Google launches free tool: you can now detect images and videos made with AI
SynthID Detector is free and available worldwide at synthid.com — upload an image, video or audio file and find out whether it was made or edited with AI. But it has important limits you should know.
Google has opened its SynthID Detector tool to everyone in the world — free, via the website synthid.com, since 7 October 2026. Before that, it was only available to a small group of journalists and researchers.
It works simply: upload an image, video or audio clip, and it will tell you whether it carries a SynthID watermark. The watermark is a digital signal that Google embeds — invisible to the human eye — in images, videos and audio produced by its AI tools. Unlike a visible label, this mark is hidden inside the data itself.
It is not Google-only. The tool can also detect marks on content made by partner companies: OpenAI, NVIDIA and Kakao. Google says support for Apple is expected later this year. The company says it has watermarked more than 180 billion images and videos since 2023, plus audio equivalent to 240,000 years of listening. The same checks are built into Google Search, the Gemini app and the Chrome browser — handling more than 1 million verification requests every day.
How to use it:
- Go to synthid.com
- Sign in with your account
- Upload an image, video or audio file
- Read the result: if a watermark is found, the file was made or edited with AI covered by this tool.
Limits you must know. This is not a universal AI detector. The tool only searches for SynthID watermarks. A "no watermark" result does not prove a file was made by a human — it can also mean the AI used does not watermark its output, or the mark was damaged by heavy file compression or aggressive filters. So treat its results as a clue — not a final verdict.
What does this mean for you?
For journalists: Before publishing a controversial photo or video, run it through synthid.com. If an AI watermark is found, you know its origin is not genuine — and if no mark is found, you still cannot be sure.
For small businesses: Scam messages using fake images or audio are becoming common. Before sending money because of a "photo" or "voice note" you received, check whether it was made by AI.
For parents: Fake photos and videos of famous people — sick, arrested, or saying something — spread fast. Teach children to question before sharing.
For students: Do not believe every image you see online. This free tool is one way to check — but the better way is to ask: who is the source, and who benefits if I share it?
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