Ever came across a picture of a place, an animal or anything specific and you can’t seem to get its name out of the tip of your tongue? Don’t know the name of that plant you have been wanting to order online? Or you want to find out who made that magnificent dress your favorite actress has been wearing in her latest Instagram post? Google has just the solution for that.
The internet giant solves this annoying pickle we have all been in with Google Search by Image. When you just don’t know what keyword to type in to that search box, all you need to do is to upload or drag that image into the search box and Google will try to find related images or exact copies for you.
What is Google reverse image search?
Google Search by Image is a search service under Google that permits users to search the internet for image content using an image as the starting point rather than a written or spoken query. It was introduced on 2011 and is accessible from the Google Images search box.
Google explains that an image used for a reverse search is evaluated for characteristic points, lines, colors and textures. The query that’s produced from this analysis is then compared with billions of probable images that Google is able to access.
How is it different from Google Images searches?
Normally, by simply typing in keywords into the search box, Google lets you search through their vast collection of images and pictures. With Google Images, you can filter through images of specific dimensions, colors and image type. You can also easily sort images by their license by clicking Tools and Usage Rights. Images labeled for reuse are free for everyone to use however they want.
With reverse image search, however, you begin by uploading or dragging an image or inputting the URL of an online image into the search box. Google will then analyze that image and produce a query there.
How to reverse image search
Step 1. Go to images.google.com
Click the Search by image button on the right side of the search bar.
Step 2. The search by image box will open
There are two ways to select an image to search. You can paste in the URL of an image that you have seen online or manually upload an image saved in your device or drag an image from another window.
Know when to use an image
Many photographers and artists use the reverse image feature to see if an image they own has been published somewhere without their consent. Given how easily images can be stolen, the reverse image search has proven to be quite helpful for this. The internet is home to billions of images but not all are free to reuse. When searching for images to use for blog content or ads, ensure that the image is labelled for reuse. Otherwise, you don’t have permission to use that photo.
