How accurate is the AI image detector?

Highly accurate. Our in-house detection model is over 99% accurate in our testing on AI-generated images and real photos, with or without a watermark in the file. When a SynthID watermark or a verified AI signature is found, the verdict is 100% certain. For the strongest result, upload the original file rather than a small or heavily compressed copy.

How can I tell if a picture is AI-generated?

Looking for odd hands or garbled text no longer works on new models. Upload the picture to Phrasly's AI image detector: it reads every pixel, checks for SynthID and C2PA proof, and shows a verdict, a confidence score and a heatmap. The guide above lists the manual signs and why they fall short.

Is this photo AI? How do I check?

Drop the photo into the box at the top of this page, paste it with Ctrl+V or add an image link. In a few seconds you'll see whether it's AI, real or partly AI-edited, and why. It's free and needs no sign-up.

How does the AI image detector work?

Our own detection model reads the pixels of every image, gives its confidence and draws a heatmap of the areas made with AI. Alongside it, Phrasly looks for proof inside the file: a SynthID watermark, an AI signature (C2PA Content Credentials) or the generation settings AI tools write into images. A watermark or a signature verified against the C2PA trust list makes the verdict 100% certain.

What is the best free AI image detector?

Look for three things: a pixel-level model that works without watermarks, checks for SynthID and C2PA proof, and a result that shows its evidence. Phrasly does all three, is free with no sign-up, and never stores your images.

Can it detect AI images without a watermark?

Yes. Watermarks and metadata are easy to strip, so Phrasly does not depend on them. Our in-house detection model reads the image itself and catches AI images with no watermark, signature or metadata at all, including screenshots and re-uploads.

Can it detect ChatGPT and DALL-E images?

Yes. Images from ChatGPT and OpenAI's image models carry OpenAI's signature and, on newer models, an invisible SynthID watermark, and we check for both. When a screenshot or re-upload has removed them, our pixel-level detection still catches the image.

Can it detect Gemini and Nano Banana images?

Yes. Images saved from Gemini, Nano Banana included, carry a signature from Google that records the SynthID watermark Google applied, and we verify it. When that signature has been stripped, our pixel-level detection does the work.

Can it detect images made with Google's AI?

Yes. Images from Gemini, Nano Banana and Google's other models carry an invisible SynthID watermark and a Google signature, and we verify both. If they've been stripped, our pixel model still checks the image.

Can it detect Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and FLUX images?

Yes. Our detection model reads the image itself, so it catches Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, FLUX, Ideogram, Grok and other generators even when the file carries no watermark, signature or metadata.

Can it detect AI art and illustrations?

Yes. Our AI art detector checks digital art, illustrations, anime-style images and concept art, as well as photos. It's useful for teachers, contests and marketplaces that need original work.

Can it detect AI-generated GIFs?

Yes. Upload a GIF up to 20 MB the same way as any photo, and you'll get the same verdict, confidence score and heatmap.

Can it detect deepfakes and face swaps?

Yes, in images. When a face was swapped or retouched with AI, the result is Partially AI and the heatmap highlights the changed area. Phrasly checks still images, not video.

Can it tell if a real photo was edited with AI?

Yes, even when the edit is small. When only part of an image was made with AI, such as a new background, a swapped face, a retouched detail or an object added with generative fill, the result is Partially AI and the heatmap highlights the edited areas.

SynthID is an invisible watermark from Google DeepMind, woven into an image's pixels as it is generated. Google uses it on images from Gemini and its other models, and OpenAI adds it to its newer images. It is built to survive screenshots, resizing and recompression. When we find it, the verdict is 100% certain. Read more about AI watermarks.

What are AI signatures (C2PA Content Credentials)?

Content Credentials are a signed record inside an image file, built on the open C2PA standard. They say which tool made the image and what was done to it, and the signature shows whether the record is intact. OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Microsoft and FLUX add them to AI images. We verify every signature against the official C2PA trust list.

Does it work on screenshots?

Yes. A screenshot removes the file's signature and metadata, but our detection model reads the pixels themselves, so screenshots, re-uploads and saved copies from social media can all be checked.

