🔎 Reverse Image Search
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Seen a lamp in a café, a pair of trainers on a stranger, or a planter in a friend’s photo, and wondered where to buy it? That is exactly the problem amazon image search solves. Instead of guessing the product name, you show Amazon a photo and it finds the listings that look like it.
Amazon image search lets you find products on Amazon from a photo instead of typing keywords. Open the Amazon Shopping app, tap the camera icon in the search bar, and take a photo or upload one from your gallery. Amazon Lens then shows matching or similar listings, with prices, delivery options and reviews beside each one.
Amazon Lens is the visual search tool built into the Amazon Shopping app. It is free to use, it works on iPhone and Android, and in 2025 Amazon added Lens Live, a real-time version that scans what your camera sees and shows matches as you point your phone. This guide walks through every method step by step, works through a real example, compares Amazon Lens with Google Lens and eBay image search, and shows you how to check a listing before you spend money.
What Is Amazon Image Search (Amazon Lens)?
Amazon image search is a form of reverse image search that runs inside Amazon’s own catalogue. You give the Amazon app a picture, its image recognition analyses the shapes, colours, patterns and textures, and it returns the Amazon listings that look most like what is in the photo. According to Amazon, its Lens Live upgrade uses a deep learning visual embedding model to match what your camera sees against billions of Amazon products.
There are four ways to start a search in Amazon Lens:
- Take a photo with the camera inside the app, pointed at a real item in front of you.
- Upload a photo or screenshot from your phone’s gallery, for example a picture you saved from social media.
- Scan a barcode on a product’s packaging, which jumps straight to that product or close matches.
- Use Lens Live, the real-time camera mode that scans continuously and shows matches in a carousel without you taking a photo at all.
Amazon Lens is free inside the Amazon Shopping app, and you do not need a Prime membership to use it. You only need an Amazon account when you actually buy something. The tool is most useful when you already expect to buy from Amazon, because every result is a listing you can order, with the price, delivery estimate, seller details and customer reviews on the same screen. Its weakness is the opposite of its strength: it only searches Amazon. If the item is sold elsewhere and not on Amazon, Lens will not find it, and it cannot tell you whether another shop sells it cheaper.
How Do I Search Amazon by Image on iPhone and Android?
The steps are the same on iPhone and Android, and a search takes less than a minute once the app is installed. Amazon’s Visual Search help page confirms each of these options.
- Install the Amazon Shopping app and sign in. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and sign in to your Amazon account. You can browse results without signing in, but you need an account to buy or save items.
- Tap the camera icon in the search bar. At the top of the app’s home screen you will see the search bar with a small camera icon at its right-hand end. Tap it to open Amazon Lens.
- Choose how to search. The app offers a choice between taking a new photo, uploading an image from your gallery, and scanning a barcode. Pick the one that fits what you have.
- Take a photo or pick one from your gallery. If the item is in front of you, photograph it straight on in good light. If the photo is on your screen or in a message, save it first and then upload it from your gallery.
- Circle the item if the photo is busy. When you upload an image, Amazon Lens places a dot on each item it detects. You can circle around one item to search for that object only, which is the fix when a photo shows a whole room or outfit and you only want one piece of it.
- Browse the results and refine them. Amazon Lens returns a list of visually similar products. You can add text in the search bar to specify a brand, change the colour, or narrow the results, and you can use the usual filters for price, delivery and customer review score.
Amazon Lens needs an internet connection to search. If you are offline you will get a network error message, so check your connection and try again. That is worth knowing before you rely on it in a shop with poor signal: take the photo while you are there, then run the search when you have a connection.
What Is Lens Live and How Does It Work?
Lens Live is the real-time upgrade to Amazon Lens, and it is the biggest change to amazon image search since the feature launched. Amazon’s announcement of Lens Live explains that it was introduced on 2 September 2025 and is now available for tens of millions of customers in the United States in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS and Android, with a wider rollout continuing.
When you open Amazon Lens on a phone that has Lens Live, the camera starts scanning immediately. Top matching items appear in a swipeable carousel at the bottom of the screen, updating as you pan across a scene. You can tap an item in the camera view to focus the search on that one product, add a match to your basket by tapping the plus icon, and save items to your wish list by tapping the heart icon, all without leaving the camera view.
