Selfie search finds every photo a person is in, including ones where their bib number is hidden. Turn it on per gallery with Take or upload a selfie in the gallery's Search & sorting settings.
What happens to a visitor's selfie
A selfie is used for that one search: it's compared with the gallery's face data and then discarded. It isn't stored and doesn't create a face template.
The face data in your galleries
When photos are uploaded, the faces in them are turned into face templates, kept in that gallery's own index so they can be searched. From 1 November 2026 face data is deleted automatically, at the earliest of:
- 12 months after each photo was uploaded,
- 30 days after the gallery is archived or deleted, or face search is switched off for it,
- 30 days after a person asks for theirs to be deleted.
Photos aren't affected: they stay in the gallery, and bib search and browsing keep working.
Requests from participants
Visitors can ask for their face data to be deleted by emailing support@photohawk.com, naming the gallery or event. Where selfie search has ended for a gallery, its selfie button also offers Make a request, which goes to the gallery's administrators and to Photohawk. Photohawk deletes the matching face data within 30 days. To remove someone's photos as well, see Delete every photo of one person.
What to tell participants
Tell participants, for example in the event's terms or registration, that photos are taken and that the gallery can be searched by face. The guide below has wording and a checklist.
Learn moreFace recognition at eventsConsent, the GDPR, what to tell participants, and a checklist before you switch face search on.Questions people ask
Are visitors' selfies stored?
No. A selfie is compared with the gallery's face data for that search and then discarded.
Can I use bib search without face search?
Yes. Turn off "Take or upload a selfie" in the gallery's Search & sorting settings. Bib search, time search and browsing keep working.
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