What is Forensically?
Forensically is a free web app for digital image forensics made by developer Jonas Wagner. You open a photo and switch between tools that reveal details hard to see with the naked eye: a magnifier with contrast enhancement, clone detection that highlights copied regions, error level analysis, noise analysis, level sweep, luminance gradient and principal component analysis. It also reads EXIF metadata, GPS geotags, embedded thumbnails, C2PA content credentials and JPEG quantization tables that hint at which software last saved the file.
Your images never leave your computer: Forensically processes them in the browser and does not upload them to any server, and it can work offline once loaded. The author describes it as a magnifying glass rather than a lie detector. It cannot tell true from false on its own, the results of some tools can be misleading, and the help pages and tutorial video explain how to read each one. The app is still labelled beta.
Main Features
- Magnifier with histogram equalization and auto contrast options
- Clone detection that marks similar regions within an image
- Error level analysis, noise analysis and level sweep
- Luminance gradient and principal component analysis views
- EXIF metadata, GPS geotag and embedded thumbnail viewers
- C2PA content credentials viewer
- JPEG analysis of comments and quantization tables
- Runs locally in the browser with offline support, no uploads
How to Get Started with Forensically
- Open 29a.ch/photo-forensics in a modern browser such as Firefox or Chrome.
- Click Open File and choose the image you want to examine; it stays on your device.
- Switch between tools such as Clone Detection, Error Level Analysis and Meta Data, adjusting the settings for each.
- Read the built-in help or watch the tutorial video before drawing any conclusion from the results.
Forensically Pricing
Forensically is free to use. There are no accounts, plans or paid features.
Who Should Use It?
- Fact-checkers and journalists examining a suspicious photo
- OSINT researchers who need to inspect metadata and geotags
- People who prefer tools that keep images on their own device
- Students and teachers learning image forensics techniques
- Photographers curious about what their files reveal
Forensically Alternatives
- FotoForensics: a free public photo forensics site with Error Level Analysis, metadata and tutorials.
- InVID-WeVerify Plugin: a free browser extension with reverse search, keyframes and forensic filters for images and videos.
- TinEye: a reverse image search engine for finding earlier copies of a picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forensically free?
Yes. Forensically is a free web app with no account or payment needed.
Does Forensically upload my images?
No. The author states that images stay on your computer and are never uploaded to any cloud or server. The app can also work offline once it has loaded.
Can Forensically prove that a photo was edited?
No. The author compares it to a magnifying glass: it helps you see hidden details but cannot tell true from false, and some results can be misleading. Use it as one source of evidence and read the help for each tool.