No results anymore from Google

[colemar]

System

• Windows
• 10
• Chrome
• Browser version: 121.0.6167.85
• Extension version: 6.1.2

Bug description

Google reverse image search comes out always empty.
It worked until about yesterday.

Logs

Where do I get the logs?

[dessant]

I can't reproduce the issue. Are you testing the extension from Italy? What does empty mean? Please show a screenshot of the search results tab.

[colemar]

Yes, from Italy.

Google obviously should at least know these images:

But if I open the first picture and make a reverse search using search-by-image I get this:

[colemar]

I tested more thoroughly, both in Chrome and Firefox:

• if I am logged in Google with my google account I get no results
• if I disconnect the google account and retry the reverse search I get many results
• if I log in again and retry the reverse search I get no results

I tried with two different google account, and it works!

This happens both from Italy and from USA (via VPN).

It seems like they quietly banned my account from reverse image search.
I must admit that I did a lot of reverse searches recently.
Google Lens works though, but is almost useless as a reverse search engine.

[colemar]

How could I complain to Google since this kind of reverse image search is unofficial? (I believe)

[dessant]

There is no point in contacting Google because they have already deprecated this service, it was replaced by Google Lens. Google keeps this service accessible for now if you request the URL directly, but the issues you're experiencing are inevitable, and the entire service may be shut down in the near future.

[MarkyMarkDE]

I found the problem for image search with g*.
If you are not logged in your account on the same browser it works well (if not, clear cache and cookies for g*).
If you logged in your account in the same browser it don't work.

Check out the follow account privacy settings in your g* account:

Enable the following settings

then it should work again.
Seems that g* now requires to enable this or image search and maybe other things don't work anymore.

[colemar]

@MarkyMarkDE Thank you very much, now it works!
What I don't understand is that the other accounts (they never stopped working) completely miss the Linked Google Services box. It is just not there in the account Data & Privacy settings page.
Perhaps this is related to the fact that only my main account has subscribed Google One.

[MarkyMarkDE]

@MarkyMarkDE Thank you very much, now it works! What I don't understand is that the other accounts (they never stopped working) completely miss the Linked Google Services box. It is just not there in the account Data & Privacy settings page. Perhaps this is related to the fact that only my main account has subscribed Google One.

Please do not try to understand g*, you will always lose 😉

[dessant]

Thanks for sharing a workaround, let's keep this issue open for some time for better visibility.

[dessant]

For anyone discovering this issue, Google has deprecated the legacy reverse image search service, and it may stop working at any time. The extension supports more than 40 reverse image search engines, and the best option would be to start exploring them and transition away from Google's deprecated service.

There is an influx of negative reviews on the Chrome Web Store, saying the extension "no longer works", some of them don't even specify any other details. I would urge all reviewers there to be more descriptive, and to follow the developer's instructions on how to get support. Continuing to rate down the extension for something that is outside of our control will just make us remove the deprecated search engine sooner, to stop the damage some of you are causing to this project. Please think for yourselves and be a bit more sensible.

[wa-Nadoo]

It seems, the list of enabled by default search engines should be revised. From my experience, the most useful engines (in Europe) are Google Lens, Yandex, Bing. The Google Images should be disabled by default as legacy. The same for TinEye, I don't see any useful results in it for a very long time.

[Vorffeed]

Thank you very much for the solution

[colemar]

It seems, the list of enabled by default search engines should be revised. From my experience, the most useful engines (in Europe) are Google Lens, Yandex, Bing. The Google Images should be disabled by default as legacy. The same for TinEye, I don't see any useful results in it for a very long time.

Google Lens is slanted towards small items and does a poor job of finding images similar to the whole input picture. Google Images was better but it seems to have declined. Yandex at some time surpassed it and is now by far the most useful for general reverse image search.

[rudolphos]

Google Lens has never worked for me, it never finds anything relevant so did the 'legacy' google reverse image search for the past 2 years, while yandex and bing usually finds it. Also yandex can show reverse-searched images from archive.org which google doesn't even index.

This is google for the past few weeks:

Your search did not match any documents

They have added the game though (it's clickable)! The only 'improvement'.

