Reverse Video Search: 4 Amazing Tools You Can Use in 2024

Reverse video search is a technique used to find videos online by images. It is a great way to track down specific videos, especially if you cannot remember the name of the video or where it was hosted.

There are many reasons a person may want to do a reverse video search. For example, you may check if someone is using your video content without permission. You can then ask for it to be removed or ask for credit.

You may also want to find out more information about the source of a video. To view the full version of videos, which may be restricted by file sharing sites that have file size limits on what they can display, you can use the reverse video search. 

You may also want to find similar videos. Running a reverse video search will display similar content to your video.

What is a Reverse Video Search?

When you use search engines to perform your search, you type keywords into the search bar to get web pages, videos, or images matching your search intent.

When you perform a reverse video search, you use the search engine to find the web pages that your video appears on. Search engines use the colors and pixels in your video to find results that contain exact copies of your images or videos. Although this may not be accurate, it is still helpful. 

1. How to do a Reverse Video Search on Google?

One of the easiest ways to do a reverse video search is through Google. Many people are familiar with how a reverse image search works on Google, but you can use Google as a reverse video search engine as well.

The steps below will walk you through the Google reverse video search. It’s straightforward and takes less than two minutes! You need to upload an image and search it to find more information.

To do this, you have to play the video file you want to search for, take a screenshot, and save it. Next, go to the Google image search in Chrome. You can get to this page by searching for Google Images. 

Click on the camera icon, upload the saved screenshot of your video, and click on search. You can browse through the most relevant content when you get the matching results. 

2. How to do a Reverse Video Search on Bing?

Like Google, Bing’s reverse video search requires a screenshot of your video clip. All you have to do is click on the image icon on the search bar, browse and upload your screenshot. You will be taken to the search results page.

3. How to do a Reverse Video Search on Android?

You can do a reverse video search on Android using the Google Lens app. All you have to do is open the app, tap on the image icon, browse and select the snapshot of your video, and search. You will now get related images and videos in your search results. 

4. How to do a Reverse Video Search on iOS? 

Open the Google app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Google lens icon on the search bar. You now get the option to browse an image or take a picture.

You can either select a part of the image or the entire image. After specifying your options, you will get relevant search results for the video when you perform the search. 

Other Reverse Video Search Tools

When it comes to doing a reverse video search, consider trying reverse video search engines other than Google or Bing. There are specialized services that provide more robust reverse video search. Learn what TinEye, Berify, Shutterstock, and Tecxipio can offer.

1. How to Reverse Video Search with TinEye

TinEye “is an image search and recognition company.” Their technology allows users to reverse search for images and videos, through screenshots, in the browser through the website or a Google Chrome extension. It is convenient for many internet users, and the TinEye API powers it.

Unlike some of the other options on this list, you cannot upload a video to TinEye. However, screenshots are fair game and should provide you with results for your searches.

How does TinEye function as a reverse video finder? With screenshots, you can likely get some results. You can start by visiting TinEye.

You will see a search bar for pasting the URL to an image on the web or an upload button. Choose whichever option makes the most sense for whatever your search is.

Are you working with a URL? You can copy and paste the URL from one tab or window into the search bar. You also have an option for manual entry.

If you have an image sitting in your clipboard, you can copy and paste it into the search bar as well. If you have the image or video download, you can use the upload button or drag the file from your computer into the browser window while TinEye is open.

Whichever steps you take, you’ll get a results page. You can sort and filter results from there.

TinEye is powerful for reverse searching images, but it is flexible enough for reverse video search if you use screenshots. Beyond the in-browser searching and the Chrome extension, TinEye also promotes good privacy practices. The search feature does not index your uploaded images.

2. How to Reverse Video Search with Berify

Berify is one of the more complicated options on the list due to it requiring a subscription for reverse video searching. There are several options, including a free option, but limitations exist. Unlike TinEye, however, Berify does allow for a direct videos search.

Berify offers three plans for searching. The free plan allows you to check up to search up to five images and videos simultaneously.

The free plan also will email you updates when they find a duplicate of your uploaded image or video on the web every six months.

The $5.95 a month plan offers up to 1000 image and video searches, social media integration, and more frequent notifications and auto searches.

The final plan is $24.95 a month and increases the search cap to 6000 images. The paid plans offer a free three-day trial as well.

The search process is very similar to most other reverse video finders. Simply upload your image or video through the site, or use an RSS feed or sitemap. From there, Berify will process the photos and videos at least twice before delivering matching results.

Berify runs images through their robust image matching algorithm and returns any 100% matching results along with possible matches.

Berify returns the results from their database and other search engines, including Google, Bing, Yandex, and Baidu.

They present the results in an easy-to-navigate format and update you through email whenever they find one of your images online.

Berify is a more geared service to a professional audience, so if you are a casual internet user, you may want to try one of the other alternatives.

Content creators, photographers, and marketing agencies would get more from this reverse video search website.

3. How to Reverse Video Search with Shutterstock

Shutterstock is one of the most well-known sources for stock photos and videos on the internet, and the service boasts a massive archive of material that you can use under license for various projects.

Shutterstock’s database stores over a billion images and videos. Chances are, if you have watched a video on YouTube at some point, you have seen stock footage from a website like Shutterstock.

While the functionality of searching and uploading on Shutterstock is similar to services like TinEye and Berify, the aim of the reverse video search function is different when Shutterstock is involved.

When you engage in reverse video search on Shutterstock, you look through their specific archive. That means that this service exists for professionals and is much like Berify.

One exciting function is that when you upload a video into Shutterstock, it will return images that match the uploaded image as closely as possible, which is excellent when you have a video project that requires stock footage of specific types of scenarios.

So, while you won’t find your exact results on Shutterstock with videos that are not already on the service, you can find videos that are similar enough to be helpful. It is a great way to use reverse video finding to find alternative videos for a project.

4. How to Reverse Video Search with Tecxipio

Tecxipio, unlike the other options on this list, does not have an in-browser search option. Rather than a service such as the other reverse video search sites on the list, Tecxipio is a licensable API that allows you to create your reverse video find service. Tecxipio offers what they refer to as “a powerful video fingerprinting and matching technology.”

Naturally, given that this does not have a simple website option for specific videos for casual internet users, this API is designed for developers and professional organizations requiring the most technical reverse video finding process.

Tecxipio has a video that explains the Reverse Video Search API process that is quite informative. Essentially, if you have a particularly demanding need for finding videos, Tecxipio will allow you to build a video search engine of your own. If you need such an option, more than likely, you’re not doing a personal search.

Reverse Video Searching Options: In Summary

When it comes to options for video reverse search, there are various options. For your average internet user hoping to dig up information through a reverse video search, Google, Bing, and TinEye should work, even with the hurdle of TinEye not allowing video uploads.

For professional users, such as photographers, content creators, and researchers, options such as Shutterstock, Berify, and Tecxipio offer customizable solutions based on need. While there is no best service overall, each one serves a purpose and is worth looking into based on your needs.