Can You Prevent Google Image Search by Adding Text

Google image search engine is a remarkable tool that allows you to find similar images and people. Users across the globe use it every day to search for various animations, infographics, and images. However, stalkers and hackers still have access to the product and they can use it to find your social media accounts and website.

And although Google allows you to remove images from search results fast using their Removal Tool, you may also want a permanent solution to help you secure your privacy. There are several ways to do this; You could manipulate your image before uploading or add text on your site to .

In this guide, we'll discuss ways to conceal your image and how you can use DoNotPay to make your work easier.

How Reverse Image Search Works

Reverse image search involves uploading an image on search engines and searching for similar or other versions of the image online. Google does a phenomenal job of using its algorithms to find similar or exact images used elsewhere.

Today as scammers continue to deceive people with fake social profiles, you can use reverse image search to find them out, especially on dating apps where they use fake images of celebrities.

Other ways reverse image search can help you include:

Identifying fake news.
Find someone using your photo without permission.
Find the artist of a painting or photographer of a photo.
Find stores that sell similar products.
Identify someone you met online.

There are unlimited uses for the product. And unfortunately, scammers and hackers can also use it to find out your name and social media profiles. This is dangerous as the more information they gather on you the easier they can scam you or your family and friends.

How to Protect Yourself Against a Reverse Image Search?

There are several ways to protect yourself against a reverse image search. These tactics differ depending on the site that you're using, i.e. on social media, personal website, or any other website.

Other than adding text, some common ways include:

Photo Editing	Many internet users suggest that you manipulate your photo using a photo editor. You can try flipping the image horizontally, skewing it, tilting it, or adding transparent layers to it.
Masking Tools	Another popular suggestion is to use an Image Masker to add overlays to your image, though you may need to experiment with different masks or opacity settings to get a successful result.
Google Image Removal Instructions	You can also block Google image searches by carefully following Google's instructions for adding a robots.txt file to the root server. This is supposed to block it from all search engines.

On Social Media

Before uploading your images on social media, it's good to read their privacy policy to see if they'll . Sites like Facebook and Twitter do not prevent Google from indexing your image.

However, images on private Facebook groups cannot be indexed. This means that any image you upload on your profile or public group can be found on reverse image search results.

To protect yourself on social media:

Consider using a fake name.
Don't provide more information than necessary like your mobile number and email.
Don't upload images that show your address.
Change your post privacy status to private.
Don't use similar photos on your social media and dating apps.
Ask your friend to conceal their privacy as they might unintentionally reveal your information.

On Your Server

You can also use a text file to prevent search engines from indexing your site. You simply need to add a robots.txt file to your server's root folder. If you don't know how to do this, you can contact your hosting service provider for assistance.

This process takes a bit longer than using Google's Removal Tool, but it gives you flexibility in terms of the images you can block and the path. It also removes the images from all search engines, while the Removal Tool only works on Google.

Here's what to do:

Access your website's root folder on your server.
Create a robots.txt file and save it.
Write "User-agent: Googlebot-Image" as the file line of code.
To prevent the reverse search for one image writes "Disallow: /images/dogs.jpg"
To prevent the reverse search for all images write "Disallow: /"
To prevent the reverse search for a specific image type write "Disallow: /*.gif$"

Here's what your code will look like:

User-agent: Googlebot-Image Disallow: /*.gif$

Using DoNotPay's Photo Ninja

Of course, the best way to prevent an image from getting into the reverse image search results is by using AI to cloak the images to your advantage before uploading them.

DoNotPay has designed an algorithm that protects you by changing your image's orientation, meta... etc. It's designed to prevent search engines from correlating your pictures, so someone cannot reverse search them.

Before you upload an image on social media, cloak the image with DoNotPay to make it non-searchable.

Here's how to beat reverse image search using DoNotPay:

If you want to protect yourself against reverse image search engines but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered. Create your own cancellation letter in 3 easy steps:

Open Photo Ninja on DoNotPay.
Upload the photo or image you want to cloak and press submit.
Our algorithms will automatically insert hidden changes and cloak your image, so it's no longer recognizable by reverse search engines. The newly generated image will be downloadable from your disputes page!

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay's Photo Ninja for starters can help you prevent reverse image search of your images on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Stock Photo... etc. That's because DoNotPay is a diverse product.

We can also help you tackle everyday problems like:

You can conceal images on your website from search engines using a robots.txt file. This can help you prevent image theft or stalking. However, the best way to guarantee your safety is by changing your image before uploading it. Using DoNotPay's Photo Ninja you can avoid reverse image search altogether.