How to Reverse Image Search on Facebook: 9 Methods

A reverse image search on Facebook is a useful method to verify someone’s true identity or find hidden accounts in a few clicks. Make sure you don’t interact with a scammer or a catfisher with ease with a plethora of open-source intelligence methods available online. X-Ray Research Team shares a list of 9 most useful instruments for image search Facebook investigations. 

Reverse Image Search Facebook Using X-Ray Contact

X-Ray Contact is a comprehensive instrument for reverse image search for both pros and amateurs. It compares the input photo with pictures from 33+ providers. The unique benefit of this tool is that the X-Ray Contact algorithm scans the facial features of a person in the image rather than tracks down similar photos. Hence, you have a chance of finding a target even if they have posted a different photo on a Facebook account. 

1. Visit the “Platform” tab in the header. 
2. Select the “Image search” option. 
3. Upload the picture from your device or drop a URL link to it. 
4. Explore the findings and find users who match the input image best.

Investigate With Facebook Photo ID

When a photo is posted on Facebook, it gets assigned a unique photo ID. You can use Facebook reverse images search methods to track down a picture directly on the platform. All you need to do is to right-click on the specific image and select the option “Copy image address” to find out the ID. Then, manually scan the photo’s URL. The set of numbers you will locate is a picture ID, which you can insert in the Facebook search bar to see all places where it has been posted before.

Check Google Images

This strategy is less precise as Google Images will return the results with all the places where the picture was published online rather than conduct a Facebook photo search. Nonetheless, use this method to find similar pictures or locate an original poster of the content. 

1. Open Google Images.
2. Save the photo to your device. 
3. Click on the camera icon and upload the photo. 
4. Check the images that are identical or look visually similar to the one you’ve uploaded.

Try Bing Image

Just like Google Images, this instrument is well-suited for a superficial Facebook picture search. This search engine can generate slightly different results compared to Google, so it’s worth trying out as an alternative.

1. Go to the Microsoft Bing Visual Search main page.
2. Drag an image you want to look up in the designated area. 
3. See the results with the related content. 

Trace Back the Origin With TinEye

One trustworthy method to search Facebook by image is to reveal the first place where a photo was posted with TinEye. You can learn about the digital footprint of a specific picture in a chronological order. 

1. Find the TinEye site. 
2. Paste a photo into the box.
3. You will see all the places online where the picture appears, along with the filenames, date,s and links.

Apply Social Catfish

This data aggregator specializes on exposing dating scams that happen online. You can use it to do a Facebook image search as well. 

1. Choose Reverse Image Search section on the website. 
2. Upload a photo you need to research. 
3. You will get a result report with all the similar photos. 

Research With Pimeyes

The main focus of Pimeyes is on a face recognition algorithm. It finds similar photos based on the prompt within the database. 

1. Go to the main page of Pimeyes.
2. Choose a photo you’ve found on Facebook. 
3. See the findings to find any matches.

Employ Reversee

It’s a mobile app that specializes in reverse image search of different photos, including those you can find on social media. Reversee is especially useful for quick lookups with your mobile phone. 

1. Download Reversee from the App Store or Google Play. 
2. Upload a picture you want to investigate from your gallery. 
3. You will get an overview of various pictures that match your input one.

Integrate The Filename Method

It may be possible to do a Facebook image search with no outside tools if you carefully study the filename. The condition is that the filename property should be original, just like when it was first posted online. Otherwise, this method will not be effective in image search on Facebook. 

1. Check the URL photo ID. 
2. Extract the middle set of numbers.
3. Look up these numbers directly on Facebook.

Why Image Search May Fail?

However, be prepared that your idea to look up photos from a Facebook profile might not be fruitful. Several things can go wrong: 

1. Search engines fail to find photos from friends-only or private posts. 
2. An image might be severely modified with editing, cropping, text, filters, etc.
3. A person might use a unique photo that has never been posted online before just for their Facebook. It would complicate the investigation. 
4. An owner might have removed the metadata of an image. 
5. A photo might originally be from an unindexed page, such as a messenger app or a private chat. 

The Bottom Line

Therefore, a Fb image search is a less complicated task than it seems. The best approach is to fuse together a few strategies at once to trace any picture with a higher likelihood of success.