Fake news photo checker
A viral photo usually arrives with a caption telling you how to feel about it. Before you share it, do the checks below, and let Checko look at the pixels.
Show Checko an image
Check in this order
- Find the source. Who posted it first, and when? Is there a named photographer, agency or outlet? An image that appears from nowhere deserves more doubt.
- Run a reverse image search. Older copies may show it's a photo from a different place or year. Larger copies give the checker more to work with.
- Check the largest copy you can find with Checkobot. It says AI or No AI detected, which detector fired, and why.
- See who else is reporting it. Outlets with people on the ground, and fact-checkers, often cover big viral images within hours.
Not every misleading photo is AI
A very common trick needs no AI at all: an old photo with a new caption, or a photo from one country passed off as another. An AI detector can't catch that, because nothing in the pixels is wrong. Only the story is. That's why the source and the reverse search come first.
Reading the result
- AI: at least one detector crossed its threshold. The result says which one: face analysis, whole-image analysis, or both. Images that still carry signed Content Credentials from trusted AI tools that record AI generation or editing are flagged too.
- No AI detected: neither detector found signs at its threshold. That isn't proof the photo is untouched, and it says nothing about whether the caption is true.
- Refused: the image was too small or too compressed to judge fairly. Find a bigger copy; a refused check doesn't use up a free one.
Before you share a verdict
A verdict is a signal, not proof. Share the reason along with it, and keep it about the image: a flagged picture of a person doesn't make that person a fake. You can share the result as a link, which shows only the verdict, or as an image card with the photo and the verdict, made on your device.
Where it can miss
- Viral images get re-shared many times, and each pass adds compression. Very low-quality photos get flagged by mistake more often than clean ones.
- Screenshots of posts include text, borders and buttons. Crop to the photo, or better, find the original.
- Illustrated, cartoon or CGI faces can trip the face analysis. It learned from photographs.
- It checks still images. For a viral video, you can check a single frame, but that's a weaker test than checking the video itself.
Questions
Can I check a photo from a post?
Yes. Save the image and upload it, or copy the image's address and paste it, and Checkobot fetches it. We don't keep the link.
Can it check a video?
Not yet. You can check a still frame from a video today.
Can it tell which AI made the image?
No. Checko tells you whether an image shows signs of AI generation or editing, not which tool made it.
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.