[DB9-max]

For me it was nagging about 3rd part cookies not being enabled

System

• Windows
• 10
• Chrome
• Browser version: 121.0.6167.85
• Extension version: 6.1.2

Bug description

Google reverse image search comes out always empty. It worked until about yesterday.

Logs

Where do I get the logs?

For me it was nagging about 3rd party cookies not being enabled

[csengh]

please someone helps me for Google image search for Firefox as MarkyMarkDE's solution for Crome.

unfortunately all image search comes out always empty

[MarkyMarkDE]

please someone helps me for Google image search for Firefox as MarkyMarkDE's solution for Crome.

unfortunately all image search comes out always empty

No, my solution works in all browsers, this is a Google account privacy setting thing.

EDIT: tested now again and all is working well. Make sure that you have ALL privacy settings in your Google Account be enabled!

[Dentoo]

please someone helps me for Google image search for Firefox as MarkyMarkDE's solution for Crome.
unfortunately all image search comes out always empty

No, my solution works in all browsers, this is a Google account privacy setting thing.

EDIT: tested now again and all is working well. Make sure that you have ALL privacy settings in your Google Account be enabled!

what? how?

[csengh]

MarkyMarkDE said:

No, my solution works in all browsers, this is a Google account privacy setting thing.

EDIT: tested now again and all is working well. Make sure that you have ALL privacy settings in your Google Account be enabled!

Firefox don't have Linked Services in Privacy and Security, where can I find this option for Firefox?

[MarkyMarkDE]

MarkyMarkDE said:

No, my solution works in all browsers, this is a Google account privacy setting thing.
EDIT: tested now again and all is working well. Make sure that you have ALL privacy settings in your Google Account be enabled!

Firefox don't have Linked Services in Privacy and Security, where can I find this option for Firefox?

this settings are in your GOOGLE ACCOUNT (please see the screenshots in my first reply of February 8th)!

[MarkyMarkDE]

Where in the google account?

please look at my screenshots

[Dentoo]

I can confirm that after checking all boxes it works again

Thanks @MarkyMarkDE for the screenshots!

[MarkyMarkDE]

I can confirm that after checking all boxes it works again

Thanks @MarkyMarkDE for the screenshots!

no problem, thanks for the additional feedback.

[berendengelbrecht]

It still always fails in Firefox, tested today with latest version of the plugin. If I search for same image in Google Chrome it works fine. For now I'm using Google Lens in Firefox, but I would prefer to use the Search by image plugin :(

[burnuser]

Google Images does not work for me as Search Engine with "Search by Image", neither in Firefox, nor in Chrome (no login in Google at all).

Suggestion to resolve this problem for all users (old and new) and get rid of "Does not work!" reviews:
1.) Make "Google Lens" default (+ placed at first position in Search engines list)
2.) In Context menu connect "Google" entry by default to "Google Lens" instead of "Google Images" - also in existing installations!
3.) Deactivate (or remove) "Google Images" by default

[MarkyMarkDE]

Google Images does not work for me as Search Engine with "Search by Image", neither in Firefox, nor in Chrome (no login in Google at all).

Suggestion to resolve this problem for all users (old and new) and get rid of "Does not work!" reviews: 1.) Make "Google Lens" default (+ placed at first position in Search engines list) 2.) In Context menu connect "Google" entry by default to "Google Lens" instead of "Google Images" - also in existing installations! 3.) Deactivate (or remove) "Google Images" by default

Lens is not possible, we don't get a URL to submit the picture to Google Server!
In addition, there is another factor: in my own tests, the deprecated image search found significantly more and also different results than Lens. For this reason, Lens is not an "equivalent" replacement for me.

[MarkyMarkDE]

Hope the DEV do NOT remove the current Google Image search by default, for me and other users it always worked!
It is only required to enable all Privacy Option in the Google Account, that's all.
See my Comment of Feb. 8th #1933298771

I'm also pretty sure, that Lens will not work if you do not enable the Privacy Stuff in your Google Account!
PRO TIP: It is always better to DISABLE SafeSearch option in Google Account, for reason that Google have a funny meaning which content should be removed from the search results.

