Check yourself
What does the internet say about me? How to Google yourself properly and see what strangers see
Quick answer
To see what the internet says about you, search your full name in quotes on Google and Bing, then add your city, employer, school, old usernames, email and phone number. Check Google Images, the first three pages of results, and people search sites like Whitepages and Spokeo. Turn on Google's free Results about you tool to get alerts when your phone, address or ID numbers show up. Then lock down social profiles, delete old accounts and request removals.
Key numbers
- 70%of US hiring decision-makers say their company uses social media to research potential candidatesThe Harris Poll for Express Employment Professionals
- 40%of US dating app users had searched a date's name online before meetingYouGov
- 10 million+people have used Google's Results about you tool to find and remove their contact details from SearchGoogle
You probably know what your LinkedIn says. You may not know that a people search site lists your home address next to your mother's name, that a forum post you wrote at 19 ranks on page one, or that an old profile photo still shows up in Google Images. Other people see that version of you before they ever meet you.
They do look. In a Harris Poll for Express Employment Professionals, 70% of US hiring decision-makers said their company uses social media to research candidates. Dates and new clients do the same. The good news: you can run the same searches yourself in about an hour, and fix most of what you find.
Why should I check what the internet says about me?
You should check because employers, landlords, dates, clients and scammers all search your name, and they judge or target you based on what comes up. In a YouGov poll, 40% of US dating app users said they had searched a date's name online before meeting.
There is a safety side too. Your phone number, email, employer and home city are exactly what a scammer needs to make a phishing message sound real. Knowing what is public tells you what to lock down.
Formal employment and tenant screening is different. In the US, an employer that buys a background report must use a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and you have the right to see and dispute it. The searches below show you the informal side: what anyone can find for free.
How do I Google myself properly?
Google yourself properly by searching several versions of your name in quotes, in a private browser window, and by reading past the first page. Signed-in searches are personalized, so a private window gets you closer to what a stranger sees.
- Open a private or incognito window and sign out of Google.
- Search your full name in quotes: "Jane Smith". Quotes keep the words together.
- Add context that strangers would use: "Jane Smith" Denver, "Jane Smith" nurse, "Jane Smith" Acme Corp, "Jane Smith" University of Leeds.
- Try every variation: middle name or initial, maiden name, nicknames (Jim and James), and common misspellings.
- Search your contact details: your email address in quotes, your phone number in two formats ("303-555-0142" and "3035550142"), and your home street address.
- Search old usernames and handles. Gamer tags and forum names often link back to your real name.
- Read pages one to three, then click the Images, News and Videos tabs.
- Repeat on Bing and DuckDuckGo. They index different pages, so you may find results Google doesn't show.
How do I check images of myself online?
Click the Images tab for each name search, then run a reverse image search on the profile photos you use most. Upload them to Google Lens (the camera icon in Google Images) or Bing Visual Search. This shows where your photo appears, including on sites you never signed up for, and catches fake profiles using your face.
Can I set up alerts for my name?
Yes. Create a free Google Alert at google.com/alerts for your name in quotes, plus your name and city. Google emails you when new pages mention you. Pair it with Results about you, covered below, for your phone, address and ID numbers.
How can I see what a stranger would find about me?
The quickest way to see what a stranger would find is to run the same kind of people search they would run, on yourself. Google shows pages one at a time. A people search pulls the scattered pieces into one view, so you see how easily someone could connect your name to your job, city, phone number and social accounts.
A Search A-Z Check yourself search takes your full name and country, plus optional details like your city, email or phone. The report shows how confident we are that we found the right person, then what is publicly visible: current job and company, work history, education, public social and professional profiles, and news and web mentions from a live web search. It also checks whether your phone number and email look real or carry a fraud risk, and flags any public scam or fraud warnings tied to your name. US searches can include public records such as past addresses, phone numbers and age. In the UK and Europe, results are limited to professional and public web information. If we can't find you, the report says so, which is also useful to know.
What is Google's Results about you tool and what does it do?
Results about you is a free Google tool that scans Search for your personal contact details and government ID numbers, alerts you when they appear, and lets you ask Google to remove those results. Google says more than 10 million people have used it. In February 2026 Google expanded it to cover driver's license, passport and Social Security numbers, rolling out first in the US.
How to use it, as of October 2026:
- Open the Google app, tap your profile photo and choose Results about you, or go to Google's Results about you help page and follow the link.
- Enter your name, nicknames and maiden name, plus the phone numbers, home addresses and email addresses you want monitored. You can add ID numbers too.
- Turn on email or app notifications. Google says first results arrive within a few hours.
- Open the To review tab, check each result, and tap Request to remove for any you want gone.
- Track progress under Removal requests. Google emails you whether each request was approved.
Removal only hides the result in Google Search. The page itself stays online, and other search engines can still show it. Google also generally won't remove results from news, government or educational sites. To delete the source, you need to contact the site, which is what our guide to removing yourself from people search sites walks through.
UK and EU: Results about you is rolling out in some markets only. Wherever you live, you can use Google's personal information removal request for doxxing, ID numbers, bank details and contact details shared without consent, and in the UK and EU you can also ask Google to delist outdated or irrelevant results about you under data protection law.
Am I listed on people search and data broker sites?
