How to Opt Out of PimEyes and Remove Your Face from Its Results

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A PimEyes opt out is a free request that removes your face from PimEyes search results. Submit the official form with a clear photo of your face, an anonymised government ID and your email. PimEyes says the request permanently removes your likeness from current and future searches, but it does not delete the photos from the websites that host them.

PimEyes is a face search engine. Anyone can upload a photo of a face and find other photos of the same person on publicly accessible websites, which is how many people first discover that their pictures have been reposted, used in a fake profile or shared without permission. A face search engine matches the face in a photo rather than the image file itself, so it can find your pictures even after they have been cropped, filtered or re-uploaded under a different name. That is also why a simple image search is not always enough: if you want to see how face search differs from ordinary image matching, our PimEyes alternatives guide compares the free and paid options side by side.

The stakes are real. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, a 25% increase on the year before, and fake profiles built from stolen photos are one of the cheapest tools a scammer has. Opting out of PimEyes will not fix every problem — the photos stay where they were published — but it does close one of the easiest ways for a stranger to trace your face across the web. This guide follows PimEyes’ own published process, updated in 2026, and covers both removal paths, what happens to your ID, how long to wait, and the source-site work that still remains. One rule before you start: only opt out your own face. Submitting someone else’s photo or ID is not your request to make.

What Is a PimEyes Opt Out?

A PimEyes opt out is a request asking PimEyes to exclude your face from its search results. PimEyes describes the feature as free of charge, and says it will permanently remove your likeness from both current and future searches. You do not need a paid subscription, and you do not need to file a DMCA request: PimEyes’ own removal guide states plainly that a DMCA request is not required to remove an image from its search results.

To understand what the opt-out actually changes, it helps to know how PimEyes works. PimEyes searches only websites that officially allow data scraping, and it never searches social media or other user-restricted sources, according to PimEyes’ own blog. It does not store your photos: its database holds an index of face fingerprints from publicly available images, not the pictures themselves. When you submit an opt-out, PimEyes first verifies that the ID matches the face in your photo, then runs a search with the image you uploaded. Every result above its similarity level is saved to a separate blocklist as the web address of the image and a hash of the image, and removed from its indexes.

That blocklist is the key to what the opt-out can and cannot do. It stops PimEyes showing those matched images again, and it stops the same image being saved to the index again. But PimEyes itself warns that, because of the way its AI works, an opt-out request may not find every match, and that material removed from its database can re-appear if the same photo turns up on a different web address. That is why PimEyes advises submitting more than one opt-out request with different photos of yourself.

Three things to have ready before you start:

• A clear photo of your face. Front-facing, well lit, no sunglasses, hat or mask. PimEyes says uploading more than one photo, from different angles, gives better results.
• An anonymised government ID. A passport, driving licence or national ID card, with everything except your photo hidden — name, address, date of birth and document number all covered.
• An email address. PimEyes uses it to send a confirmation letter about your request, so use an address you actually check.

How Do I Complete a PimEyes Opt Out?

Before you opt out, it is worth searching your face first so you know what PimEyes currently finds. A Google reverse image search is a useful free first check for finding the pages that show your photos, and PimEyes itself offers a free search on its homepage. Note which results are really you, and save the addresses of the pages that host them — you will need them later for the source-site removals. Then follow these steps:

1. Take or choose a clear photo of your face. Use a recent, front-facing photo in good light, looking directly at the camera. A blurry, old or heavily filtered photo can be rejected, so pick the clearest one you have. If you can, prepare a second photo from a slightly different angle as well, because PimEyes says more than one photo improves the match.
2. Anonymise your ID. Photograph or scan your passport, driving licence or national ID card, then cover everything except the photo. Your phone’s markup or blur tool will do the job: hide your name, address, date of birth, document number and any other printed details. PimEyes says it only needs the photo visible so it can confirm that the person making the request is real and is you, and that it does not store images of these documents — they are permanently removed after the opt-out process is over.
3. Open the official opt-out form. Go to the official PimEyes opt-out form at pimeyes.com/en/opt-out. Check the address in your browser carefully before you upload anything: the real form lives on pimeyes.com, and you should never send your photo or ID to a third-party site that claims to file the request for you.
4. Upload your face photo and your anonymised ID. The form asks for a photo of yourself first, so PimEyes can search for potential photos of you connected to the face fingerprints it holds. Then upload the anonymised ID scan for identity confirmation. Read the privacy and terms notices on the page before you continue, so you know exactly what you are agreeing to.
5. Enter your email address and submit. PimEyes uses this address to contact you about your request, so double-check it for typos before you submit. Keep the confirmation letter it sends you, including any reference number, in a safe place.
6. Wait, then re-search your face. PimEyes does not publish a fixed processing time, so allow at least two weeks before judging the result. Its privacy policy, updated on 23 April 2026, says the data you upload for an opt-out is kept for no more than 96 hours while the request is carried out, and then permanently removed, with only a record of the request and the steps taken kept afterwards. After two weeks, run a fresh face search with the same photo and see whether your pictures still appear.
7. Follow up if matches remain. If your face is still showing, reply to the confirmation email and cite the date of your original request, or submit the form again with a different photo of yourself. PimEyes advises repeat requests because different photos can produce different index combinations, and a second attempt often catches matches the first one missed.

