Step-by-Step Guide: How to Reverse Search Videos with Google and Bing

Have you ever wanted to know the origin of a fantastic video clip you saw or if you can use it in your content? This is where reverse video search comes in handy. It is your digital detective magnifying glass that can help you extract the video details you want.

Let’s dive in!

Why Do You Need a Reverse Video Search?

For different reasons, you may decide to run a reverse video search. It could range from finding the video interesting that you want to explore more about it or wanting to learn about its creator. Here are some of the more common reverse video-checking scenarios where you want to do the following:

1. Check Whether A Video Is Original/Authentic

There is a rise in the deep fakes and manipulated content on the internet. This is where, when you reverse search videos, it helps you identify inconsistencies, alterations, or other signs of a tampered video.

Moreover, you can also debunk false narratives shown in the video clip. Reverse search lets you determine if a video has been deliberately cut in or outside its original context to create a misleading narrative. Additionally, you can check whether the viral clip is real or staged.

2. Find Video’s Original Source

You can easily track the source of some of the most iconic memes or viral clips. If you want to use the clips in your content, you can give props to the original creator of the video. Thus, you can always be under copyright compliance and prevent future legal issues.

3. Discover Similar Videos

You can get more videos on similar topics or genres when you reverse-search a video you like. Moreover, you can find more channels or creators with whom you resonate. If you are a creator yourself, you can get ideas for your next video.

4. Identify Copyright Infringement

Safeguard your content with regular reverse image and video searches. You can do so by spotting bootleg uploads of your videos. It’ll help you gather evidence for potential copyright claims. However, using watermarks works as a deterrent for your videos.

5. Uncover Hidden Details

If you like a particular object but can’t recall its name or other details, you can use reverse search. For example, you can find a car brand and model, plant species type, etc. Many times, it is even tricky to identify individuals in a video. Reserve search can be handy here, too.

6. Find The Full Video From a Single Clip

Discover the missing parts of a captivating video to get a contextual understanding of the clip. This way, you can better understand the video’s message by viewing it in its entirety. This can be helpful if you belong to journalism or any other related professions.

How To Reverse Search A Video

To do this, you need a search engine that enables reverse search. For example, you can use the reverse video search Google feature or Bing video search option. However, you can also use an image upload tool from third parties. But, for ease, let us understand how you can reverse search via popular search engines.

1. Reverse Search a Video with Google

In the Google search engine, the reverse video search function is not available yet. However, it is still possible to search for a video source. Here’s what you need to do:

Look for a Distinctive Frame: Locate a unique frame in the video. The chosen frame should most likely extract the specific video from the internet. For example, you can choose a frame where the name of a particular shop or a person’s face is visible.

Pause the Video: Stop the video at the chosen frame.

Take a Screenshot: Capture the shot on your device. Use Shift-Command-4 on Mac or Ctrl + PrtScn in Windows to snip the frame.

Use Google Images: Open Google Images and tap on the camera icon to search the content by image. Upload the screenshot you saved on your device.

View the Results: Google Lens will pull up search results for your screenshot, if any.

Once the Google video search feature is released, you may directly extract details via clip.

2. Reverse Video Search with Bing

Like Google, Bing’s reverse video search works best with a screenshot of the video frame. Here are the steps you must follow:

Take the Screenshot: Capture the picture of a specific video clip you want to look for.

Do Bing Visual Search: Go to the Bing visual search page.

Share the Captured Image: Upload the screenshot by browsing and opening the existing image files. However, if you didn’t take the screenshot earlier, you can click the photo directly through your camera if you’re on mobile. You can also paste the video or image URL into the search box.

View the Results: Bing will provide “related content” so you can see similar images or videos based on your upload.