If you live in the US, you are almost certainly listed on people search sites, which build profiles from public records, marketing lists and old directories. California's privacy regulator says more than 600 data brokers are registered in that state alone.
Search your name and city directly on the big ones: Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, TruePeopleSearch, FastPeopleSearch, Radaris and the PeopleConnect family (Intelius, TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate). Look for:
- Your current home address, or one from the last few years
- Your mobile number and personal email
- Names of relatives, partners or roommates
- Your age or exact date of birth
- Old addresses that link you to a past relationship
In the UK, the main source is the open version of the electoral register, which companies can buy. You can opt out through your local council without affecting your right to vote. EU countries have far fewer people search sites because GDPR limits them, but check for business directories that list your home address if you run a sole trader business.
How do I check my social media privacy settings?
Check your social media privacy by viewing each profile as a logged-out stranger, then tightening who can see your posts, friends list, photos and contact details. Each platform has a preview tool:
| Platform | Where to look | What to change first |
|---|---|---|
| Settings, Privacy Checkup | Future posts to Friends, hide friends list, limit past posts | |
| Settings, Account privacy | Switch to private, remove contact info from bio | |
| Settings, Visibility | Edit public profile, hide email and phone | |
| TikTok | Settings, Privacy | Private account, turn off "Suggest your account to others" |
| X | Settings, Privacy and safety | Protect posts, turn off discoverability by email and phone |
Also check what others post about you. Tagged photos, a partner's public profile, or a running club's results page can reveal your routine and neighborhood even if your own accounts are locked.
How do I find old accounts I forgot about?
Find old accounts by searching your inboxes for sign-up emails, checking which apps are linked to your Google, Apple and Facebook logins, and looking up your email on Have I Been Pwned. Forgotten accounts are a reputation risk and a security risk, because they often reuse old passwords.
- Search every email address you have used for "welcome", "verify your account" and "confirm your email".
- Review "Sign in with Google" and "Sign in with Apple" connections in your account settings and remove what you no longer use.
- Check your password manager or browser's saved passwords for sites you have forgotten.
- Search old usernames on Google to find forum, blog and gaming profiles.
- Delete accounts you don't need, rather than just leaving them dormant.
If your email shows up in a breach, follow our steps for checking if your data was leaked and change those passwords first.
What should I do about what I find?
What you do depends on who controls the page. Fix what you own first, then ask others to remove or correct what they control.
| What you found | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your own old post or profile | Edit, make private or delete it |
| Home address, phone or email on a people search site | Use the site's opt-out, then request removal from Google |
| ID numbers or bank details anywhere | Request removal through Results about you, and consider a credit freeze |
| Wrong or outdated information about you | Ask the site to correct it; UK and EU residents can cite data protection rights |
| A fake profile using your photos | Report it to the platform as impersonation |
| Accurate news coverage | Usually stays; publish newer, positive content so it ranks |
Pushing good content up works alongside removal. A complete LinkedIn profile, a simple personal website, or a professional bio on your employer's site tends to outrank old clutter for your name. If someone runs a broader check on you, our explainer on people search vs background checks covers what each one can legally show.
Search A-Z lists public information too, and you can remove yourself from our reports at any time with our free opt-out form.
How often should I Google myself?
Google yourself every three to six months, and before any big moment: a job search, a new relationship, launching a business or a public role. Alerts from Google Alerts and Results about you cover the time in between. People search sites refresh their data regularly, so a listing you removed can come back.
The bottom line
Search your name the way a stranger would: in quotes, with your city and employer, across Google, Bing and image search. Turn on Results about you, opt out of the people search sites that list your home details, tighten social settings and delete old accounts. Repeat a few times a year, because your online footprint keeps growing even when you don't.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see what the internet says about me?
Search your full name in quotes on Google and Bing in a private window, then add your city, employer and school. Search your email and phone number, check image results, look yourself up on people search sites, and turn on Google's Results about you alerts.
Is it weird to Google yourself?
No. It is basic privacy hygiene. Employers, dates and clients search your name, so you should know what they find. Checking also helps you spot fake profiles, leaked contact details and old posts you want to remove.
What is Google Results about you?
A free Google tool that monitors Search for your phone number, home address, email and government ID numbers, alerts you when they appear and lets you request removal. It hides results in Google only; the original page stays online.
Can I remove my information from the internet completely?
Not completely, but you can remove a lot. Delete your own old accounts, opt out of people search sites, request Google removals, and use privacy laws such as California's Delete Act or UK and EU GDPR. See our removal guide.
Why does my address show up when I Google myself?
Usually because a people search or data broker site built a profile from public records, property records or marketing data, and Google indexed it. Opt out on that site, then ask Google to remove the result through Results about you.
Does someone know if I look them up?
Google searches and Search A-Z searches are not shown to the person. LinkedIn is the exception: it can show profile viewers unless you browse in private mode.
Sources
- Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll: social media and recruiting survey
- YouGov: dating app users, background checks and safety poll
- Google: Results about you expands to government ID numbers (February 2026)
- Google Search Help: find and remove personal contact info in Google Search results
- Google Search Help: remove personally identifiable info or doxxing content
- California Privacy Protection Agency: DROP and the data broker registry
Figures are the latest published by each source when this guide was updated. Reported fraud losses are a floor: most fraud is never reported.