Face Search Online

PimEyes Alternative

Picture this. You upload a selfie and click search. A few seconds later, you see pages where your face appears. That is the idea behind PimEyes, a face search engine that scans the public web for photos that match a face.

Learn how to run safe searches, verify results, protect your privacy, and explore PimEyes alternatives.

What PimEyes Does

PimEyes scans public sites and builds a searchable index of faces. You upload a face photo, and the site looks for similar faces in its index from blogs, news sites, forums, and public social pages.

Scans public websites and pages

Does not access private accounts or login-protected content

Compares face templates, not whole images

Key Things to Know

Not real-time - searches pre-indexed content

Face data converted to numerical templates

Accuracy affected by lighting, angles, quality

Lookalikes can cause false matches

How PimEyes Face Search Works

Technology Behind Face Matching

PimEyes uses web crawlers to find public images, creates face templates (embeddings) - numerical representations of facial features, then compares uploaded photos against its database.

Similarity Scoring:

• Higher scores indicate closer matches
• Clear, front-facing photos work best
• Good lighting improves accuracy
• Cropping reduces background noise

PimEyes vs Other Tools

Google Images

Reverse image search for exact or similar scenes

PimEyes

Face-focused matching across different photos

Clearview AI

Law enforcement only, not public

Privacy, Safety and Legal Considerations

Risks & Limitations

Potential for stalking and harassment
Doxxing and location tracking risks
Higher risk for minors and public figures
Legal compliance varies by region

Safe Usage Guidelines

Only search your own face or with consent
Verify all matches through source pages
Respect platform terms and conditions
Follow regional privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, BIPA)

How to Use PimEyes Safely and Effectively

1. Prepare Your Photo

• Use recent, front-facing photos
• Good lighting, no sunglasses/masks
• Crop to face area if background is busy
• Avoid heavy filters and edits

2. Run Search & Verify

• Upload file or paste image URL
• Free version shows blurred results
• Paid plans unlock full details
• Always click through to source pages

3. Document & Take Action

• Keep notes with URLs and dates
• Contact site owners for removal
• Submit PimEyes opt-out requests
• Use DMCA for copyright violations

Remove Your Photos and Protect Privacy

PimEyes Opt-Out

Submit face photo and ID proof to hide your face from search results

Source Removal

Contact website owners directly to remove photos at the source

Privacy Settings

Lock down social media and review sharing permissions

Prevention

Use watermarks, blur faces, and practice smart sharing habits