How to Reverse Image Search on iPhone and Android

The fastest way to reverse image search on a phone is Google Lens. On an iPhone it lives in the Google app and Chrome; on Android it’s built into the Google app, Chrome and, on many phones, Circle to Search. Pick a photo from your camera roll or touch and hold an image on a web page, and you get matches in a second or two.

Everything below comes from Google’s and Apple’s own help pages, linked in each section, so the button names match what you’ll see.

The methods at a glance

Sources: Google Search Help, search with an image (iPhone), the same page for Android, Circle to Search help, Apple iPhone User Guide, Visual Look Up.

How to reverse image search on iPhone

A photo from your camera roll

1. Open the Google app or Chrome. Google’s help page also lists Safari for this.
2. Tap Google Lens in the search bar.
3. Tap the photo picker and choose the photo. (Or point the camera at something and tap Search.)
4. Drag the corners of the selection box around the part you care about.
5. Scroll down for the results. In the Google app you can tap Add to your search and type words to narrow them.

An image on a website

1. Open the page in the Google app or Chrome. In Chrome, Google needs to be your default search engine.
2. Touch and hold the image.
3. In the Google app, tap Search inside image. In Chrome, tap Search image with Google.

Identify what’s in a photo with Visual Look Up

Apple’s built-in option answers a different question: what is this? Apple says it can identify “architectural landmarks, popular statues, famous art, plants, pets, books, and more”, and it can recognise food and suggest recipes.

1. Open the photo full screen in Photos (or pause a video on a frame).
2. If the Info button shows a symbol with stars, Visual Look Up is available. Tap it.
3. Tap Look Up at the top of the photo information.

Visual Look Up isn’t available in all regions or languages, and it won’t tell you where else the picture has been posted.

How to reverse image search on Android

A photo on your phone

1. Open the Google app or Chrome.
2. Tap Google Lens in the search bar.
3. Take a photo, or pick one under Screenshots or your gallery.
4. Drag the corners of the box to search part of the image, then scroll down for results.

An image on a website

1. Open the page in the Google app or Chrome (with Google as the default search engine).
2. Touch and hold the image.
3. Tap Search image with Google Lens.

Circle to Search: anything on your screen

On supported phones you don’t need to save the image first. Google says Circle to Search is on “select models of Android phones including Pixel 6 and later”.

1. Touch and hold the Home button or navigation handle at the bottom of the screen.
2. Circle, highlight, scribble on or tap the image.
3. Results appear in the lower half of the screen. Tap that area to expand them.

If nothing happens, Google lists the requirements: Google set as your default digital assistant app, “Use screen and app data” turned on, and the Google app up to date.

When Google Lens finds nothing

Lens is strongest at objects, products and places. For “where did this exact picture first appear?”, a second engine is worth the extra minute:

• TinEye is a dedicated image search engine, free for non-commercial use (TinEye help). Open tineye.com in your phone’s browser and upload the photo.
• Bing Images has its own visual search. Open bing.com/images and tap the camera icon.
• Crop first. A tight crop of a face, logo or landmark matches better than a wide shot full of background.

To run one image through several engines at once, my reverse image search tool sends it to Google Lens, Bing, Yandex and TinEye in one go and works in a phone browser. For video, the reverse video search tool pulls frames from a clip first, and my guide on verifying where a video came from covers the rest. For Facebook and Pinterest specifically, see reverse image search on Google, Facebook and Pinterest.

Before you upload a photo, check what it reveals

A photo you took yourself usually carries hidden data: the GPS coordinates where you shot it, the date and the camera model. Uploading it to a search engine shares the file, so if the location is sensitive, strip that data first. My free EXIF viewer shows what a photo carries and removes it without re-compressing the image.

Reverse image search on phone FAQ

Can I reverse image search on iPhone without an app?

Yes. Google’s help page lists Safari as one of the apps where you can search with a photo from your device using Google Lens. Apple’s Visual Look Up in the Photos app also works without installing anything, but it identifies what’s in a photo rather than finding where it appears online.

How do I reverse search a screenshot?

Take the screenshot, then open Google Lens in the Google app or Chrome and pick it from your photos. On Android, Google Lens shows a Screenshots section when you upload. On phones with Circle to Search, skip the screenshot and circle the image on screen directly.

Why doesn’t “Search image with Google” appear when I press and hold?

In Chrome, Google has to be your default search engine for that option to show. In other browsers, open the photo in the Google app or use Google Lens with a saved copy.

Is reverse image search free on phones?

Yes. Google Lens, Circle to Search, Visual Look Up and Bing’s visual search are free, and TinEye is free for non-commercial use.

Does reverse image search work on videos?

Not directly. Take a screenshot of a clear frame and search that. To pull several sharp frames from a clip automatically, use a reverse video search tool.