You have a photo on your phone and you want to know where it came from. Maybe it arrived in a group chat, maybe it’s a profile picture, or maybe you just want to find a better copy. On a computer this is easy. On a phone, the options are a little hidden.
Here are four ways to search by image on iPhone and Android, starting with the quickest.
Quick answer: open our free Reverse Image Search in your phone’s browser, tap Upload image, pick the photo, then tap Google Lens, Bing, Yandex or TinEye. No app, no account, and it works the same on iPhone and Android.
Method 1: Use our free tool (any phone, any browser)
This is the simplest option because it doesn’t depend on which phone or apps you have, and it lets you try four search engines with the same photo.
- Open our Reverse Image Search tool in Safari, Chrome or any other browser.
- Tap Upload image and choose a photo from your gallery, or take a new picture.
- Tap Google Lens first. If it doesn’t find what you need, try TinEye, Bing and Yandex.
- If the picture is already online, choose Paste image URL instead and paste its link.
Your upload is stored under a random file name and deleted automatically after about an hour.
Method 2: The Google app (iPhone and Android)
If you have the Google app installed, it has Google Lens built in.
- Open the Google app.
- Tap the camera icon in the search bar. That’s Google Lens.
- Choose a photo from your gallery, or point the camera at something.
- Scroll through the results to see matching and similar images.
The catch: this only searches Google. If Google finds nothing, you’ll need another engine anyway.
Method 3: Chrome or Safari with Google Lens
You can also reach Google Lens from your browser:
- Go to google.com in Chrome or Safari and tap the camera icon in the search box, then choose your photo.
- In Chrome, you can also touch and hold an image on a web page and choose the option to search the image with Google Lens. The exact wording varies by phone.
The first time, your phone will ask for permission to access your photos. You can allow access to just the photos you choose.
Method 4: Circle to Search (many Android phones)
Newer Android phones, including Pixel 6 and later and many Samsung Galaxy models, have Circle to Search. It lets you search anything on your screen without saving it first.
- Open the photo, app or web page you want to search.
- Touch and hold the Home button or the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Circle, highlight or tap the image. Google shows results straight away.
What about Apple’s Visual Look Up?
On iPhone, the Photos app can recognise some things in a picture, such as plants, pets, landmarks and food. It’s handy for identifying what’s in a photo, but it doesn’t show where else the picture appears online. For that, use one of the methods above.
Tips for better results on a phone
- Crop first. Use your phone’s photo editor to crop to the most important part, such as a face, product or building.
- Remove clutter. Screenshots often include app buttons and text. Crop them out.
- Use the best copy you have. A forwarded photo is often compressed. The original works better.
- Try more than one engine. Each one has its own index. See our comparison of the four search engines.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install an app?
No. Our tool works in any mobile browser. The Google app and Circle to Search are optional extras.
Can I search a photo from WhatsApp or Instagram?
Yes. Save the photo or take a screenshot, crop it, then upload it. Our guide on searching with a screenshot or WhatsApp photo walks through it.
Is it free?
Yes. All four search engines are free to use, and so is our tool.
Will the person who posted the photo know I searched it?
No. Searching an image doesn’t notify anyone.
Ready to try it? Open our free Reverse Image Search on your phone and search any photo in a couple of taps.