Reverse image search engines let you search using an image instead of text. TinEye is the original reverse image search engine, using image recognition to match against a growing index of billions of images. You can use TinEye to trace an image’s origin, verify its authenticity, see how it’s being used, find modified versions, or locate a higher-resolution copy.
This guide will cover:
- How to search for an image
- What TinEye does with your images
- Using TinEye browser extensions
- Sorting TinEye results
- Filtering by stock results
- Filtering by domain
- Comparing your image with TinEye results
- Working with TinEye search results
- Using images found with TinEye
- What finding no TinEye results for your search image means
1. How to search for an image
You can search for an image with TinEye in five ways:
- upload from your device
- drag and drop
- paste from your clipboard
- paste or enter an image URL
- using browser extensions
If you already have your image downloaded, you can drag and drop it directly onto the TinEye search page or upload it using the “upload an image” button. You’ll then be prompted to select the image from your computer or device that you’d like to search with.
You can search for an image on a website either by copying the image or the image URL, and pasting it into the TinEye search page. To copy an image or URL to your clipboard, right click on an image and select “Copy Image”, or “Copy Image Link”.
Then paste the image or link into the search box on TinEye.
After you submit your search image, TinEye will return any matches found in its index . The total number of matches appears at the top of the page alongside a thumbnail of the search image, which is displayed for reference only and is not saved. The tab title and icon in your browser also reflect your search image and number of results , which is useful for comparing multiple searches at a glance.
2. What TinEye does with your search image
TinEye does not save your search images. When you search with TinEye, your image is not saved, and it is not added to the TinEye index. TinEye crawls the web directly to add to its index. Using TinEye is private and secure.
3. Using TinEye browser extensions
Make image searches even faster with a TinEye browser extension. We have extensions for Firefox, Opera, Chrome, and Edge. Once installed, simply right-click any image on a webpage and select “Search Image on TinEye” to start your search instantly.
4. Sorting TinEye results
You can sort your TinEye results in one of five ways:
- Best Match: Shows images that are visually closest to your search image first. This is the default sort option.
- Most Changed: Shows images that are the most transformed from your search image first (heavily-edited images).
- Biggest Image: Shows images with the highest resolution first.
- Newest: Shows images most recently found by TinEye first.
- Oldest: Shows the earliest known instance of images first.
5. Filtering by stock results
Stock results come from stock photography websites like Shutterstock, Alamy, and iStock. These images usually have clear attribution and licensing terms, making it easier to determine copyright ownership and to license the image if you’d like to use it.
For more on stock photography filtering, jump to the section “Finding and using stock photography” below.
6. Filtering by domain
To check whether your image appears on a specific website, enter the domain in the “Filter by website” field. This helps you quickly narrow results to a particular source.
7. Comparing your search image with TinEye results
TinEye has a comparison feature that lets you switch back and forth between a match and the original image to compare them. This highlights differences between the two images, making changes easier to see. Click on the image thumbnail to open the comparison view.
8. Working with TinEye search results
Here are some examples of common uses for TinEye search results:
Finding and using stock photography
A common use of TinEye is locating the original source of a stock photo so you can license it. For example, you may have an image in a light-box, or you may have downloaded a comp image, and do not have any data to determine which website it originated from.
Let’s walk through how to do that for this photo of a wolf.
First, upload the photo to TinEye, and filter the results to only show images found on stock photography sites:
All of the filtered results have the stock tag, and clicking on the link next to a result will take you to a page where you can license the image, find out about the photographer, or find similar images from the stock photography provider.
Determining the authenticity of an image
TinEye is particularly useful for determining the authenticity of an image or the timing of a photo. To verify the authenticity of an image, sort your search results by “Oldest”. This will show you the earliest known appearances of an image on the internet. This often leads to the original context or photographer.
TinEye also allows you to toggle back and forth between the image you are checking and the matches found in the TinEye index using the “Compare” feature. This feature highlights changes such as added or removed objects or photoshopped additions.
You can also use the “Most changed” filter to find the most heavily edited or manipulated images, allowing you to see how an image has been altered over time.
Verifying profile photos
TinEye can also help assess whether a profile photo is unique. If matches are found, it means the image appears elsewhere online. Reviewing the domain of each match can help you determine whether the image is genuine or used.
It is important to keep in mind that TinEye does not index images from social media sites like Facebook, or LinkedIn, but if you find a matching image from a stock photography site then you’ll know that the person is using a stock photo for their profile image.
9. Using images found with TinEye
TinEye shows you where images appear online, but it can’t grant permission to use images found in the search results. If you would like to use any image found through TinEye, you will need to find the licensing information or contact the image owner directly. Unless an image is in the public domain, you are responsible for ensuring you have the right to use it and that any required attribution is provided.
10. What finding no TinEye results for your image search means
If your search returns no results, that means it doesn’t exist in the TinEye index. It may still exist elsewhere online, including on social media or pages that haven’t been discovered or indexed yet.
For more information on how TinEye works and answers to specific questions, check out our extensive Frequently Asked Questions page. You can also send us your feedback any time.
Happy searching!
