of a dog and want to know what breed it is, but you have no idea how to find out. All is not lost! With the reverse image search feature on your iPhone, you can learn the answer in a matter of seconds.

What’s a reverse image search, you ask? Reverse image search is one of those cool Google tricks that makes your life easier. It’s like a normal Google search, but you enter a photo rather than words into the search bar. From there, Google will find images similar to the one you uploaded and even help you define and label the objects in the image. With a few simple steps and just one app, you can do a reverse image search on iPhones or iPads. Whether you want to discover the name of a new plant while hiking or weed out fake dating profiles, this is a convenient tool any time you don’t have easy access to a computer.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered with a straightforward, step-by-step guide to using the reverse image search feature on iPhones with the Chrome and Safari apps. For more photo-related iPhone tricks and iPhone hacks, learn how to hide private photos on iPhone and recover deleted iPhone photos.

Can I reverse image search on my iPhone?

Most of the time, people use their desktop computers to perform a reverse image search. But it turns out that you don’t need to be at a computer to do this. With the reverse image search iPhone tool, you can look up any image on your iPhone—including screenshots, search results, photos saved to your Photo Library and snapshots from your Camera Roll—while you’re out and about.

Using the reverse image search on iPhones can help you find similar images, websites with the exact image or a similar image and even objects identified in the images. This feature can come in handy in a wide range of scenarios, from spotting fake photos to learning the breed of a dog. For example, you could perform a reverse image search using photos from someone’s online dating profile to avoid falling for a dating scam. If you are a photographer or business owner, you might also want to use the reverse image search tool to find out if people are using your photos or images of your products without your permission.

To get started, all you need is the Google Chrome or Safari app. Download at least one of them, and then follow these instructions to perform a reverse image search on your iPhone with a photo from image search results or your Photos app.

How to do a reverse image search with Google Chrome

Using an image from image search results

RD.com, Getty Images

1. Open the Google Chrome app.
2. Go to images.google.com, and search for the image using keywords.
3. Tap and hold the image you want to search for until the pop-up menu appears.
4. Select the option “Search Google for This Image” in the menu to launch your search and view results.

Using a photo in your Photos app

RD.com, Getty Images

1. Open the Photos app, and go to your Photo Library.
2. Tap on the photo you want to use.
3. Tap on the “Share” icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
4. Select “Copy Photo” in the pop-up menu.
5. Open the Chrome app, and double-tap on the search bar.
6. Tap on the “Search for Copied Image” option.
7. Scroll down to view the search results.

Once you’re done searching, this is how to delete iPhone photos to save storage space and protect your privacy.

How to do a reverse image search with Safari

Using an image from image search results

RD.com, Getty Images

1. Open the Safari app.
2. Go to images.google.com, and search for the image using keywords.
3. Tap on the image you want to use.
4. Tap the Google Lens icon at the top right-hand corner of your screen.
5. Center the crop tool on the detail in the image that you want to search for.
6. Scroll down to view the search results.

Using a photo in your Photos app

RD.com, Getty Images

1. Open the Safari app, and go to images.google.com.
2. Tap the “Aa” icon in the left-hand corner of the search bar.
3. Select “Request Desktop Website.”
4. Select the camera icon in the Google Search box.
5. Tap “Upload an Image” > “Choose File.”
6. In the pop-up menu, tap “Photo Library” to select a photo from your Photos app. You can also take a photo with your iPhone camera by tapping on the “Take Photo or Video” option.
7. Tap “Choose.” Once the photo is uploaded, scroll through the search results.

If you use the reverse image search iPhone tool frequently, keep in mind that the photos stored on your iPhone can reveal a lot about you, such as your location, your child’s school or other sensitive information. Without proper precautions, those photos could be accessed by hackers, cybercriminals and even companies like Apple and put your information and data at risk. Protect your privacy by reading up on what Apple does with your images and what else your smartphone knows about you.

Sources:

• Google: “Search with an image on Google”
• Google: “Get info about your photos & surroundings”

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