An easily accessible colorimetric and fluorescence probe 4-((3-chloro-1,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)amino)benzenesulfonamide (4CBS) was successfully developed for the selective and sensitive detection of Sn 2+ in an aqueous solution. The sensing mechanism involves reduction of −CO into −C− OH groups in 4CBS upon the addition of Sn 2+ , which initiates the fluorescence turn-on mode. A better linear relationship was achieved between fluorescence intensity and Sn 2+ concentration in the range of 0−62.5 μM, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.115 μM. The binding mechanism of 4CBS for Sn 2+ was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis, NMR titrations, and mass (electrospray ionization) spectral analysis. Likewise, the proposed sensing mechanism was supported by quantum chemical calculations. Moreover, bioimaging studies demonstrated that the chemosensing probe 4CBS is an effective fluorescent marker for the detection of Sn 2+ in living cells and zebrafish. Significantly, 4CBS was able to discriminate between Sn 2+ in human cancer cells and Sn 2+ in normal live cells.