6 Easy Ways to Reverse Image Search on Instagram

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Find the original source of an Instagram photo in a few easy steps

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: May 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Reverse Image Search Tools
|
• How to Get the Image
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• Warnings

|Show more |Show less

Do you think someone is reusing your Instagram pictures? Want to find out the original source of an Instagram photo? Perhaps you want to find out if the person DMing you is who they say they are. You can easily perform a reverse image search on any photo, including Instagram photos, to find out more about any image. You can take a screenshot and upload to a reverse image search tool like Google, TinEye, or Bing Images. This wikiHow article will teach you how to perform a reverse image search on an Instagram photo on your computer, Android, iPhone, or iPad.

Reverse Image Search on Instagram

To do a reverse image search on Instagram, you will either need to take a screenshot of it with your phone. Crop it so that only the image appears in the screenshot. Then use a reverse image search tool, such as Google Images, to search and find out where the image appears online.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

Reverse Image Search Tools

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   1
   Google Images. This free tool is great for doing a reverse image search for any photo, including Instagram photos.

   • On Android, tap Discover, then tap the Google Lens camera icon. Tap the icon of a photo and select the photo from Instagram.
   • On iPhone or iPad, open the Google app, tap the multicolored camera icon at the top, then tap the photo you want to search.
   • To use this tool on a computer, go to https://images.google.com in your browser, click the camera icon in the search bar, and select the photo from Instagram. Click Search and Google will search that image and give you results of similar, if not the exact same, image!
   • Once you see the results, you can click around to figure out where the picture originated from or where else it is posted.
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   2
   TinEye. Search the Instagram picture in TinEye to see where else that picture appears on the internet. The search engine works similarly to Google; simply upload the picture and browse the search results.

   • When you find a match, click it to see where that image appears.
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   3
   Bing. A different search algorithm may produce different results, so use this if searching Google or TinEye doesn't work. The reverse image search process is almost identical to using Google; go to https://www.bing.com/images, click or tap the outlined camera icon, then upload the image.
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   4
   SourceNAO. This image source locator might succeed where the other search engines have failed. Since it sources images mainly from manga, anime, TV shows, and movies, you might get different results than other search engines, which produce mostly mainstream results.
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   5
   Berify. This site boasts that it provides "better verification for stolen photos and videos." However, it is a paid service (though it has a free trial). To use Berify to find information about your Instagram photo, go to https://berify.com, and sign up for an account. Click or tap the search bar to select your picture.
6. 6
   Pixsy. Pixsy is an image protection service that is good for artists and photographers that want to protect their work. A free account allows you to monitor up to 500 images. If you need additional protection, the paid subscription tiers allow you to monitor more images and will assist you with takedown requests and protect your images from theft. Go to https://www.pixsy.com/ to sign up for an account.
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   7
   Social Catfish. Social Catfish is good if you want a more in-depth investigative report on a person. This is the service you want to use to check and see if the person DMing you is who they say they are. The downside is it's a paid service. You will need to pay to unlock the report. Social Catfish is good for checking out potential scammers, and catfish profiles on big social media sites, like Instagram. Go to https://socialcatfish.com/reverse-image-search and do a reverse image search. You will need to pay to unlock the results.
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Section 2 of 2:

How to Get the Image

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   1
   Take a screenshot. You'll need to take a screenshot of the picture so you can upload it to a reverse image search tool. When you find the picture you want to save, take a screenshot to capture it. Use one of the following steps to take a screenshot on your device:

   • iPhone or iPad:
     • If your iPhone or iPad has Face ID, press the side and Volume Up buttons at the same time quickly to take a screenshot. If you have Touch ID, press the side and Home buttons at the same time instead.
   • Android:
     • The steps are a little different on most Androids, but you'll usually need to press the Power and Volume Up buttons at the same time. On some Androids, you'll just need to press and hold the Power button for a few seconds to take the screenshot.
   • Windows:
     • Press Windows Key + Shift + 5 The draw a box around the image you want to save. Your images will be saved in the "Screenshots" folder in your "Pictures" folder by default.
   • Mac:
     • Press Command + Shift + 4 and then draw a box around the image you want to save. By default, screenshot images will be saved to your desktop.
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   2
   Crop the screenshot. When you take a screenshot, you'll be capturing everything on the screen—not just the Instagram photo. For the best reverse image search results, you'll want to crop out everything that isn't the photo you're searching for.

   • After taking the screenshot, you can tap the preview and use your phone or tablet's crop tool to select the part of the image you want to keep.
   • Alternatively, open the Photos or Gallery app, select your screenshot, choose the Edit or pencil option, then crop the photo.
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   3
   Upload your screenshot to a reverse image search tool. Use any of the tools in our Reverse Image Search Tools list to get your reverse image search results.
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Warnings

• In 2018, Instagram closed its API to developers. It's pretty much impossible to get information from a private Instagram account.
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