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How to Perform Reverse Image Searches on Desktop and Mobile Devices

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Image Search allows you to search for images related to a term you type into a search engine. It’s a common feature across most search engines and is very useful.

However, if you have an image and want to discover its origin or find similar images, you need to use a reverse image search.

Google Reverse Image Search on Desktop

Using Google‘s reverse image search on a desktop is simple:

  1. Go to images.google.com.
  2. Click the camera icon to open Google Lens.
  3. You can then either:
    • Paste the image URL if it’s an image you’ve seen online.
    • Upload an image from your hard drive.
    • Drag an image from another window into the search bar.

Google Reverse Image Search on Mobile

Performing a reverse image search on a mobile device is slightly different and somewhat limited compared to the desktop version.

  1. Via Mobile Browser:
    • Open images.google.com on your mobile device.
    • The camera icon for Google Lens will appear in the search bar, but it only allows you to take a photo or select one from your camera roll. To enter an image URL, you need the desktop version of Google on your mobile device.
    • In Safari on iOS:
      • Go to google.com.
      • Tap the “aA” icon on the top left.
      • Select “Request Desktop Site.”
    • In Chrome:
      • Go to google.com.
      • Tap the three-dot menu.
      • Scroll down and select “Request Desktop Site.”
    • The desktop version will load, showing the camera icon, and you can enter an image URL or upload saved images.
  2. Directly from Chrome Browser:
    • When you see an image online in Chrome, hold your finger on it until a pop-up menu appears.
    • Select “Search Image With Google” from the bottom of the menu, which will open Google Lens. This method does not work in the Google app or other browsers, only in Chrome.
    • Alternatively, you can select “Open Image in New Tab,” copy the URL, go to images.google.com, and paste the URL to perform the reverse image search.

Additional Uses of Google Lens

Google Lens is also handy for other tasks, such as instant translation, identifying objects, finding products to purchase, or even helping diagnose skin conditions.

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