Google Opens SynthID Detector to the Public in English

Public access expands beyond professional testing

Google says its SynthID Detector became available globally in English on October 7, 2026. The standalone tool checks images, video and audio for signs of artificial intelligence (AI) generation by Google or supported partners.

The release broadens access beyond an early version offered to media professionals in 2025. TechCrunch describes that earlier testing group as selected journalists, media professionals and researchers. Public access gives a wider audience a way to check supported media.

SynthID checks for embedded watermarks

Google says SynthID, launched in 2023, uses imperceptible watermarks to help identify AI-generated images, video and audio. These are embedded markers that people do not ordinarily see or hear. The detector checks for those markers.

That method sets an important limit: the announced coverage applies to Google and supported partners, including OpenAI, NVIDIA and Kakao. It does not establish that the tool can identify every AI-generated file.

TechCrunch reports that Google's Nano Banana, Veo and Lyria models use SynthID, along with the generation tools Gemini, Flow, ProducerAI and Vids. These offer examples of where Google's watermarked media comes from.

Supported files and the next planned addition

TechCrunch reports support for image formats including JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC and GIF. It also lists MP4, MOV and WEBM video files, plus audio formats including WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC and M4A. File-format support and coverage of an AI provider are separate considerations when checking media.

Google says the standalone detector adds to verification features already available in Search, the Gemini app and Chrome. The public release therefore expands access to an existing watermarking system.

Google identifies Apple support as forthcoming but gives no rollout date. For now, the useful boundary is the announced coverage: people can check supported media, while broader detection remains outside what this release establishes.