How to Find Images of Yourself Online & What to Do About Them

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Find pictures of yourself & remove them from your digital footprint
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If you’re wondering if someone else has uploaded pictures of you online, Google can help you find them. While the reverse image search with Google Lens is the most effective, there are other methods and tools you can use to track down any picture of you online. Keep reading and we’ll walk through how to search on mobile and desktop , plus what to do next if you find pictures you want to get rid of.

How to Search for Pictures of Yourself Online

  1. Tap or click on the camera icon in the Google Images search bar.
  2. Choose the image that you want to upload and search for.
  3. Readjust the focus box to include the entire image.
  4. Click on Visual Matches or Exact Matches to see similar and duplicate images.
Section 1 of 5:

Reverse Image Searching on Mobile

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  1. Open the Google or Chrome app on your device. Look for the camera lens icon on the right side of the search bar and tap it to open Google Lens. [1]
    • Reverse image searching works on Android and iOS devices.
  2. Google Lens automatically opens on your camera so you can take a new picture. Tap on your photo library on the bottom-left side of your screen and choose the image of yourself that you want to search for on the web. [2]
    • If you don’t see your pictures on screen, go to your phone’s settings and give the Google app permission to access your photos.
    • Alternatively, you can reverse-search an image already uploaded online.
      • Open the website using the Google or Chrome app.
      • Long-tap on the image.
      • Select Search inside image or Search image with Google to show duplicates and related images.
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  3. A box with rounded white corners will appear on the image you selected. Readjust the box to your face or expand it to the size of the entire image if you want to look for an exact duplicate.
  4. 4
    Select Visual Matches to see duplicates and similar images. The Google results for the image appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on Visual Matches from the menu to bring up photos that are exact duplicates of the one you uploaded or similar-looking images.
    • Google doesn’t have built-in facial recognition on searches, so it may not show all other images with your face in them.
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Reverse Image Search on a Computer

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  1. Go to Google Images on your browser. Look for the camera icon on the right side of the search bar next to the microphone icon. Click on the icon to access Google Lens. [3]
  2. Either drag and drop an image file into the search bar from your computer, or click on Upload a File to select the picture you want to look for. Select “Open” or “Choose” once you find the right image. [4]
    • Google does not save your images when you upload them.
    • Alternatively , copy and paste a link to an image of yourself that’s already posted online into the text box that says “Paste image link.”
  3. 3
    Change the focus area box to fit the image. After you choose a photo of yourself, your image will appear at the top of the screen with an adjustable focus area. Adjust the corners of the focus area to the size of your image so your search looks for exact copies.
  4. 4
    Check the visual and exact matches for copies of the photo. Scroll down and look at the results that appear from your image. Select Exact Matches from the menu to see duplicates of your image and where they’re posted online. Alternatively, select Visual Matches to see images similar to one you uploaded.
    • Google Images doesn’t have built-in facial recognition, so you may not find images you’re in if they are visually different from the picture you uploaded.
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Section 3 of 5:

Googling Your Name to Find Pictures of Yourself Online

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  1. Open the Google app on your phone or navigate to Google Images on a web browser. Type your name into the search bar in the middle of the screen, and click on Search when you’re finished.
    • Put your name in quotation marks to find pages with the words in that exact order for better luck at finding pages where you’re mentioned.
  2. 2
    Check the image results for any pictures of you. Scroll through the images on the page to see if there are any pictures of yourself in the results. If you find a picture of yourself, the website will be listed below, and you can click on the image to take you directly to the webpage.
    • This only works if your image is posted along with your name on a site.
    • Double-check that any images of yourself are from social media accounts or profiles that you’ve made. If there are sites you don’t recognize using your image, then follow these next steps to report or get rid of them.
  3. 3
    Try searching variations of your name. After looking for your full name, look for misspellings of your name or your first initial with your last name. If anyone has posted a picture of you and used a different spelling, you may be able to find it.
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Section 4 of 5:

Alternative Ways to Find Images of Yourself Online

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  1. 1
    Try a Bing visual search . If you’re not finding results on Google, Bing also allows you to reverse image search, and it may give you different results. Navigate to Bing Images and click on the camera icon in the top search bar. Choose the photo of yourself you want to upload, and images that match or look similar will appear on screen. [5]
  2. 2
    Search your name on social media sites. Open Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, or any other popular social media sites and look up your name. Your profile and images will appear, as well as any images you’re tagged in. Double-check for any profiles that are using your images as their own or impersonating you, and report the accounts you find.
    • You may also see results from people who put your name in a photo caption without tagging your account.
  3. 3
    Use a third-party facial recognition service to search for pictures. While Google Images doesn’t use facial recognition while you’re searching, many third-party sites let you upload a picture and search for any other images online that match your face. Some of these sites offer a free trial, but other services require a subscription.
    • TinEye is a free search tool where you can upload a photo or copy a URL to search for copies of similar pictures online, even if they’re slightly modified.
    • PimEyes lets you upload a photo of yourself and looks for image that have your face in them. You can purchase results for a single search for $15 USD or subscribe for alerts when new images are uploaded for $30 USD a month.
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Section 5 of 5:

What to Do if You Find Pictures of Yourself

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  1. 1
    Contact the site owner to remove the image. Unfortunately, you can not remove an image on your own from Google. Search for the site owner on their About or Contact page, or look it up with the ICANN lookup tool to see who the site is registered to. Tell the site author that they are using your personal image, and ask them to remove it. [6]
  2. 2
    Report the image on Google. If the image has personal information or has explicit material, you can make a removal request through Google. Fill out the request form and paste the URL of the image into the text box when you’re prompted. Google will review your request and remove the result from searches along with duplicates, but they may still exist on the websites that posted them. [7]
  3. 3
    File a police report if there are intimate pictures. It’s against the law to post intimate pictures of another person without their consent. Take screenshots of the image, record where it’s posted online, and include the information in your report. File the report , and law enforcement will investigate to find out who posted the picture.
    • After someone is caught, they can be tried in court, which usually results in the removal of the images and them paying a fine. [8]
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      • Remember that anything you post online can be saved, downloaded, and potentially uploaded by another person. Only post pictures of yourself that you’d be comfortable sharing publicly.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/JMT-NLbnJ3w?t=52
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&oco=1
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop&oco=1
      4. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop&oco=1
      5. ↑ https://www.bing.com/images
      6. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/4628134?hl=en&ref_topic=3180360
      7. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/troubleshooter/3111061
      8. ↑ https://www.justice.gov/atj/sharing-intimate-images-without-consent-know-your-rights

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Google app.
      2. Tap Discover (Androids only).
      3. Tap Google Lens.
      4. Upload a photo to search.
      5. Select the part of the image you'd like to search or select an object from the photo to search.

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