Google Search "View Image" Button

View Image Button: A Feature Removed from Google Image Search

The View Image button was a feature in Google Image Search that allowed users to easily view the full-size version of an image. It was removed in 2018 due to a deal between Google and Getty Images.

What is Google Search "View Image" Button?

The 'View Image' button was a convenient feature in Google Image Search that allowed users to easily view the full-size version of an image. When users searched Google Images and clicked on a thumbnail, the 'View Image' button would take them directly to the website hosting the full-resolution image.

This was useful for quickly grabbing images to use for personal, educational, or commercial purposes. However, in 2018 Google removed this button as part of a deal with stock photo provider Getty Images. Getty complained that sites were using the button to facilitate piracy of their images.

There was significant backlash to the removal of the 'View Image' button. Many users felt it made grabbing images for legitimate purposes more difficult. A number of browser extensions have been created to restore the functionality, but they cannot completely replicate the seamless experience the native button provided.

Overall, the removal of the 'View Image' button demonstrated the power of large corporations to shape internet services. It took away a useful feature that made images on the web more accessible. Alternative image search engines still offer this type of functionality, but none have the scale or breadth of Google Images.

Google Search "View Image" Button Features

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