Get image descriptions on Chrome

When you use a screen reader in Chrome, you can get descriptions of unlabelled images; for example, images that don’t have alt text.  

Images are sent to Google to create the descriptions. If Google can't describe an image, the screen reader says 'No description available'. 

Important: Image descriptions are available in Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

Turn image descriptions on or off

You can turn image descriptions on in Chrome settings or in a page that you're already on.

Turn on image descriptions from Google in the context menu

You can turn on image descriptions for all pages or for just one specific page.

1. On your computer, open Chrome browser.
2. Open the context menu.
   • Windows: Shift+F10.
   • Mac: VoiceOver+Shift+ m or Ctrl + Alt + Shift + m.
   • Chromebook: Search  + m. Or Launcher  + m.
3. Use the up or down arrow keys to select 'Get image descriptions from Google'.
4. Use the right or left arrow to open the image description menu.
5. When you turn image descriptions on or off, you may be asked to agree to image descriptions from Google. Turn image descriptions on or off:
   • For one page: Press space to select Just once.
   • For all pages: Press space to select Always. 

If you had image descriptions allowed for only one page, leave or refresh the page to turn it off.

If 'Get image descriptions from Google' is turned on for all pages, there's a tick mark next to the option in the context menu.

If you're signed in and syncing to Chrome, you get image descriptions on all signed-in and synced devices.

Turn on image descriptions in Chrome settings

You can also turn image descriptions for all pages on and off in Chrome settings. Image descriptions for all pages work the same way if they are turned on in settings or the context menu.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More   Settings  Accessibility.
3. Turn Get image descriptions from Google on or off.

If 'Get image descriptions from Google' is turned on, there's a tick mark next to the feature.

Image descriptions are only available to screen reader users through spoken feedback or braille, and don't visually appear on the screen. The image descriptions may not be fully accurate.

If you have any feedback, contact our Google Accessibility support team.

Images are sent to Google servers to provide the description but aren't saved by Google. Web pages are never modified by Google when Google describes an image. For your privacy, this feature is designed so that a site, your screen reader and your operating system don't know that this feature is being used. To learn more, review our Google Privacy Policy.