Can I paste an image or use a link instead of uploading?

Yes. Paste an image anywhere on this page with Ctrl+V (⌘V on Mac), or choose Image Link and paste the image's URL.

Are my images stored?

No. Your image is checked in memory and discarded when the scan ends. It is never saved to our servers or to your history, and nothing you check is used to train a model.

Is there a limit on how many images I can check?

Check as many images as you need, each up to 20 MB in JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF or GIF. To keep the detector fast and free for everyone, unusually heavy use from one browser or network is paused for a while.

Used by over 5 million users

Free AI Image Detector & AI Photo Checker

Find out if any image is AI: a photo, picture, GIF, screenshot or piece of AI art. Our AI image checker reads every pixel, then looks for the proof most detectors skip: SynthID watermarks and C2PA signatures. It's free, with no sign-up.

Try an example image:

Drop an image to check it for AI

or paste it anywhere on this page with Ctrl+V

JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF or GIF, up to 20 MB

Try alsoAI Detector

Your result will appear here

We look for SynthID watermarks and AI signatures, then our model reads every pixel.

AI signature
File metadata
Pixel detection
SynthID watermark

How to Check If an Image Is AI

Add your image.
Upload a photo, picture, GIF or screenshot, drag it onto the page, paste it with Ctrl+V or use an image link. JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF and GIF up to 20 MB all work.
Phrasly checks it.
The scan starts at once. Our AI image detector reads every pixel, while Phrasly checks the file for SynthID watermarks and C2PA signatures.
Read your verdict.
See whether the image is AI, real or partly AI-edited, with a confidence score and a heatmap of exactly where the AI is.

Free forever, with no sign-up. Your images are never stored.

What every scan checks

How Our AI Image Detector Works

Most AI image checkers only guess from pixels. Phrasly reads the pixels too, then looks for the proof inside the file. Watermarks and metadata are easy to strip, so they can't be the whole answer, but when an image carries them, we check them.

Our In-House Detection Model

Trained on millions of real photos and AI images from every major generator. It reads the pixels themselves, so it catches AI images after every watermark and tag is stripped.

SynthID Watermark Detector

SynthID is Google DeepMind's invisible watermark, used by Google and OpenAI. When we find it, the verdict is 100% certain.

AI Image Signature Check (C2PA)

ChatGPT, Gemini, Adobe Firefly, Copilot and FLUX sign the images they make. We verify every signature against the official C2PA trust list.

Catches Small AI Edits

A swapped background, an added object, a retouched face. Our model flags photos that were only partly changed with AI and marks exactly where.

Works on Screenshots and Re-uploads

Screenshots and copies saved from social media lose their metadata. Our model doesn't need it.

A Confidence You Can Weigh

100% when proof is found. Otherwise our model's own certainty, so you know how much weight to give it.

Accuracy

How Accurate Is Phrasly's AI Image Checker?

An in-house model trained on millions of real photos and AI images, with the proof inside the file checked on top.

Accurate in our testing, on AI images with or without a watermark.: 99%+
Certain when a SynthID watermark or a verified AI signature is found.: 100%
Images stored. Every scan is checked in memory and discarded.: 0

How We Test

We measure accuracy on real photos and AI images from every major generator, with and without watermarks. For the strongest result, upload the original file rather than a screenshot or a heavily compressed copy.

How We Compare to Other AI Image Detectors

Many free AI image detectors give one score from the pixels alone. Phrasly pairs a pixel model with SynthID and C2PA checks, shows a heatmap of the AI areas and never stores your image.

Try it yourself

Is This Image AI? Test Yourself

AI images look real now. Not sure if a photo is AI? Guess which of these were made with AI, then see what the detector finds in each one.

AI or real?
Take a close look, then make your call.
AI or real?
Take a close look, then make your call.
AI or real?
Take a close look, then make your call.
AI or real?
Take a close look, then make your call.

Detects Every Major AI Image Generator

New image generators arrive every month, and the best of them make pictures that fool almost anyone. Phrasly's AI photo detector catches them all.

