How to Find Facebook Account (Profile) by Photo: 7 Methods
Katherine Young
Wondering how to find someone’s Facebook account by using only a photo? You might want to know how to find the FB account of your long-lost friend/relative, someone you are curious about, an online date you suspect of catfishing, an individual you are investigating, etc. Whatever your reason might be, I have found some of the best ways to locate a Facebook profile by just using someone’s picture. I spent over 90 hours inspecting numerous methods and testing the techniques that I have used before to shortlist the ones mentioned in this article.
Social Catfish is powerful online personality-identifying tool to find Facebook accounts using just a photo. It leverages reverse image search technology to trace images across the web, helping you uncover profiles, verify identities, and spot potential scams.
I suggest carefully following the step-by-step process for each method to get your desired outcome. This article provides a transparent view of the processes and their outputs. I have also laid out their shortcomings and their issues along with the solutions after trying them firsthand to make sure you get an unbiased and honest opinion. However, it is crucial to respect an individual’s boundaries and privacy. Avoid any form of stalking or harassment, and keep your sleuthing to a minimum, with genuine intent only.
Methods to Find Facebook Account (Profile) by Photo
Here are some of the best methods that I tested firsthand while trying to find Facebook accounts by photo.
Method 1: Using Social Catfish Reverse Image Search
Social Catfish’s reverse image search is a powerful online personality-identifying tool. It can show all the related information to the image such as full name, age, location, social media profiles, criminal history, occupation, etc. I used it to look up my sister’s Hinge date before she went out with him. We checked the report and found his Facebook and other details genuine, infact, we also found his old forgotten account.
However, at times some of the other images that I looked up had missing data. Other times it showed me false positives or brought up entirely different person’s profile. If this issue occurs you can try other images of the same person and make sure they are of high-quality and front-facing. There’s also a chance of outdated data, therefore, verify the information carefully.
Here are the steps I used to find a Facebook account using Social Catfish:
Step 1) First, go to https://socialcatfish.com/, choose the Image option, and upload the photo of the person you want to search.
Step 2) Allow the site to scan the image to look for the details
Step 3) Once the report is ready, you can view the possible matches and the report on the individual, which will include their Facebook profile.
3-Day Trial at $5.73
Method 2: Using Spokeo Reverse Lookup
Spokeo is a people search engine that can help find social media accounts of people. It is not a reverse image lookup site, but it can show you images related to the search input, such as full name, phone number, email address, and username. I used it as a background check tool and looked up the social media accounts of tenant applicants on my property. Spokeo brought up details such as contact numbers, aliases, email addresses, current and previous addresses, court records, related images, Facebook accounts, etc.
However, it may not always provide images and updated data, since I found a few information gaps and inactive FB profiles as well. If the report is unsatisfactory, you can cross-check with other tools like Social Catfish. I also suggest you wait a few days since Spokeo notified me via email with the updated profile information three days later.
Use the following steps to find someone’s Facebook account using Spokeo:
Step 1) Start by going to https://www.spokeo.com/ and selecting the search parameter for which you want to enter the details. I have selected the Name search, then hit the Search Now button.
Step 2) Next, choose the right person by looking at the basic details and using the search filters to find their complete report.
Step 3) Finally, click on See Results and get the full report, which will include their FB account.
7-Days Trial for $0.95
Method 3: Using Google Images Reverse Search
Google Images reverse lookup is a straightforward method that requires no technical knowledge. I have used it on several occasions to search Facebook accounts and other social media profiles. It works efficiently if the person’s photo already exists publicly, often linking directly to social media profiles. So, if you are a beginner pondering how to Find a Facebook Account by Photo, then start with this method.
However, at times, I received several unrelated results, and it didn’t bring up private profiles. In such cases, I use their full name and perform a Google search instead. You can also cross-check with their other photos or use the built-in cropping tool for variations.
Here are the steps that I used to look for a Facebook account by photo:
Step 1) Go to https://images.google.com/, upload the image, or add a URL, or drag and drop a picture.
Step 2) Now check the results and see if you can find a similar image with a Facebook account link. At times, I was unable to find the account, hence, I typed the word Facebook in the search bar. This brought up relevant and useful Facebook links.
Here’s the Facebook profile that I found (it may not be the same image, but it will lead to their profile:
Link: https://images.google.com/
BeenVerified is an excellent tool for finding a Facebook account or profile by photo. With its powerful reverse image search and extensive database, you can upload a photo and quickly discover related social media profiles, including Facebook.
Method 4: Using Bing Visual Search Reverse Lookup
Bing Visual Search is another reliable reverse image search engine, built by Microsoft. It allows you to click a picture, browse an image, paste a URL, and drag and drop a photo to look it up. I was able to find direct web pages with the related image and other content that included this photo. Using its cropping tool, I could also identify landmarks in the image directly, which I later used for additional searches.
The problem with Bing is that, at times, it doesn’t lead to a Facebook account, even if the profile is public. This can be pretty frustrating as the links lead to various sites but none to social media. In such cases, use the information you get from Bing, such as full name, occupation, etc., for a manual search to find the account.
Use the following steps to find a Facebook account by photo with Bing Visual Search:
Step 1) Visit https://www.bing.com/visualsearch and use any of the provided options to insert the image.
Step 2) If you do not find a direct link, use the information found in this search and look for it manually since Bing Visual Search often doesn’t show Facebook links.
I suggest this method mainly for locating public figures’ Facebook accounts as it can be quite challenging if it’s a lesser-known individual.
