Hash Value of an Image
Get the SHA-256 or MD5 hash value of a photo, screenshot or image file, one or hundreds at a time.
In short
- Select the image file(s): JPG, PNG, HEIC, WEBP, TIFF, RAW… in the tool below.
- Keep SHA-256 selected and press [CALCULATE HASH].
- The 64-character code shown is the hash value. Copy it, or paste an expected value in the verify box to check it.
- For a document to file or attach, press [GENERATE REPORT] and download the PDF.
The file is read by your browser and never uploaded.
[1] SELECT FILE(S) TO HASH
Select one or multiple files to hash from your system, or drag and drop files below. Pick two files to check whether they are identical.
[2] CHOOSE YOUR HASH FUNCTION
[3] LAUNCH THE HASHING PROCESS
Need to keep this file private? Encrypt it in your browser with CryptFile.Online, the sister tool — nothing is uploaded there either.
Two different things called an "image hash"
A cryptographic hash (SHA-256, MD5) is what this tool calculates. It identifies one exact file. Change one pixel, or just the date stored in the photo, and the hash value is completely different. This is what you need to prove a photo has not been altered, to fill in an evidence certificate, or to find exact duplicates.
A perceptual hash (pHash, dHash, aHash) is a different technique used to find images that look alike: a resized or re-compressed copy gets a similar perceptual hash. It is used for reverse image search and duplicate-photo cleanup, and it proves nothing about whether a file was altered. This site does not calculate perceptual hashes.
What changes the hash value of a photo
A photo file contains the picture and its metadata (EXIF): date and time, camera or phone model, settings, and often GPS location. All of it is part of the hash. So the hash value changes when:
- ›the photo is edited, cropped, filtered or rotated, even by the gallery app;
- ›it is shared through WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and similar apps, which re-compress images and strip most metadata;
- ›it is converted, for example from HEIC to JPG;
- ›a tool removes or changes the metadata, even though the picture looks identical.
Copying the file to a computer, a pen drive or an email attachment does not change it.
Screenshots
A screenshot is a new image file, created when you took it, so it has its own hash value. If a screenshot of a chat or a web page is evidence, hash the screenshot file as it was saved by the phone or computer, before cropping or annotating it. If you need to crop, keep the original too and hash both.
iPhone photos (HEIC)
iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. When a photo leaves the phone, it is often converted to JPG on the way: when shared to some apps, when imported with certain settings, or when picked from the Photos library in a website. Each conversion produces a new file with a new hash value.
To hash the original on the iPhone, select it through the Files app. On a computer, check that the file you hash still has the .heic extension if the original was HEIC.
Many images at once
Select all the images together, or use [ OR SELECT A WHOLE FOLDER / PEN DRIVE ] for a folder such as DCIM. Each image gets its own hash value, and the hash report lists them all with their paths and sizes. Two files with the same hash value are exact duplicates: paste a hash into the verify box to highlight every file that has it.
FAQ
Can two different photos have the same hash value?
With SHA-256, no such pair has ever been found. With MD5 it is possible to craft two files with the same hash on purpose, which is why SHA-256 is the right choice for evidence.
Why is the hash value different after I sent the photo on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp re-compresses photos and removes most of their metadata, so the received file contains different bytes. Hash the original on the sender's device.
Does opening or viewing a photo change its hash value?
No. Viewing does not modify the file. Saving it from an editor, or letting a gallery app apply an automatic edit, does.
Can I find similar images with this?
No. A cryptographic hash only matches identical files. Finding visually similar images needs a perceptual hash, which is a different tool.