AI or Authentic?
AI or Authentic?
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How to check whether an image or video is real or AI-generated.
* We usually fetch public reels straight from the link - in our test on 27 July 2026 that worked for 38 out of 38 reels. Not retrievable: private accounts, stories and plain photo posts - for photos Instagram simply hands us no video. Instagram changes its tech often, so it can occasionally fail - we'll tell you exactly why when it does.
** We can't load Facebook videos straight from the link - we simply don't get access to the video there. Here's how to check it anyway, in this order: (1) Do you already have the file? Your own videos are in your gallery, clips sent to you are in your downloads - just upload directly. (2) Is the clip also on TikTok, YouTube or as an Instagram reel? A link from there is all we need. (3) Some Facebook videos can be saved via the three-dots menu - then upload that file here. Only if none of this works, a screen recording helps - it gets re-compressed and can blur subtle AI traces.
Directly in the web app (any device)
On the home page, upload a file OR paste a link and tap "Check".
On iPhone (iOS): Shortcut
Check directly from the share menu in TikTok or Safari - the result opens automatically.
Note: the shortcut opens the result in Safari (as iOS requires).
On Android: app + share menu
Install the app (see "As an app on the home screen" below). "AI or Authentic?" then appears right in the Android share menu: share a video or link from Instagram, TikTok or your gallery to "AI or Authentic?" - the check starts automatically. No shortcut needed.
As an app on the home screen
iPhone (Safari): Share → "Add to Home Screen". Android (Chrome): menu (⋮) → "Install app" or "Add to Home screen". The app then sits on your home screen with its logo - on Android this also enables the share menu.
In 34 seconds: install the shortcut and check a TikTok video straight from the share menu.
AI or Authentic? gives an honest assessment with a probability - not absolute certainty. When the evidence isn't enough (e.g. heavily compressed reposts), the result is deliberately "inconclusive". Every check comes with a shareable certificate.
