Check whether a photo is fake
Disinformation through recycled old photos is far more common than sophisticated montage. So look first for the image's earlier occurrences, before analysing its pixels. An authentic image taken out of context lies just as effectively as a fake.
The tools, in order
- 01TinEye Reverse Image Searchfreemium
Sorts by first-appearance date, which dates the image
Reverse image search engine that finds where an image appears online and identifies modified versions.
- 02Yandex Imagesfree
Finds occurrences other engines miss
Reverse image search engine with strong matching for Eastern European and Asian web sources.
- 03FotoForensicsfree
Error level analysis, revealing retouched areas
Image forensics platform with error level analysis and metadata-oriented integrity checks.
- 04InVID WeVerifyfree
Verification toolkit designed for journalists
Browser plugin for video verification: keyframes, reverse image search, metadata extraction, Twitter/YouTube search.
- 05ExifInfofree
Metadata sometimes betrays a pass through an editor
Detailed EXIF metadata extractor: camera model, GPS, timestamps, software, all metadata fields displayed.
The pitfall to avoid
Absence of manipulation evidence does not prove authenticity: it only proves you found no evidence. A recompressed image loses exploitable traces.
🧭 The full plan
The copilot orders every step from your starting point, with pre-filled queries.
📖 The detailed guide
The full method, step by step, with edge cases.