How to remove an image of you from Google Search

Why removing it from Google is not enough

Google does not host the images you see in Google Images. It finds them on other websites and shows a small copy with a link back to the page.

• If Google removes a result, the image is still on the website. People can still find it there or through other search engines.
• If the website removes the image, Google may keep showing its old copy for a while, until it checks the page again.
• So you usually need both: the image removed at the source, then Google updated.

1. 01Find the sourceOpen the page that hosts the image.
2. 02Remove it thereAsk the site or report it.
3. 03Update GoogleUse the outdated content tool.

Step 1: get the image removed at the source

Start with the website that shows the image. This is the only place where it can be deleted for good.

1. 1

   Find the page

   In Google Images, click the image and then the link to visit the page. Save the page link and the image link.

2. 2

   Look for other copies

   Use a reverse image search, such as Google Lens, to find the same picture on other sites. Note each one.

3. 3

   Use the site's own tools

   On social media, report the image from the post. On other sites, look for a contact, removal, or privacy page.

4. 4

   Ask clearly and politely

   Say which image, where it appears, and why you want it removed. For example, it was taken without your permission, or it shows your home.

5. 5

   Keep a record

   Write down who you contacted, when, and what they said. Take a screenshot of the page before you ask.

Step 2: ask Google to update its results

Once the image is gone from the page, or the page itself is gone, Google can still show the old thumbnail for a while. You can ask Google to check again.

• Use Google's outdated content tool. Anyone can use it, and you do not need to own the website.
• Use the right link. For an image, give the link to the image itself, or the page if the whole page was removed.
• Check the status. The tool shows whether your request is still pending, approved, or turned down.

The tool only works when the image or page has really changed. If the image is still live on the site, Google will usually turn the request down. Our guide to Google's removal tools explains each tool in more detail.

Special cases Google handles directly

For some images, Google will remove the result even if the website will not. These have their own request forms in Google's help centre.

• Explicit images shared without consent: intimate photos or videos posted without your permission, including fake explicit images made to look like you.
• Images of children: people under 18, or a parent or guardian, can ask Google to remove images of them from results.
• Private details: images that show things like ID documents, bank details, or other sensitive personal information.
• Legal reasons: such as copyright, or a court order. Google has a separate form for legal removal requests.

In the EU and the UK, you can also ask Google to delist some results for searches of your name. Our guide on the right to be forgotten explains how.

If the image keeps coming back

Images are easy to copy. A picture removed from one site can appear on another, and then in Google again.

• Check every few weeks. Search your name in Google Images and run a reverse image search on the picture.
• Deal with each new copy the same way. Ask the new site first, then update Google.
• Use the special forms where they apply. For some types, such as explicit images, Google also tries to keep copies out of results once a request is approved.
• Fill the results with images you choose. Real, current photos on your own profiles and website can show up instead.

Our guide on keeping an eye on your name online shows simple ways to spot new copies early.