If you see “?fbid=#” in the image URL, that stands for Facebook ID, confirming that the image came from Facebook and is the profile ID number on the social network’s domain (). Alternatively, you can right-click on the image and choose “Copy image address.” To do this, right-click on the image and choose “View Image/Photo.” Doing this may reveal the original link for the photo. Step 1: Locate the Photo ID Numberįirst, you must locate the Facebook photo ID number on the image. With that in mind, here’s how to use this method to find specific Facebook profiles when possible. The profile must be public for optimal results, which isn’t always the case. If a friend shares a business image post, you may not get access to it if it requires you to subscribe. So, if a friend shared one of their friend’s photos/images, but you aren’t friends with their friend, you may not see the post unless they have “Friends of friends” permissions set. The information you see may be limited and depends on the person’s or business’ privacy settings. It’s important to remember that you may not be able to access the original poster’s image URL or get to a Facebook profile link from the image page. If John shares a Garfield comic from Funny Stuff, the “?fbid=” part of the URL takes you to the originally posted image by Funny Stuff, but John’s post already shows that information and provides a link to it. Third, images “shared” by one person DO take you to the original poster’s image page when using the “?fbid=” context, but the shared post always includes that information already, so there is no need. If there is no “ ?fbid=” in the URL, it shows the original poster’s username instead, such as “ TheMotherofAllNerdsPage/photos/a.1525555554372168/ 3469395706654800/.” The original poster’s username is “TheMotherofAllNerdsPage,” and the photo/image ID is “ 3469395706654800.” To get the actual profile name, copy the last group of digits and add them to “?fbid=,” such as “ 3469395706654800.” However, when someone shares a photo, the “?fbid=#” part of the URL takes you to the original poster’s image page when attached to “/photo.php” (/photo.php/?fbid=#). Copying the Facebook ID from the image URL, such as “ ?fbid=6456722346656323” and going to “ ?fbid=6456722346656323” does the same thing. You can also use the domain to obtain the image’s ID number to reach the original profile.įor instance, if one of your friends reposts a photo from one of their albums or bulk posts, Meta shows that “this photo is from a post” and provides a link to their original post that included it. The Facebook Photo ID number process does not deliver source information in most circumstances, but Meta provides a link on Facebook to the original post from which an image came. Read on for instructions on how to match an image to a profile on Facebook. Instead of or in addition to a reverse image search, there is a method you can use within Facebook to trace a photo back to the originating profile. You may find information about the photo from places other than Facebook, leading you to the source of the picture. If the user has their privacy locked down, you may be unable to determine whose profile the image originated from. Remember that your reverse image search results may vary depending on the owner’s profile settings.

You may not see the original poster, but you can utilize any dates posted in the search engine results. You can use search engines like Google Images or TinEye to quickly find the source of a picture. One of the easiest ways to find information about an image is by doing a reverse image search. Here’s how to find the origin of a photo on Facebook. Alternatively, you can use Google Image Search for a reverse image lookup outside the Meta platform. But what do you do if you see an image on Facebook and want to locate its origins? Although Facebook doesn’t have a reverse image search feature, you can use the unique numerical ID that Facebook assigns to every image on Facebook to identify the source of the photo. Many factors determine how to reverse lookup a Facebook image.įor one, there are plenty of reverse image search options on Google. However, tracking down the source can be challenging. Cameras are everywhere today, meaning you’ll likely find an image that interests you on Facebook.

Google image reverse lookup