Link: https://www.bing.com/visualsearch
Method 5: Using FaceCheck ID Reverse Image Lookup
FaceCheck ID is a straightforward reverse image lookup tool. It is robust enough to even verify a side profile, which is absolutely impressive. A few months back, I found an image on my phone of my ex-roommate, with whom I have lost touch. It made me think of her, so I decided to look for her on social media platforms, but none of them returned satisfying results. That’s when I thought of using FaceCheck ID; within a few seconds, I was able to find her Facebook and other social network accounts.
Turns out she has gotten married and changed her surname, which is why it was so difficult to track her. What I didn’t like about the tool its that it has a limited database, hence, at times it was unable to provide any results for the few people. If any such issue arises, cross-check with other tools like Google Images, Bing Visual Search, etc.
Here’s a step-by-step on how I looked up an image to find their Facebook using FaceCheck ID:
Step 1) Go to https://facecheck.id/, browse and upload image/images and tap on Search Internet by Face.
Step 2) Agree to its terms and conditions, clear the CAPTCHA and then allow the tool to search.
Here I got lucky, since I came across a single match and direct Facebook link. At times you may receive an overwhelming amount of pictures and links, go through them carefully to find the FB account.
Link: https://facecheck.id/
Method 6: Using TinEye Reverse Image Search
TinEye is a complete reverse image search engine that offers other tools such as MatchEngine, TinEye API, MulticolorEngine, etc. I found it great for finding duplicate images, and it was especially helpful in locating my fake profile that someone had created on Facebook.
Its major drawback is that TinEye doesn’t scan social media platforms so there was no FB link results in my search. However, I found a random personal blog where my image was used and that led me to the Facebook profile of the author who had used my photo as their display picture. It also includes alerts to notify you when the site detects any new duplicates of the image.
Here’s how you can use TinEye to locate a Facebook account:
Step 1) Visit the https://tineye.com/products and enter the image of your target person.
Step 2) Now, use the information you find in these links to lead you to a Facebook account.
Link: https://tineye.com/
Method 7: Using the Picture’s URL Information
I found out that using a picture’s URL information is also a great way to know if a person has a Facebook account. This may not be a usual trick, but it does work if you have the right image. However, not every image will be useful as it works only if the URL includes FB information.
Here’s a step-by-step on how to use the picture’s URL correctly:
Step 1) Start by looking at the file name of the image. Just right-click on the picture that you found online and tap on View Photo or View Image from the menu.
Step 2) The file might end with .png, .jpg, etc. if it’s from Facebook and will have the letters fb or the word Facebook somewhere. Such files also have three or more sets of numbers, which will look like https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=557884389040970&id=100044582402768&set=a.279622816867130
Step 3) Use the number set that comes after fbid, so now I have selected 557884389040970&id=100044582402768&set (avoid using any number with decimals). Next, copy and paste this part of the URL https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=
Step 4) Then, add the selected number together with the particular URL, but without any space. Hence, it’ll look like this https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=557884389040970&id=100044582402768&set. Add this directly into the browser and hit enter to find the profile.
The issue with this method is that the URL may not work at times. Check if you have copy-pasted the right section of the URL, or try another image in such situations.
Pro Tips to Improve Reverse Image Search Results
Usually, Facebook reverse image search tools provide an overwhelming amount of matches, including numerous unrelated results.
Hence, learning how to filter and find the right match is necessary– here’s how I do it:
- Refine Image: Before you search, crop the image and remove any background or distraction that could trigger irrelevant matches.
- Visit Each Link: If you cannot find the right person on the top result, I suggest taking some time to visit every link to find them. Pay attention to their profile, such as the photo, bio, location, etc., to determine their identity.
- Look at Tagged Images: Check out the individual’s tagged photos and albums. There were times when I found the image in question in their tagged albums. Hence, you may find the picture you want to verify in their tagged photos.
- Use Enhancer Tools: If the image quality is poor, leading only to generic images, try using image enhancers, which will help the reverse lookup tools read it better.
Alternative Methods When Reverse Image Search Fails
Here are some of the effective ways that you can use if the traditional reverse lookup fails:
- Keyword Search: Use the FB search bar to type any vital thing that you see in their existing image. You can add the landmark, location, or other related keywords along with their name, as it may help you find their account. For example– Laurence Disney World, Laurence Greece, Laurence wedding, etc. If you know which educational institute they went/go to, where they work, etc., use those words as well with their name to make your search precise.
- Metadata Extraction: Try this with the original image– extract its metadata using extraction tools, and check if you find any clues that could lead you to their FB account.
- Search Public Groups and Pages: Join and browse through the community pages that are related to your target’s hobbies and interests.
- Social Media Search: Go to other social media platforms and try to gather hints if they have a Facebook. At times, people share the same content throughout, directly from a single platform. You may also come across links on their bio to other social media profiles.
- Mutual Connections: Find out if your friends who work at the same place, went to the same school, or from the same town, etc., follow each other by scrolling through their friend list.
FAQs
Conclusion
Using the methods mentioned above, you should be able to find the FB account that you’re looking for. I suggest you use multiple methods to verify the result, which will lead you to better accuracy. In my opinion, Social Catfish, Spokeo, and Google Images perform the best for this purpose. If going through all these hassles isn’t your cup of tea, then use the manual methods that I have mentioned. However, no matter what technique you apply, always respect the individual’s privacy and do not continue to stalk them or share the findings publicly.
Social Catfish is powerful online personality-identifying tool to find Facebook accounts using just a photo. It leverages reverse image search technology to trace images across the web, helping you uncover profiles, verify identities, and spot potential scams.
