How do you search google with a picture

Google’s reverse image search is a breeze on a desktop, but what about when you’re on a mobile device? Google, Bing, and others have options.

By Eric Griffith

Image Search is the ability to search on a term and find images related to what you typed. Most search engines offer it, and it’s great. But what if you have an image and want to know its origin? Or…

Depending on which mobile browser you use, it might not be immediately obvious how to do a reverse image search from your mobile device. The most simple solution we've come up with is to download and use Google's free Chrome browser for iOS or Android. This particular browser has a quick and easy built-in method for carrying out reverse image searches.

We're taking a look at how you can do this in this simple explainer.

Reverse image searching 101

Google's "Search by Image" functionality is a useful feature that carries out a reverse image search, allowing you to look for related images by uploading an image or an image URL. This is done by using advanced algorithms to analyze the image you've submitted and find others that look like it.

On a desktop, computer reverse image search is simple. Just go to images.google.com and click on the little camera icon in the search bar.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

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Now you can either paste in the URL for an image you've seen online, upload an image from your hard drive, or drag an image into the search box.

Reverse image searching on a mobile device

If you want to carry out reverse image searches on your iOS or Android phone or tablet, you need to download Google's Chrome browser for iOS or Android.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

The browser is available for free from Apple's App Store and Google Play.

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Now, when you're on your phone using the Chrome browser app and you find an image you'd like to look up, you simply need to press and hold on the image.

Credit: Screenshot: Google

In the menu that will appear on your screen after you've done the long press, simply tap "Search Google for This Image" and Google will carry out its clever "Search by Image" functionality.

Even though searching using Google has become part of everyday life and although most of us normally use text keywords and phrases to find what they are looking for. You can also use images to find similar objects or items using the Google Image search system. All you need to do is simply drag and drop an image or upload a photo on your phone to the Google Image search page and Google will analyze the picture making available a wide variety of different search results.

Enabling you to easily search Google for objects in an image, similar images or websites that actually use the exact image or picture. You can carry out Google image searches on computers and mobile devices on both Android and iOS using compatible browsers.

There are basically five different ways you can search using Google by image at the official https://images.google.com/ website. The way each works differs slightly depending on whether you are using mobile devices or a computer, although they will all produce the same results.

5 ways to search Google using images

1. Drag-and-drop and image to the search box, which is already on your computer

2. Select an image to search for which is already on your phone or tablet

3. Paste the URL of an image you have found on the Internet into the search box

4. Take a photograph using your WebCam or phone or tablet camera to start an image search

5. Use an image which is already on the Internet to carry out a more in-depth image search

Computer search

To search Google by image on computers, you will need to use one of the supported browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Apple’s Safari.

1. Simply open your preferred browser and go to https://images.google.com/

2. On your computer, find the image that you would like to search Google with and drag and drop it into the Google search box.

You can also upload a picture from your computer by selecting a file by clicking Open or Choose. Or you can search with a URL on your computer. Simply visit the website with the picture you would like to use.

1. Right click on the image on the website you would like to use in your search

2. Go to the Google Images website https://images.google.com/

3. Paste the image URL into the search box

4. Click the Search by image button.

Android image search

To carry out an image search on Google using a photo, or image save to your Android device

1. Open the official Google app

2. At the bottom tap on the Discover option

3. Tap the Google Lens icon that looks like a small multicolored camera

4. Use your phone or tablet camera to take a photograph to use for your search or upload an existing image from your photo library using the Photo Picker icon. A small square icon with two different sized triangles inside.

5. Refine your search by selecting an object or area of the image that you would like to search for, selecting the circle icon if it is available.

6. Tap the image to select an area and drag the corners of the box around your selection to search for a specific item, object, or subject.

7. Scroll through the search results to find your desired goal.

8. If the search results are too expansive, try to reduce the area you have selected to a smaller area.

If you would like to search for an image on Google directly from a website using your Android phone or tablet open the Chrome application and go to the website with the image you would like to search with.

1. Then touch and hold the image until the Search with Google Lens option appears.

2. Choose how you would like to search by selecting either an object in the image using the circular icon or use part of the image by selecting an area within the image you would like Google to search for.

3. You can also search for images already on the Internet using your Android phone by following the instructions at the bottom of this guide.

iPhone image search

If you are using an Apple iPhone or iPad and would like to carry out a Google Search by image, you can use the official Google app, Chrome browser or Safari browser as long as it is version 11 and above.

Use pictures in your photo library

1. Open the Google app on your iOS device. If you have not installed it already, it is available to download from the official Apple iOS App Store.

2. Select the search bar and tap the Google Lens icon.

3. Use your iPhone or iPad to upload a photo to your search by either taking it with your camera or upload an existing image using the Photo Picker feature to select an image from your photo library.

4. Search through the results to find your required goal.

5 If you would like to search for more specific results, you can select a small area on the image to refine the Google search even further.

Use images already on the Internet

Another way to search the Internet for images is to carry out a normal search at the address below and then select an image close to what you would like to find and carry out an additional search to find more of the same.

1. Open your supported application and go to https://images.google.com/

2. Type the name of the object you are trying to find an image of

3. Select the image closest to what you are searching for

4. In the top right of your screen, tap the Visually icon to search for more of the same on different sites.

Searching Google by image is a great way to find products and objects easily rather than using text searches, which are normally the way to find results on the Internet.

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