Guide
What Is SynthID?
SynthID is an invisible watermark that Google DeepMind embeds into AI-generated images, audio, video and text at generation time — it survives resizing, filters and lossy compression. It launched in 2023 and is used by Gemini, Imagen, Veo and partners including OpenAI. To check a file for it, use Google's official SynthID Detector at synthid.com — a Google sign-in is required.
What SynthID does
At generation time, SynthID alters a piece of content in ways invisible to people — a subtle pattern in image pixels, a conversion in the audio spectrogram, a shift in token choices for text — that Google's detector can recognise later. Because the mark lives in the content rather than the file metadata, it survives screenshots, re-compression, cropping and filters far better than metadata does. It is designed for robustness, and deliberately not readable by third parties.
Scale
In its October 7, 2026 announcement Google reported SynthID watermarks on over 180 billion images and videos and 240,000 years of audio, with verification in Search, Gemini and Chrome handling over 1 million requests a day.
Which products use SynthID
Gemini
Every image generated in the Gemini app — including Nano Banana models — carries a SynthID watermark.
Imagen and Veo
Google's image and video generation models embed SynthID by default.
Lyria and NotebookLM
Google's music model and NotebookLM audio overviews watermark generated audio.
SynthID Text
The text watermarking method is open-sourced, so other model providers can adopt it.
Partners
OpenAI has used SynthID since May 2026; NVIDIA and Kakao are partners, and Apple has announced support as coming.
How to check for SynthID
Google's SynthID Detector
synthid.com opened to everyone globally on October 7, 2026 — in English, with a Google sign-in. Upload an image, video, audio file or text and it reports whether a SynthID watermark was found.
The Gemini app
Upload an image to Gemini and ask 'Was this created with Google AI?' — Gemini checks for SynthID in the file.
Search and Chrome
Google is folding SynthID verification into Search and Chrome, where 'About this content' surfaces watermark results.
What this site does
SynthIDDetector.org reads the signals around the watermark — Content Credentials, AI metadata and a pixel-level AI scan — then points you to Google's detector to confirm the watermark itself.
Does it survive edits? Can it be removed?
Designed to survive
Cropping, filters, frame-rate changes and lossy compression usually leave the watermark readable — it is embedded in the content, not the file.
Edge cases exist
Google's own detector reports 'not enough details to watermark' on very simple images and 'likely too small an edit' on tiny changes — an absent watermark is not proof a file is human-made.
Can it be removed?
SynthID is designed to be robust against removal. This site doesn't provide removal guidance — and a file without a detectable watermark still isn't proven human-made.
SynthID vs C2PA
| SynthID watermark | Content Credentials (C2PA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Inside the pixels, audio or text | In a signed metadata manifest |
| Survives screenshots | Often | No — stripped with metadata |
| Who can read it | Google's detector only | Anyone — open standard |
| This site checks it | No — we link to Google | Yes — free, in your browser |
Timeline
2023
SynthID launches for images generated by Imagen.
May 2025
Google opens a SynthID Detector portal for media professionals.
November 2025
Nano Banana Pro (Gemini 3 Pro Image) images start shipping C2PA credentials.
October 7, 2026
The SynthID Detector opens to everyone globally — image, video, audio and text, in English with Google sign-in.
SynthID FAQ
Is SynthID visible in the image?
No — it's an invisible pattern embedded in the pixels (or the audio spectrogram, or text token choices). Some tools like the Gemini app add a separate visible watermark, which is easy to crop.
Who can read a SynthID watermark?
Only Google's SynthID Detector — the watermark is proprietary. Third-party tools, including this site, can only check the public signals around it.
Does SynthID exist outside Google?
Yes — OpenAI has used SynthID since May 2026, NVIDIA and Kakao are partners, and Apple has announced support. SynthID Text is open-sourced for other providers.
If no watermark is found, is the file real?
Not necessarily. An absent watermark only means no SynthID was detected — the file could come from a generator that doesn't use it, be too degraded to read, or be genuinely human-made.
Does SynthID survive screenshots?
Usually — it lives in the content itself, so screenshots, crops and re-compression often leave it readable. Very simple images or tiny edits may not carry enough detail.
Is this site affiliated with Google?
No — SynthIDDetector.org is independent and not affiliated with Google or Google DeepMind. For watermark confirmation we always link to Google's official tools.
Sources
Check an image now
Read the public signals in your browser, then confirm the watermark at Google's detector.