Some images carry proof in the file, like the signatures from ChatGPT, Gemini and Adobe Firefly. Many don't, and some people strip it on purpose. Our in-house model doesn't need any of it: it reads the pixels themselves, so Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, FLUX and the rest are caught the same way.

AI image generators we detect

ChatGPT and DALL-EGoogle GeminiNano BananaMidjourneyStable DiffusionFLUXAdobe FireflyGrokIdeogramMicrosoft CopilotRecraftLeonardo+ more

ChatGPT & DALL-E

ChatGPT images carry OpenAI's C2PA signature and, on newer models, a SynthID watermark. We check for both. When a screenshot strips them, the pixel model still catches the image.

Gemini & Nano Banana

Gemini and Nano Banana images carry Google's SynthID watermark and a signature that records it. We verify both, and fall back on pixel detection when they're gone.

Midjourney

Midjourney images rarely carry proof in the file. Our detection model reads the image itself, so Midjourney art and photos are caught without a watermark.

Stable Diffusion & FLUX

Open models run anywhere, often with no metadata. FLUX signs the images it makes; for everything else, our pixel model does the work.

Grok & Ideogram

Grok and Ideogram images are checked the same way: any signature or watermark first, then our model reads every pixel.

What you can check

Check AI Art, Photos, GIFs and Deepfakes

One AI image checker for every kind of picture you come across, from a viral photo to a piece of digital art.

AI Art Detector

Check digital art, illustrations, anime-style images and concept art submitted as hand-made work. The verdict shows how sure the model is, so you can decide what to do next.

AI Photo Detector

Camera-style AI photos are the hardest to spot by eye. Upload a photo to see if it was generated, with a heatmap of any AI areas.

AI GIF Detector

Upload a GIF up to 20 MB in the same box as any photo, and get the same verdict, confidence score and heatmap.

Deepfakes and Face Swaps

A swapped face or an AI-retouched portrait is flagged as Partially AI, with the changed areas highlighted. Phrasly checks still images, not video.

Partially AI-Edited Photos

Generative fill, a new background or an added object: when only part of a real photo was changed with AI, the heatmap marks exactly where.

Guide

How to Tell If a Picture Is AI-Generated

For a long time you could tell if a picture was AI by looking closely. Older image generators left clear signs, and most guides still list them (see the checklist).

New models like Nano Banana, Midjourney and FLUX have fixed most of these. Hands look right, text is readable and the lighting holds together, so a careful look is no longer enough to answer "is this photo AI?". Screenshots and re-uploads also wipe the file details that used to give an image away.

The reliable way to check if an image is AI-generated is an AI photo detector that reads the pixels and the file at the same time. Phrasly does both and shows its evidence, so you see why an image was called AI, not just a score.

Check an image now

Signs an image may be AI-generated

Hands and fingers Extra, missing or merged fingers.
Text in the image Signs, labels and logos that turn into nonsense letters.
Lighting and shadows Shadows falling the wrong way, reflections that don't match.
Backgrounds Faces, windows or patterns that melt into each other.
Skin and texture Skin that looks too smooth, plastic or airbrushed.
File details No camera data, or a C2PA signature naming an AI tool.

Who Uses Phrasly's AI Image Detector

From newsrooms to classrooms, check an image before you trust it.

Journalists and fact-checkers

Verify a viral photo or a source's picture before it runs, with evidence you can cite.

Check the text that came with it

Teachers and schools

Check artwork, photo assignments and project images submitted as original work.

Check essays for AI too

Marketplaces and dating apps

Catch AI-generated profile photos and listing images before they reach your users.

Check images at scale with the API

Brands and creators

Confirm that what you license, publish or repost is the real thing.

Writing captions with AI? Humanize them

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, free forever. There is no account, no sign-up and no credit card. Every result includes the verdict and the reason behind it, plus a confidence score and a heatmap whenever the image can be called.

Check Any Image for AI, Free

Drop in any image and get a verdict, a confidence score and a heatmap. Free forever, no sign-up, and your image is never stored.

Checking text instead? Try our AI Detector

Check an Imagefor free

Add your image.

Phrasly checks it.

Read your verdict.