If you live in the European Union or California, you have a legal route as well as the standard form. Under the GDPR, an organisation generally has one month to respond to an erasure request, and in California the CCPA allows companies up to 45 days to act on a deletion request. A formal request citing the law is the right fallback if the standard form stalls, but for most people the free form above is the faster path.

Worked Example: Removing Your Face from PimEyes, Step by Step

The example below follows PimEyes’ own published process. The person is fictional; the steps, the screens and the outcomes described are the ones PimEyes itself describes, and timings can vary from case to case.

Mara is a teacher. A colleague mentions seeing her photo on a stranger’s blog, so Mara opens PimEyes and runs a free search with a public profile photo of herself. The search returns six matches: her wedding photo on a wallpaper site, the same photo on the stranger’s blog, two photos from a school event page, and two pictures of a woman who only looks a little like her. The last two are a useful reminder that a visual match is not proof of identity — face search finds similar faces, and a lookalike is not you.

First, Mara saves the addresses of the four pages that really show her, because she will need them for the source-site removals later. Then she takes a clear, front-facing selfie in daylight and picks a second photo from a slightly different angle. She photographs her passport, then uses her phone’s markup tool to cover everything except the passport photo: name, date of birth, passport number and address all hidden. She opens the official PimEyes opt-out form, uploads both face photos and the anonymised passport image, enters her email address and submits. A confirmation letter arrives in her inbox the same day, and she saves it with its reference number.

Two weeks later, Mara runs the same face search again. Her wedding photo, the school event photos and the blog photo no longer appear in PimEyes results. The opt-out has done what PimEyes says it does: her likeness is excluded from current searches. But when she opens the blog and the wallpaper site directly, the photos are still there. That is expected. A PimEyes opt out removes results from PimEyes only; it never deletes the photo from the website that published it.

So Mara moves on to the source sites. She emails the blog owner, explains that the photo is of her, and asks for it to be removed. The wallpaper site has a report form, so she files a removal request there with a link to the image. The blog owner never replies, so she uses the blog platform’s own abuse report form instead. A month later she repeats the face search and finds one new match: the same wedding photo on a different web address. Because PimEyes says removed material can re-appear under a new address, she submits a second opt-out with a different photo, as the company advises, and the new match disappears from results as well. The whole job took two opt-out requests, three emails and about six weeks of waiting — and a calendar reminder to re-check every few months, because new copies can appear at any time.

For the same kind of check on another face search engine, the routine is similar but the form is different. If you want a reminder of the full free routine, our reverse image search guide walks through the checks to run before and after any opt-out.

What If You Only Want One Photo Removed?

Sometimes the problem is a single image, not your whole face: one embarrassing photo, one picture from an event you would rather forget, or one image being misused on a particular site. For that, PimEyes offers a second path called manual exclusion, and it is quicker than a full opt-out.

1. Run a search and find the image. Search your face on PimEyes and locate the exact result you want gone.
2. Select the image in the results. Click the image directly in the search results to open its options.
3. Choose “exclude from public results”. Select that option from the menu and proceed with excluding the image.
4. Give your email address and a reason. Explain why the result should not be available, then submit the request.

PimEyes says the image will be permanently deleted from PimEyes within 48 hours after your request is approved. That is much faster than a full opt-out, but it only removes that one image: every other photo of you stays searchable. Use manual exclusion for a single problem image, and the full opt-out when you want your face excluded altogether. PimEyes’ own removal guide describes both options in full, and both are available to every user, whether or not they pay for a subscription.