[burnuser]

1. "Lens is not possible": Lens is already an existing (and working) option in the Search engines list. The only problem is, it is not the default "Google" Search engine.
2. "Lens is not an equivalent replacement": If the old (and maybe better) Search engine is depreciated, it does not matter. The default must be future proof. And Google Lens is already the used image search engine by Google (Desktop) Browser search itself. (See image search results URL: https://lens.google.com/search?...)
3. "There are only some user adjustments necessary": The extension must work out of the box for all users. Or "It does not work" complaints and increasing bad ratings are unavoidable.
   Of course, complete removing of the old Search engine is not necessary. But it should be deactivated by default, for at least new/simple users.

[dessant]

We could inject a notice in the page to inform users about the deprecation when there are no search results, and replace Google Images with Google Lens for new installations, while keeping Google Images there in a disabled state. I think that should cover the issue while the deprecated search engine still works for some people.

[MarkyMarkDE]

1. "Lens is not possible": Lens is already an existing (and working) option in the Search engines list. The only problem is, it is not the default "Google" Search engine.

oha, I have investigated little and played around (not much extensive) and have not found a proper way to submit the image via Lens.
That we have Lens as working Option included, I have overseen 🙈
Big Sorry!

[Syntax7error]

@MarkyMarkDE 's workaround works for Firefox if connected to your Google account (there is no need to tick the 'Google' box).

[TommyHolmberg]

I managed to make the urls work, but not the image capture. I'm not able to decipher the upload protocol.

It says that the project doesn't accept pull requests, but you are welcome to review my solution here @dessant
main...TommyHolmberg:search-by-image:fix-google-search-by-url

[dessant]

Hi @TommyHolmberg, we already support Google Lens, it can be enabled from the extension's options.

[colemar]

I use Search by Image v. 6.1.2 on Chrome v. 123.0.6312.59
I experience no issues anymore with Google Images after doing this:
#290 (comment)

[MarkyMarkDE]

I use Search by Image v. 6.1.2 on Chrome v. 123.0.6312.59 I experience no issues anymore with Google Images after doing this: #290 (comment)

sure, the Privacy Stuff MUST be enabled, otherwise nothing worked.

[AlmostHuman34]

I found the problem for image search with g*. If you are not logged in your account on the same browser it works well (if not, clear cache and cookies for g*). If you logged in your account in the same browser it don't work.

Check out the follow account privacy settings in your g* account:

Enable the following settings

then it should work again. Seems that g* now requires to enable this or image search and maybe other things don't work anymore.

You are absolute legend! It works like in the times before! Bless you!

[aleximgs]

When I search an image instead of the result being directed from google image, its from the home google, do I have to change some settings?

and older results were like:

[dessant]

The next version will add a notice when there are no image search results.

[dessant]

I've created a short guide based on your findings which will be linked from the search results notice, you can find it here: #309

[DB9-max]

I found the problem for image search with g*. If you are not logged in your account on the same browser it works well (if not, clear cache and cookies for g*). If you logged in your account in the same browser it don't work.
Check out the follow account privacy settings in your g* account:

Enable the following settings

then it should work again. Seems that g* now requires to enable this or image search and maybe other things don't work anymore.

You are absolute legend! It works like in the times before! Bless you!

What google services you need to link?

[dessant]

Version 7.0.0 was just released, and these are the changes related to this issue:

• A notice is injected when you search for an image URL on Goggle Images and there are no search results, this message informs you about the deprecation of the legacy reverse image search service and links to the workaround for viewing search results: How to view search results on Google Images #309
• Google Lens has been renamed to Google, and the legacy search service has been renamed to Google Images
• Google Lens was moved to the top of the search engine list, and enabled if Google Images was also enabled
• Google Images is now disabled by default for new installations

[MarkyMarkDE]

I found the problem for image search with g*. If you are not logged in your account on the same browser it works well (if not, clear cache and cookies for g*). If you logged in your account in the same browser it don't work.
Check out the follow account privacy settings in your g* account:

Enable the following settings

then it should work again. Seems that g* now requires to enable this or image search and maybe other things don't work anymore.

You are absolute legend! It works like in the times before! Bless you!

What google services you need to link?

I would simply enable all which you see there