How to See Street View on Google Maps: Your Complete Guide

Google Street View is an incredibly useful feature within Google Maps that allows you to explore locations around the world through panoramic 360-degree street-level imagery. Whether you’re planning a trip, researching a neighborhood, or simply curious about a place, knowing How To See Street View On Google Maps can significantly enhance your understanding and navigation.

Before heading to a new destination, wouldn’t it be helpful to preview exactly what it looks like? Google Street View makes this possible. Using specialized cars equipped with 360-degree cameras, Google captures and updates street-level images of countless locations globally. While the standalone Street View app was discontinued, the feature remains fully integrated and readily accessible within Google Maps on both desktop and mobile devices.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to see street view on Google Maps, unlocking a powerful tool for exploration, planning, and discovery right at your fingertips.

Understanding Google Street View and its Place within Google Maps

Google offers a suite of mapping and navigation tools, and it’s helpful to understand how Street View fits within them. Google Maps is your primary navigation software, offering directions, routes, and location information. Google Street View is a feature embedded within Google Maps, providing that immersive street-level visual experience.

In contrast, Google Earth utilizes satellite imagery and 3D renderings to offer a bird’s-eye view of the world. While Google Earth provides a broader, more global perspective, Street View zooms in to offer ground-level detail. Think of it this way: Google Earth gives you the landscape, Google Maps gets you there, and Google Street View shows you what it looks like when you arrive.

For instance, imagine planning a visit to the Eiffel Tower. Google Earth can give you a sense of the tower’s grandeur within Paris, Google Maps can chart your route from your hotel, and Google Street View lets you virtually walk around the base of the Eiffel Tower, seeing the queues and surrounding plazas before you even step foot in France.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use Google Street View on Desktop

Accessing Street View on your desktop is straightforward. Here’s how to see street view on Google Maps using your computer:

Accessing Street View on Desktop

1. Navigate to Google Maps: Open your web browser and go to maps.google.com.

2. Search for a Location: In the search bar located in the top-left corner, type in the address or name of the place you wish to explore in Street View.

3. Engage Street View: Locate the small yellow person icon (Pegman) in the bottom-right corner of the map. Click and hold this icon, then drag it onto the map. As you drag Pegman, streets highlighted in blue indicate Street View availability. Ensure you drop Pegman onto a blue highlighted street.

   To see what a location looks like on Google Street View, click and drag the yellow icon.

4. Release Pegman: Once you’ve placed Pegman on a blue street, release the mouse button to enter Street View.

Navigating Street View on Desktop

Once in Street View, you can easily navigate the environment:

1. Change Camera Angle: Click and drag your mouse cursor within the Street View image to adjust the camera angle and look around.
2. Move Along the Street: Click on locations further down the street to move in that direction. Arrows may also appear on the street to guide your movement.
3. Use Compass for Direction: The compass icon in the bottom-left corner features curved arrows. Use these to change your viewing direction incrementally.

Checking Street View Image Dates

Street View images are periodically updated, typically every one to three years, with more frequent updates for prominent locations. To check the capture date of a Street View image:

1. Locate Date Information: Look for the date displayed in the black box at the top left-hand side of the screen or on the bar at the bottom right-hand side.

   Check the black box or bottom bar to see when a Google Street View image was taken.

Knowing the image date helps understand how current the view is.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get Street View on Google Maps on Your Phone

Accessing Street View on your mobile device is just as simple. Here’s how to see street view on Google Maps using the mobile app:

Accessing Street View on Mobile

1. Open Google Maps App: Launch the Google Maps app on your Android or iOS device.

2. Search for a Location: Tap the search bar and enter the address or place you want to view in Street View.

3. Find the Street View Thumbnail: After searching, a small photo box will appear on the left side of the screen, displaying a Street View thumbnail if available. Tap this photo box.

   To use Google Street View on mobile, simply search the address in Google Maps and tap the Street View box in the left corner.

Navigating Street View on Mobile

Mobile navigation in Street View is touch-based and intuitive:

1. Change Camera Angle: Drag your finger across the screen to rotate the camera angle and look around in all directions.
2. Move Along the Street: To move forward, drag your finger in the direction you want to go, starting from the side of the screen and moving towards the opposite side.

Privacy Feature: How to Blur Your House on Google Street View

Google Street View aims to provide comprehensive visual information, but privacy is also a concern. If you have privacy or security concerns about your house being visible on Street View, Google offers a blurring option. You can request to have your house permanently blurred from Street View images.

Requesting to Blur Your House

1. Find Your Address in Google Maps: Go to Google Maps and enter your home address.

2. Enter Street View Mode: Drag the Pegman icon onto the street in front of your house to enter Street View.

3. Report a Problem: With your house in view in Street View, click “Report a problem” located in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

4. Submit Blurring Request: Center the red box on your home in the “Report a problem” tool. In the “Request blurring” field, select “My home”. Complete the submission process as prompted.

   If you’re the homeowner or tenant, you can request that Google Maps blur your residence on Street View.

Important Note about Blurring

Once a blurring request is processed and your house is blurred, it is permanent. Google does not offer to reverse this blurring. Ensure you are certain before submitting a blur request.

Exploring Further: Live View in Google Maps

Beyond standard Street View, Google Maps offers an innovative feature called Live View. Live View utilizes augmented reality (AR) to provide real-time, walking directions overlaid onto your actual surroundings using your phone’s camera.

What is Live View?

Live View is designed for pedestrian navigation. It uses your phone’s camera to recognize buildings and landmarks, then overlays directions, arrows, and navigational cues directly onto your camera’s viewfinder. This makes navigating on foot in unfamiliar areas much more intuitive.

How to Use Live View

1. Open Google Maps and Set Destination: On your phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app. Enter your destination in the search bar and select Walking as your mode of transport.

2. Activate Live View: Once your walking route is displayed on the map, tap the Live View icon located at the bottom of the screen.

   Select the Live View icon located on the bottom of the Google Maps screen.

3. Point Your Camera: Follow the on-screen prompts to point your phone’s camera at buildings and streets around you. This helps Google Maps accurately determine your location.

4. Follow Directions: Once your location is recognized, directional arrows and cues will be superimposed on your camera view, guiding you step-by-step to your destination.

   Live View will superimpose directions on your viewfinder to tell you where to go.

Live View is particularly useful in urban environments and complex intersections, providing a clear and visual way to navigate without constantly looking at a map.

Conclusion

Knowing how to see street view on Google Maps opens up a world of virtual exploration and practical benefits. From planning routes and previewing destinations to exploring distant corners of the globe, Street View is a powerful tool within Google Maps. Whether you’re using a desktop or mobile device, accessing and navigating Street View is simple and intuitive. Take advantage of this feature to enhance your travel planning, geographical understanding, and everyday navigation.