Searching for a Facebook ID using just an image can be tricky, but there are a few methods that may work. The key is using reverse image search tools to try to match the photo to public Facebook profiles. This won’t always be successful, especially if the person’s profile is private, but it’s worth a shot.
Use Reverse Image Search
The first step is to use a reverse image search tool like Google Images, TinEye or Yandex. These allow you to upload an image or enter an image URL and they will try to find online matches. Here’s how:
- Go to images.google.com, tineye.com or yandex.com/images.
- Click on the camera icon or “Upload image” button.
- Upload the image you want to search.
- The tool will scan the web and show you any matching or similar images it finds, along with links to where those images appear online.
Look through the results for matches on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. If you find a match on a public Facebook profile, you may be able to determine the person’s Facebook ID from the URL of their profile page.
Use Facebook Image Search
Facebook also has its own reverse image search feature built into the platform. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to facebook.com and log into your account.
- Click the spyglass icon to open the Facebook search bar.
- Click on the camera icon next to the search bar.
- Upload or enter the URL of the image you want to search.
- Facebook will show you profiles, pages and groups where that image appears.
This search only pulls results from public profiles, Pages and Groups on Facebook, so it’s limited compared to wider image search engines. But if you find a match, you may be able to get the person’s Facebook ID.
Use the Facebook URL
If you happen to find the person’s Facebook profile through a reverse image search, their Facebook ID may be included in the URL. For example:
www.facebook.com/jane.doe
In this case, the Facebook ID is the username that comes after facebook.com/ – so the ID would be jane.doe. This doesn’t always work, as some users have numeric Facebook IDs instead of usernames, but it’s worth checking if you find a public profile.
Use the Public Profile Source Code
If you view the source code of a public Facebook profile page, you may be able to find the user’s Facebook ID number. Here’s how:
- Right click on the profile page and choose “View Page Source” or “View Source Code”.
- Press Ctrl + F on Windows/Linux or Command + F on Mac to open the search box.
- Search for “profile_id”
- If found, the profile ID number should be next to profile_id, contained in quote marks.
For example, it may look like this:
profile_id”: “000000123“
This long number is their unique Facebook ID.
Use the Facebook Graph API
If you have developer access, you can use the Facebook Graph API to try to search for the ID by image. Here’s how it works:
- Get a Facebook Developer account and app access token.
- Use the /search endpoint, passing the image file in the image parameter.
- If there is a match, the response may include the person’s public Facebook ID.
For example:
GET graph.facebook.com/search?type=user&q=image.jpg
This advanced method only works if the image is matched to a public Facebook profile. There are also restrictions on how the Graph API can be used.
Considerations
Here are some important things to keep in mind when searching for a Facebook ID by image:
- Reverse image search tools cannot index private Facebook profiles that are not viewable by the public.
- Profile pictures may be changed over time, making matches less likely.
- Facebook’s algorithms privilege more active and engaged users, so inactive accounts are tougher to match.
- Users may not use real photos of themselves, making image matches difficult.
- Searching Facebook IDs without consent raises privacy concerns, so do consider ethics.
While it’s possible to use an image to uncover a Facebook ID in some cases, there are no guarantees. Much depends on the privacy settings of the user, whether they actually use their own photo, and the availability of the image on public sites search engines can access.
Alternative Search Methods
If you’re unable to find the Facebook ID from an image, here are some other options to try identifying or finding someone on Facebook:
- Search by name – Try searching their name directly on Facebook search.
- Search by email or phone number – If you know one of these, you may be able to find their profile.
- Look through friends/contacts – Browse friends lists of other known connected people.
- Use their username – If you know their Facebook username, visit facebook.com/username.
- Use the Facebook Lookup tool – This can match profiles via name, phone number or username.
While these other search methods are not based on images, they could help you uncover the person’s Facebook profile and ID if reverse image lookup fails.
Conclusion
Searching Facebook ID by image is possible in some cases using reverse image search tools, Facebook’s image search, visible Facebook URLs, profile source code, or the Graph API. However, there are limitations based on a user’s privacy settings, profile visibility, and the availability of their photos on public sites. If reverse image search fails to find a match, alternative name, username, email or phone-based people search methods may help uncover the person’s Facebook profile and ID.