Detectors only see half
Some tools look for known watermarks; others estimate patterns. Neither a missing mark nor a detector score proves a photo is real.
Keep It Real
Proof, not guesswork.
A convincing picture is not the whole story. Check the clues in an image, explore the research, or ask the community. LegitPix brings together practical tools, real sources, and plain answers about what the evidence can and cannot show.
- 90 methods
- 193 primary sources
- Library updated 2 Nov 2026
Evidence X-Ray
See what a photo is made of
Drag the slider and switch lenses to explore an educational example. These overlays are illustrations, not analysis results. Use Check an Image to inspect your own file.
Example photoDemo · Depth
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Capture provenance on phones
Some phones offer provenance features. Availability and verification requirements differ by device and capture mode.
Apple · iPhone 18 Pro
Reference Image
Apple documents an opt-in mode on the main camera of iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It signs sensor data and uses Private Cloud Compute to develop a reference image. LegitPix does not verify Apple Reference Images.
Apple Security Research ↗Google · Pixel 10 or later
C2PA Content Credentials
Google documents Content Credentials for supported Pixel Camera photo modes on Pixel 10 or later. Requirements include current, unmodified Android and recent internet connectivity. Not every mode or offline capture is supported.
Google Pixel Camera Help ↗Content Credentials can be removed, and a valid credential does not establish that a scene is true. Missing credentials do not establish that an image is fake. Verification also depends on the signer and the validator's trust policy. Read the C2PA explainer ↗
Physics is harder to fake
Making a convincing flat picture is easy now. Faking real depth, lens quirks and sensor data that all agree is much harder.
The moment matters
Proof is strongest when it's saved the moment a photo is taken, not pieced together after it's gone viral.
Five ways to check a photo — and what each misses
None of these gives a simple real-or-fake answer on its own. Each one answers a smaller question.
- Exact file match
- Checks whether two files are the same, down to the last bit. Re-saving or compressing can break the match, and it tells you nothing about what's in the picture.
- Looks-alike search
- Reverse image search finds copies that look alike. Looking alike isn't the same as being identical — or being the original.
- Watermarks
- A hidden mark can tell you a tool or publisher tagged the file. No watermark doesn't mean a photo is real.
- History records
- Some files carry a record (like C2PA) of where they came from. It's only as trustworthy as whoever made it, and it's often stripped along the way.
- Forensic clues
- Experts can spot traces that hint at editing or AI. They're clues, not verdicts.
The library is a dated research snapshot, not a complete or independently tested list. Its links take you straight to the original papers, standards and projects.
Where we're headed
Proof that starts at the shutter
This is work in progress — not something you can use yet.
Proof at the camera
How phones and cameras could lock in a photo's sensor and depth data the instant it's taken.
A changing code at capture
Exploring camera hardware that periodically syncs with an unpredictable, time-linked code and binds it to the photo at capture. Secure binding and freshness checks would be essential; a code alone is not proof.
Evidence that holds up
Tracking current and proposed laws on digital evidence, and pushing for clear, open ways to show a file hasn't been tampered with — including footage from surveillance and license-plate cameras.
Join us
Help build proof people can trust
We're working toward phone apps that save proof the moment a photo is taken. Sign up to follow along, or chip in to help.
Support the cause
LegitPix is a public-interest project, free to use with no ads and no paywall. Your support keeps the research open and helps build what comes next.
Where your donation goes
- Keeping the library free and current — Hosting, and the time to keep checking and updating the 90 method records and their sources.
- Running the community forum — Storage for the images people post for review, plus moderation tools and sign-in.
- The Android and Apple apps — Developer accounts, and the build work to get the apps into people's hands.
- Standards and policy work — Plain-language explainers on evidence rules and chain-of-custody practices.
Payments go through PayPal. Keep your payment receipt; no charitable tax deduction is promised here. Gifts support the work above as a whole rather than being split by category.
Questions about donating
- How is my payment handled?
- Through PayPal. You can pay with a PayPal account or a debit or credit card, and LegitPix never sees or stores your card details.
- Is my donation tax-deductible?
- A payment receipt is not a guarantee of tax deductibility. Check the recipient's confirmed charitable status and your own tax circumstances before claiming a deduction.
- Does the goal bar show real money?
- Yes. It only counts donations PayPal has confirmed as completed. Nothing is estimated or added by hand.
- Can I get a refund?
- If something went wrong, reply to your PayPal receipt or open a request through PayPal and we'll sort it out.
Questions
About LegitPix
- Can LegitPix tell me if a photo is fake?
- The image checker reads file details and metadata clues locally. It does not issue a real-or-fake verdict. The library and community help you understand what to investigate next.
- Why does one changed byte break a match?
- An exact match compares every bit of the file. Re-saving, compressing or editing its details can change those bits. A perfect copy still matches.
- Is the camera-proof system available?
- Not yet. It's what we're working toward. Today you can use the local image checker, research library and community.