What a PimEyes Opt Out Does Not Do

An opt-out is a useful step, but it is not a delete button for the internet. Knowing its limits stops you from assuming the job is finished when it is only half done.

• It does not delete your photos from source websites. The pictures stay on the blog, the wallpaper site or the forum that published them. Removing them means contacting the site owner or using the site’s report form.
• It does not cover other face search engines. FaceCheck.ID, Clearview AI and other services run their own indexes, so a PimEyes opt-out has no effect on them. Our face check guide explains how FaceCheck.ID works and that it has its own separate removal process. If you need to deal with that engine too, learn how to remove your face from FaceCheck.ID.
• It does not stop re-uploads. If the same photo appears on a new web address, or a new photo of you is published, it can be indexed again. PimEyes says so itself, which is why repeat checks matter.
• It does not remove results from Google or Bing. Ordinary image search engines keep their own indexes, and a photo that leaves PimEyes can still appear in Google Images.
• It does not prove a photo is you. A visual match shows that a face appears somewhere; it is a lead to investigate, not proof of identity, and a lookalike can easily be mistaken for the real person.

For the source photos themselves, work through the sites one by one: contact the site owner, use the platform’s report or abuse form, and keep screenshots with dates in case you need evidence later. If a photo of you is being used in a scam, report it to Action Fraud in the United Kingdom, or to ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the United States, and do not share the scammer’s post publicly — the photo may belong to an innocent person whose pictures were stolen.

PimEyes Opt Out vs the Other Ways to Remove Your Face

The free opt-out is the right first move for most people, but it is not the only option. The table below compares it with the alternatives, so you can pick the one that fits your situation instead of paying for help you do not need.

PimEyes also sells a paid PROTECT plan, which monitors for new matches and files removal requests with the websites hosting your photos. It can be useful if your pictures keep reappearing and you do not want to chase every site yourself, but it is not required for the opt-out: the free form works without any subscription. A formal GDPR or CCPA request is the fallback to use if the standard form stalls or you want a legal paper trail, and it costs nothing to send.

What to Do After You Opt Out

Submitting the form is the middle of the job, not the end of it. Work through this checklist so the opt-out actually sticks:

1. Keep the confirmation email. Save it with its reference number. You will need it if you have to follow up.
2. Re-search your face after two weeks. Use the same photo you searched with before, so the comparison is fair, and note anything that still appears.
3. Submit again with a different photo if matches remain. PimEyes advises repeat requests because different photos can catch matches the first attempt missed.
4. Remove the photos at the source. Contact each site owner or use the site’s report form, starting with the pages that worry you most.
5. Check the other engines. Run the same face check on FaceCheck.ID and a standard image search with Google Lens and TinEye, since each service keeps its own index. Our main reverse image search guide shows the full routine to repeat every few months.
6. Reduce future exposure. Review which of your photos are public, tighten who can see and share them, and ask friends not to tag you in public posts.
7. Set a reminder to re-check. New copies can appear at any time, so put a repeating reminder in your calendar and run the same search every few months.

FAQs

Is the PimEyes opt out free?

Yes. The opt-out form is free, and PimEyes says you never need a paid subscription to remove your face from its results. You only need a clear photo of your face, an anonymised government ID and an email address. Any site charging you to file a PimEyes opt-out is selling a service you can do yourself for nothing.

How long does a PimEyes opt out take?

PimEyes does not publish a processing time, so allow at least two weeks. Its privacy policy says the ID and photos you upload are kept for no more than 96 hours while the request is processed. If your face still appears after two weeks, follow up with your confirmation email or submit the form again with a different photo.

Does opting out of PimEyes delete my photos from the internet?

No. Opting out only stops PimEyes showing your face in its search results. The photos stay on the websites that published them, and they can still appear in Google Images, on social media and in other face search tools. To remove a photo itself, contact the site hosting it and ask for it to be taken down.

Do I have to send PimEyes my ID to opt out?

Yes, the official form asks for an anonymised government ID, such as a passport or driving licence, with everything except your photo hidden. PimEyes says it only uses the ID to confirm the request comes from the person in the photo, and that the document images are permanently deleted after processing. Never send an unredacted ID.