Lens Live also brings Amazon’s AI shopping assistant into the camera. The assistant was originally called Rufus, and Amazon renamed it Alexa for Shopping on 13 May 2026. While you browse, you will see short summaries of what makes a product stand out, plus suggested questions about the whole image. You can tap the “Ask about this” bar and type a question, for example asking how to remove a stain from a rug in the photo, and get an answer without leaving the camera view. If Lens cannot identify an exact or similar product in an image, it now shows intelligent captions describing what is visible in the scene instead of leaving you with a blank screen.
Amazon says photo searches in Amazon Lens have more than doubled since 2023, and that the launch of Lens Live has increased engagement in Amazon Lens by 13%. Amazon has also kept expanding the basic Lens feature to new countries: it launched in South Africa, Poland and Sweden in early 2026, so if the camera icon is missing on your phone, it may simply not have reached your country yet. Check for an app update first, because availability changes with app versions.
Worked Example: Finding a Ceramic Plant Pot from a Café Photo
Here is a real example of the kind of search this feature is made for. Imagine you are sitting in a café and notice a ribbed terracotta plant pot on the windowsill. It has no label, no maker’s mark you can read, and no price tag. You like it and want the same one at home, but you have no idea what it is called or who makes it.
First, take a clean photo of the pot. Stand so the light falls on it from the side rather than from behind you, fill the frame with the pot, and include the whole pot from rim to base. A straight-on shot works better than a photo taken from above, because Lens matches shapes and proportions. Avoid including the coffee cup, the menu and the other table items in the frame, or crop them out afterwards.
Next, open the Amazon app, tap the camera icon in the search bar, and upload the photo. Because the café photo may still include the windowsill and a plant, use the circle tool to draw around the pot itself, so the search focuses on that one object. Amazon Lens will place dots on the items it detects; circling the pot tells it exactly which one you want.
Lens then returns a set of visually similar planters. You will typically see a mix: some will be the same ribbed terracotta style, others will be smooth or glazed pots that share the colour but not the shape. Narrow the results by adding text in the search bar, such as the colour and the approximate size, and use the filters to set a price range and a minimum review score. Open the closest listings and check the product details against your photo: the material, the height and diameter, and whether the pot has a drainage hole.
Two honest warnings apply here. First, the exact pot may not be on Amazon at all. Cafés often buy from wholesale or local suppliers, so Lens may return similar pots rather than the identical one, and that is a useful result as long as you judge it on the details rather than the first thumbnail. Second, your results will vary: what Lens finds depends on which sellers have listed and photographed similar pots, and a different photo or a tighter crop can return a very different set of matches. If the first attempt is poor, retake the photo closer up and search again before concluding the pot is not available.
How Can I Get Better Matches — and What If the Results Look Wrong?
Amazon Lens is only as good as the photo you give it. A clear, well-lit photo of one item will beat a dark, cluttered photo every time. These habits make a real difference:
- Photograph one item at a time. If two or three products are in the frame, Lens cannot tell which one you want. Move the others out of shot or circle the one you want.
- Fill the frame. Get close enough that the item takes up most of the photo, with a small margin around it. Tiny items in a wide shot produce vague matches.
- Use plain backgrounds and daylight. A white wall or a plain table helps the search see the item’s shape and colour. Avoid busy patterns and yellow indoor lighting, which change how colours read.
- Photograph the distinctive side. For a watch, that means the dial; for a bag, the clasp and logo; for a trainer, the side profile and sole. A generic angle gives generic results.
- Keep labels in the frame. A visible brand name, logo or model number often turns a visual match into an exact one, because Lens also reads text in the image.
- Add words after the photo. Amazon’s help page confirms you can add text in the search bar to specify a brand or change the colour, so use that when the visual results are close but not right.
- Try a second photo if the first fails. Turn the item around, or photograph it from another angle. Each new angle is a fresh search, and results can change completely.
If you are searching from a screenshot or a photo someone sent you, save the image to your gallery first, crop out usernames, buttons and other screen furniture, and then upload the cleaned image. Screenshots with interface elements around the item produce poor matches, because the matcher tries to match the buttons as well as the product.
The most common problem is that the camera icon is not there at all. First check for an app update in the App Store or Google Play, because the feature arrives and changes with app versions, and Lens Live is still rolling out by country and device. If the app is up to date and the icon is still missing, force-close the app and reopen it; a restart after an update often brings the icon back. In some countries Amazon Lens simply has not launched yet.
If the icon is there but the results are poor, the fix is usually in the photo. Retake it in better light, move closer, crop tighter, and circle the item you want. If Amazon keeps showing the wrong category, add a keyword to the search after the image results load, for example the brand or the product type, or use the category filter to limit results to the right department.
