AI selfie detector
One face, close up, looking at the camera: that's the photo Checko's face analysis was built around. Upload a selfie and it gets a good, close look.
Show Checko an image
What it looks for
The face analysis checks the largest face for the traces left by face swaps, AI face edits and fully generated faces. It looks at a wide crop around the face, taking in the jaw, the hairline and the neck, where a swapped or redrawn face has to be blended in.
The whole-image analysis checks the rest of the frame. Images that still carry signed Content Credentials from trusted AI tools that record AI generation or editing are flagged too.
Why selfies suit it
The face analysis was trained and tested on large sets of selfies and face photos, and its thresholds are set on an identity-selfie benchmark. A clear, front-on, well-lit face that fills a good part of the frame gives it the most to work with.
We'll publish measured catch and false-flag rates, each with its dataset and thresholds, once our current test round is finished. Until then we'd rather say nothing than quote a number we haven't confirmed.
Getting a good check
- Use the original file, not a screenshot or a copy sent through a chat app. Both add compression.
- Images under 256 pixels on the short side are refused, and the face needs to be at least 64 pixels across for the face analysis to run.
- In a group selfie the face analysis checks the largest face. Crop the image to check a different one.
- Side-on, shadowed or half-covered faces give it less to go on. Pick the clearest selfie you have.
Filters, beauty modes and retouching
Strong beauty filters, face slimming and heavy retouching can look like AI editing to the model, because in a sense they are. Many phone cameras and selfie apps smooth skin by default. If your own selfie is flagged, that's the first place to look. We're measuring how often it happens.
Where it can miss
- New swap tools and generators appear all the time. Some AI selfies slip under the threshold.
- Talking-head avatars and lip-sync videos from new engines are our weakest area: it misses many of them.
- Drawn, cartoon or doll-like faces can trip the face analysis. It learned from photographs.
- It checks a still image for signs of AI. It doesn't check liveness, such as a printed photo or a screen held up to a camera, and it isn't an identity check.
Questions
Will it flag my filtered selfie?
Sometimes. Strong beauty filters and heavy retouching can look like AI editing to the model. We're measuring how often that happens.
Can I use it to verify someone's identity?
No. It tells you whether a photo shows signs of AI. It doesn't check who is in the photo, whether they were in front of the camera, or any ID document.
There are several people in the selfie. Which face does it check?
The largest one. To check someone else in the picture, crop the image around their face and check the crop.
Is it free?
Yes. You can check 3 images a day without signing up, or 10 a day with a free account.
Do you keep my photo?
Not on free checks: the image is checked in memory and then discarded, and we keep a fingerprint of the file and the verdict. Paid plans keep the images you check in your private history, with a switch in Settings to turn that off. The privacy page has the details.