Reverse Image Search
Upload any image and search for it across multiple engines at once — Google Lens, TinEye, Yandex, and Bing. Find where a photo appears online, trace its original source, or locate higher-resolution versions.
500+ images searched
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Multi-Engine Search
Search across four major reverse image engines from a single page. Each engine uses different algorithms and indexes, so results vary — checking all four gives you the best coverage.
Find Origins & Copies
Trace an image back to its original source, find modified versions, locate higher resolutions, or check if someone is using your photo without permission. Essential for journalists and photographers.
100% Private
Your image stays in your browser. We generate a local thumbnail and let you send it to the search engine of your choice. Scanly never uploads, stores, or processes your photo on any server.
How reverse image search works
Reverse image search engines analyze the visual content of a photo — colors, shapes, textures, and spatial layout — and compare it against billions of indexed images. Unlike text search that matches keywords, reverse image search uses perceptual hashing and neural embeddings to find visually similar images even when they have been cropped, filtered, or resized. Different engines use different algorithms: Google Lens emphasizes object recognition and scene understanding, TinEye specializes in exact-match finding across time, Yandex is particularly strong at face and scene matching, and Bing Visual Search focuses on product identification. For comparing two specific images side by side, use the Similarity Scanner.
Reverse search in OSINT investigations
Reverse image search is one of the most powerful tools in OSINT (Open Source Intelligence). Journalists use it to verify if a photo is being misrepresented — a common tactic in misinformation campaigns where old or unrelated images are recirculated with false context. By finding the earliest indexed version of a photo, you can establish its true origin and original caption. Combine reverse search with EXIF metadata analysis to check timestamps and camera data, and the GPS Map to verify claimed locations against embedded coordinates.
Finding unauthorized use of your photos
Photographers and content creators use reverse image search to find where their images appear online — and whether they are being used without permission. TinEye is especially useful here because it tracks the earliest appearance date, helping you prove original ownership. Search across all four engines for the best coverage, since each indexes different parts of the web. To build a stronger copyright case, check if the image still contains your original EXIF metadata, run a file hash comparison against your original, or use the Duplicate Scanner to confirm visual similarity.
Verifying AI-generated and fake images
Reverse image search can help flag AI-generated images. If a photo looks real but returns zero results across all four engines, it may have been created synthetically — real photos of real events almost always appear somewhere online. Combine this check with the AI Image Detector for pattern-based analysis, and the ELA Scanner to look for compression inconsistencies that indicate manipulation. For a comprehensive authenticity assessment, use the Authenticity Checker.
For best results, search the highest-resolution version of an image you have — cropping or compressing reduces match quality. If the image has been heavily filtered or edited, try searching a clean crop of the most distinctive region. All thumbnail generation runs entirely in your browser; Scanly never sees or stores your photo. For a full forensic workflow that combines metadata, pixel-level analysis, and visual comparison, explore the complete toolkit or start with the EXIF Compare tool to check metadata differences between two versions of the same image. Read our reverse image search guide and catching fake photos with reverse search for tips and real-world examples.