Texture and repeated details
Inspect skin, hair, fabric and background text at the available resolution. Smoothness or repetition is a reason to investigate, not proof of AI generation; ordinary processing can produce similar effects.
Maintained by DetectFake · Updated . See our methodology and limitations.
Image forensics
Free AI image detector: is this photo AI-generated?
Upload a photo below to check for signals of AI generation or local AI editing. DetectFake returns a confidence-based result and shows the observations behind it, so you can compare the scan with the source, context and original file. Free to start, with nothing to install. Use this AI photo checker as one step in verifying a picture, not as a certificate that it is real or fake.
3 free scans every day
DetectFake provides probabilistic forensic assessments and is not a substitute for expert review. Results should be interpreted alongside provenance data (C2PA, EXIF, chain of custody) before high-stakes decisions.
Checking a forwarded or scanned photo?
Keep the received copy unchanged and ask the sender for the original. If you scan both, label each result with its file version and the reported model. A changed score does not prove AI editing, and a filename containing “WA” does not verify WhatsApp origin.
If the original is unavailable, record that limitation instead of repeatedly recompressing the image to obtain a preferred result. Follow our source-search walkthrough to investigate earlier appearances alongside the scan.
How to read your AI photo check
- Evidence leans AI: investigate the source and original file before accusing someone of fabrication. A processed camera photo can trigger a false positive.
- Evidence leans non-AI: check the caption, date and location separately. A real photograph can still be shared with a misleading story.
- Weak or conflicting evidence: preserve that uncertainty. Try the original rather than a screenshot or forwarded copy, and record what independent checks establish.
A confidence score is not a measured accuracy rate. Read what AI detector accuracy means, then use the image and video verification checklist to record sources and unresolved questions.
Visual cues to review alongside a scan
Review these cues manually alongside the reported model and signals. A scan does not inspect every object or establish that any single artifact was caused by AI.
Local edit seams
Compare sharpness, grain and colour around a suspected edit. A boundary mismatch may warrant review, but it does not identify the editing tool or establish that AI was used.
Light and geometry errors
Shadows falling in disagreeing directions, missing contact shadows, reflections that omit the subject, and perspective that will not resolve.
Processing and file history
Compare the received file with an original when available. Compression, resizing and denoising can change texture; missing metadata or smooth pixels alone cannot establish camera or AI origin.
How to check a photo in 4 steps
- 1
Upload the image
Drop a JPEG, PNG, WebP or HEIC file up to 60 MB. No install and no account needed for your first scans.
- 2
It is prepared in your browser
The photo is downscaled locally so analysis is fast and the full-resolution original stays on your device.
- 3
Forensic analysis runs
Local classification models and image statistics produce screening signals. Check the model name and any fallback notice in the report; the tool does not inspect every object or prove an editing history.
- 4
Read the verdict and evidence
You get a verdict, a confidence score, a plain-language summary, and the signal list to guide further verification. A score alone does not prove origin.
Limits worth knowing
Screenshots, social-platform re-compression, heavy filters and small thumbnails strip out the fine detail forensic analysis relies on, which pushes results toward inconclusive. Photos of screens, scans of prints and aggressive denoising can also mimic generative smoothness. Treat a result as one screening signal and corroborate it with the original source, provenance and independent evidence.
AI image detector FAQs
Can an AI photo checker tell whether a picture is real?
An AI photo checker can provide screening signals, not proof that a picture is real. A low AI score does not establish when or where a photo was taken, whether its caption is true, or whether it was conventionally edited. Compare the result with the original file, its source and independent references.
Can I check a WhatsApp photo, screenshot or scanned picture for AI?
You can screen these images, but resizing, compression and scanning can change the evidence available to a detector. Request the original file and compare it with the received copy. A processed scan or forwarded image is not automatically AI-generated, and its appearance cannot reliably identify which app processed it.
Is this image AI-generated?
Upload the image to DetectFake for a confidence-based screening result and a list of the signals behind it. No image detector can establish origin with certainty, so check the source, earlier appearances, context and original file alongside the scan.
Can I scan a photo for AI free online?
Yes. DetectFake provides three free image scans per day in your browser, with no installation required. Each result includes a verdict, confidence score and supporting observations rather than only a yes-or-no label.
How accurate is an AI image detector?
DetectFake has not published a measured accuracy benchmark. The confidence score is support for a verdict, not a calibrated probability or accuracy rate. Compression, edits and unfamiliar generators can cause false positives and false negatives. Check the original source and independent evidence.
Can it detect Midjourney, DALL·E, Stable Diffusion and Sora output?
You can screen images from these generators, but DetectFake does not guarantee detection of any named model or version. New generation methods and post-processing may evade detection. A result does not identify which generator created a file.
Does it catch AI edits to a real photo?
A local AI edit can be missed when most of a photo is unchanged. Classification and image statistics may flag suspicious patterns, but they do not enumerate every edited object or establish an editing history. Compare the original and edited versions where possible.
Which image formats and sizes work?
JPEG, PNG, WebP and HEIC up to 60 MB. Images are downscaled in your browser before analysis, so large camera files are fine.
Is my photo uploaded or stored?
Normal analysis runs on your device after model files download. If local inference fails, a prepared image copy and filename are sent to DetectFake’s server for a limited fallback assessment. Scan history, including a preview, is stored in your browser. Read the privacy notice and methodology before scanning sensitive files.
How many images can I check for free?
Three scans per day on the free Regular plan. Silver raises this to 30 scans a day and Gold has no daily scan cap.
Check a photo for AI right now
Three free scans a day, no signup required.
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