A network error means the app cannot reach Amazon’s servers, because Amazon Lens needs an internet connection to search. Check your connection and try again, or take the photo now and run the search when you have signal. Some items simply have no good match on Amazon. Very rare, handmade or unbranded items may return only vaguely similar products, and new products that nobody has listed yet will not appear at all. In that case, search the same photo with Google Lens to get the product name, then search Amazon with that name as text. For the general cross-engine method, see our step-by-step guide on how to reverse image search any photo.
Amazon Image Search vs Google Lens vs eBay Image Search
Amazon Lens is not the only way to identify a product from a photo. Google Lens searches the whole web, and eBay’s image search searches live eBay listings. Each one answers a different question, so the right choice depends on what you want to find out.
| Tool | Best for | Where it searches | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Lens | Buying the item on Amazon | Amazon listings only | Free in the Amazon app |
| Google Lens | Identifying the item and its price | The whole web and shops | Free |
| eBay image search | Secondhand and discontinued items | Live eBay listings | Free in the eBay app |
Use Amazon Lens when you want to buy the item and you are happy to buy it from Amazon, because it puts the price, delivery estimate, seller details and reviews beside every result, and Lens Live lets you compare matches without leaving the camera. Use Google Lens when you want to know what the item is called, who makes it and which shops sell it new; our Google reverse image search guide explains that workflow in detail. Use eBay’s image search when the item is secondhand, vintage or discontinued, because that is where one-off items are listed; our guide shows you how to search eBay by image step by step.
For a thorough check, use two of them together. Run the photo through Google Lens first to learn the product name, then use that name, or the same photo, in Amazon Lens to find the listing. If Amazon has no exact match, the product name from Lens tells you whether the item is a brand Amazon stocks at all, or something you need to buy elsewhere.
What Should I Check Before I Buy, and What Happens to My Photos?
Finding a matching listing is only half the job. Before you spend money, check that the listing is the exact product in your photo, not just a similar one. Read the title and the product details, compare the size, material and model number with what you saw, and look at the customer photos in the reviews, which often show the item more honestly than the seller’s studio shots. A different size, colour or model year can explain a price gap that looks like a bargain.
Then compare the price. Amazon Lens shows Amazon’s price, but it cannot tell you whether another shop sells the same item cheaper, because it only searches Amazon. Our guide on how to find the same product cheaper with a photo shows how to run the same picture through Google Lens and compare prices across retailers, including delivery, before you decide. If the item is also sold on AliExpress, you can search AliExpress by image to compare its price there.
Watch for the classic warning signs. A price far below every comparable listing, stock photos instead of photos of the actual item, and a seller with no reviews or a brand-new account are all reasons to slow down. Check who is selling it, read the recent reviews, and confirm the returns policy before you pay. If a deal feels rushed, it usually is.
Your photos deserve a note too. Amazon’s help page says that by using the camera in the Amazon app or submitting images, you agree to Amazon processing those images to provide and improve its services. If you want to remove them, you can delete all images associated with your account by going to Your Account, then Manage Amazon App Camera Images, then Delete Amazon App Camera Images. Do not upload photos containing private documents, other people’s faces, or anything sensitive to any image search tool, including Amazon Lens, unless you are comfortable with that use.
FAQs
Can I use Amazon image search on a desktop computer?
Amazon image search works best in the Amazon Shopping app on iPhone or Android, where the camera icon sits in the search bar. Amazon points to the Lens icon in the app or website search bar, but the full experience, including the real-time Lens Live camera, is in the app. Install the app and take or upload the photo there.
Is Amazon image search free to use?
Yes. Amazon Lens is free inside the Amazon Shopping app, and you do not need Prime or any paid subscription to search by photo. You only need a free Amazon account when you buy something, save an item, or use features tied to your account. Searching, browsing results and comparing listings costs nothing.
Does Amazon Lens find the exact product or just similar ones?
Usually it finds similar products, and the exact item when it is listed on Amazon. Lens matches what your photo looks like, so two items can look alike and still be different models, sizes or years. Always read the listing title, check the size and material, and compare the photos before you buy.
Can I delete the photos I upload to Amazon Lens?
Yes. Amazon’s help page says you can delete all images associated with your account by going to Your Account, then Manage Amazon App Camera Images, then Delete Amazon App Camera Images. This removes the images Amazon stored from your Lens searches, though it does not delete photos already saved in your phone’s gallery.
