# Google images won't let me link directly to an image anymore. Can I get this feature back **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 21, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287 "2018-02-21T18:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/1 "2018-02-21T18:45:27Z")
This was a nice feature if you wanted to link to a photograph of something. Now when you go into google images, it only has the options ‘visit, save, view saved, share’. There is no option to link to the URL of an image anymore. Have other people lost this ability? Can it be gotten back somehow? Sometimes I’d post an image within an article but now I can’t do that, I can only post a URL for the entire article. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/2 "2018-02-21T18:49:42Z")
[It was a decision to cut down on image piracy.](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/internet-rages-after-google-removes-view-image-button-bowing-to-getty/) There are scripts you can use to add it back or right-click on the image and select open in new tab. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/3 "2018-02-21T18:52:24Z")
[It was done on purpose](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/internet-rages-after-google-removes-view-image-button-bowing-to-getty/). [People are](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/view-image-in-google-images/) [on it](https://thenextweb.com/apps/2018/02/19/how-to-bring-googles-view-image-button-back-to-search-results/). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/4 "2018-02-21T19:10:05Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > There are scripts you can use to add it back or right-click on the image and select open in new tab. Yeah, I’ve been using the second option to get the url. Since it’s only one click, it doesn’t even require an additional click from the old way. Mildly annoying, but it doesn’t have much of actual effect. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/5 "2018-02-21T19:25:12Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [People are](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/view-image-in-google-images/) [on it](https://thenextweb.com/apps/2018/02/19/how-to-bring-googles-view-image-button-back-to-search-results/). Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/6 "2018-02-23T10:08:52Z")
Interesting. I have tried it just now, and when I right-click on the image itself, one of the options that appears for me is “View Image”. I use it, and I get the image without having to go to the original site. Maybe they just got rid of the explicit button, and left the right-click capabilities intact? I don’t know, I am just saying what I was able to do not 3 minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/7 "2018-02-23T11:08:37Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [ > > [People are](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/view-image-in-google-images/) [on it](https://thenextweb.com/apps/2018/02/19/how-to-bring-googles-view-image-button-back-to-search-results/). My faith in humanity restored. Google spent billions defeating that feature, and nerds had it back on in free software within hours. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/8 "2018-02-23T13:14:04Z")
A. It never really worked to begin with! I’ve seen it several times here where people post the Google image search link instead of the link to the actual image. When I click on it I get a page full of Google image search results with no clue as to which one is the one the poster was talking about. Not everyone sees the same thing when you do this. So stop doing that! B. Google will still take you to the page that has the image. Go to that page. Right click on the image and copy the image address. Post _that_ link. If you can’t bring up the right click menu, get a better browser that stops web sites from doing that. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/9 "2018-02-23T14:37:24Z")
This might be some kind of a weird shell game. GEtty sued Google to protect their copyrighted photos. Google said they’d remove a link to them, Getty said Good Enough, and dropped the suit. Google (maybe) released software that would put the links back up, or at least didn’t try very hard to make it difficult… Everybody is happy now except Getty. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/10 "2018-02-23T16:20:45Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > B. Google will still take you to the page that has the image. Go to that page. Right click on the image and copy the image address. Post _that_ link. As I mentioned above, you don’t even need to go to the page. All you need to do is right click and then “open image in new tab.” The new tab will have the direct link to the image. It’s really no more effort than it was before, it just takes a little getting used to doing it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/11 "2018-02-23T16:30:18Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > A. It never really worked to begin with! > > I’ve seen it several times here where people post the Google image search link instead of the link to the actual image. When I click on it I get a page full of Google image search results with no clue as to which one is the one the poster was talking about. > > Not everyone sees the same thing when you do this. So stop doing that! > > B. Google will still take you to the page that has the image. Go to that page. Right click on the image and copy the image address. Post _that_ link. > > If you can’t bring up the right click menu, get a better browser that stops web sites from doing that. With Safari on an iPad both of these links show me the selected image, one image (not several), with a boat front and center with its bow to the viewer’s left. Do others see that or no? [https://www.google.com/search?q=Koh+Phi+Phi+Lee&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxrfSqubzZAhVR6WMKHbGcDW0Q\_AUIEigC&biw=1024&bih=666#imgrc=PY3g7iHGRle78M:](https://www.google.com/search?q=Koh+Phi+Phi+Lee&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxrfSqubzZAhVR6WMKHbGcDW0Q_AUIEigC&biw=1024&bih=666#imgrc=PY3g7iHGRle78M:) [https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmaya-bay-phi-phi.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fthailand%2Fmaya-bay-ko-phi-phi-lee&docid=DQEytpjcBw2hZM&tbnid=PY3g7iHGRle78M%3A&vet=1&w=1600&h=1000&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim](https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmaya-bay-phi-phi.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fthailand%2Fmaya-bay-ko-phi-phi-lee&docid=DQEytpjcBw2hZM&tbnid=PY3g7iHGRle78M%3A&vet=1&w=1600&h=1000&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim) Can I use a better browser on an iPad? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/12 "2018-02-23T17:42:18Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > With Safari on an iPad both of these links show me the selected image, one image (not several), with a boat front and center with its bow to the viewer’s left. Do others see that or no? > > [Koh Phi Phi Lee - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=Koh+Phi+Phi+Lee&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=minv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxrfSqubzZAhVR6WMKHbGcDW0Q_AUIEigC&biw=1024&bih=666#imgrc=PY3g7iHGRle78M:) > > [https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmaya-bay-phi-phi.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fthailand%2Fmaya-bay-ko-phi-phi-lee&docid=DQEytpjcBw2hZM&tbnid=PY3g7iHGRle78M%3A&vet=1&w=1600&h=1000&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim](https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fmaya-bay-phi-phi.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.supercoolbeaches.com%2Fthailand%2Fmaya-bay-ko-phi-phi-lee&docid=DQEytpjcBw2hZM&tbnid=PY3g7iHGRle78M%3A&vet=1&w=1600&h=1000&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim) > > Can I use a better browser on an iPad? The first just shows a Google search image page. Twenty thumbnails with no idea if a specific pic is desired. Plus, they are _thumbnails_. Not a full size pic. The second gives me a redirect warning and a click on that takes me to a general web page with several images. If the first, large image on that page is what you want, just put in the address of that image: e.g., [this](https://www.supercoolbeaches.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/maya-bay-phi-phi.jpg). If the URL doesn’t start with the actual hosting site’s address and end with jpg/gif/whatever, you’re doing it wrong. (And if the image is on a site like Photobucket, then may God have mercy on your soul.) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/13 "2018-02-23T20:51:27Z")
You can even right-click on a thumbnail, select “Copy image address,” and paste that into SDMB’s link menu field. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-images-wont-let-me-link-directly-to-an-image-anymore-can-i-get-this-feature-back/809287/14 "2018-02-23T21:26:39Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Thanks! 🙂 Likewise.