Embedded previews
EXIF thumbnails, Photoshop previews and multi-picture images inside JPG files. If one has a different shape from the photo, it was probably made before the crop.
Free forensic check, on your device
Recover a cropped photo? Check for a hidden original
Some cropped files still carry the full picture somewhere inside. Drop a JPG or PNG to look for a forgotten preview, an attached motion video, or leftover screenshot data.
Next steps
- Undo the crop in the app that made it. Most keep the original: see the guide for each app.
- Search for the full version online (this uploads the image to that service): Google Lens Bing Visual Search TinEye
- If the real pixels are gone, extend the photo with uncrop.si. It invents new surroundings that match.
What this checker looks for
Original camera size
Cameras record the size they captured. When it differs from the file, the photo was cropped, even if the removed area is gone.
Motion and Live photo video
Some phones attach a short video to each photo. If it survived, it can show what was around the crop.
aCropalypse leftovers
Extra bytes after the end of a PNG or JPG, typical of screenshots cropped with unpatched Pixel Markup or Windows Snipping Tool in early 2023.
Questions
Can a cropped photo be uncropped to show the real original?
Usually not from the cropped file alone, because the cut-off pixels are discarded when it is saved. This checker finds the exceptions: an older preview that an editor forgot to update, a motion video attached to the photo, or leftover bytes from a buggy screenshot tool.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The file is read by your browser and analyzed on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you choose one of the reverse image search links, which open those services in a new tab.
What is an EXIF thumbnail?
Many cameras and phones store a small preview inside each JPG. Some editors crop the photo but keep the old preview, so it can still show the full original framing, at low resolution.
What is aCropalypse?
A 2023 bug in Google Pixel Markup and Windows Snipping Tool that overwrote edited screenshots without shortening the file. Part of the original image stayed at the end. Updates fixed the tools, but older files can still contain the data. Read our aCropalypse guide.
Nothing was found. What now?
Look for the original in the app that cropped it (most keep an undo), in your phone or cloud trash, or ask whoever sent it. A reverse image search may find the full version online. If the real pixels are gone, you can extend the photo with the free uncrop tool, which creates new pixels.