The Seek app is great for identifying plants and animals in a picture. However, what if you have a picture of something else you want to identify? That’s where a Google reverse image search comes in handy. You can do this straight from your iPhone, so let’s show you how it’s done.
Google Lens Is the New Google Reverse Image Search
You’ll need two things to perform a Google reverse image search. First, obviously, you need the picture you’re curious about. Second, you need a way to send that image through Google Lens.
Fortunately, the Google app gives you that. Install the app and make sure it has access to your Photos library. Now, there will be a new Share Sheet extension available from the Photos app, Search with Google Lens. On the iPad, you may want to download and install the Google Photos app instead; it offers the same functionality.
Doing a Google Reverse Image Search
Now that you have what you need, just go to Photos and locate the image you want to look up. Tap on it, then tap the Share icon. Scroll down until you find Search with Google Lens, then tap that.
This will lead you to a tab offering to search the image with Google Lens. Tap the blue View results button, and the image will open in the Google app on your iPhone. You’ll see some dots blink around your image. If Google finds any results matching the picture, they’ll soon appear near the bottom of the screen.
If no results appear, don’t give up. From time to time, you’ll need to tell Google Lens exactly what portion of the image you want to focus on. Just drag the frame to highlight the correct part of the image.
Not All Images Have Matches
You won’t always find search results, of course. If you’re trying to do a Google reverse image search on one of your selfies, for example, you probably won’t get any hits. However, the app is very useful for identifying celebrities, animals, plants, and many other objects.
To see Google Lens in action, just watch the video below.