Did you know anyone can see your home right now, thanks to Google Maps?
Whether you like it or not, your home is likely visible to anyone with an internet connection. Kind of unsettling, right? With Street View, anyone can take a virtual stroll past your house using images captured by Google’s camera cars. It is a powerful tool for exploring the world from your screen, but it also means your front door is just a few clicks away for strangers too.
And while Street View is undeniably useful, it also raises some serious privacy concerns. Your home, just like any restaurant, building or landmark, is visible with a simple search.
That kind of access could be exploited by someone malicious, who might want to gather information on your home. This is why celebrities often blur their homes on Google Maps, so that stalkers and thieves can’t get a good look at it. And you can do the same.
If your house is visible on Street View, you might want to consider taking the extra step to protect your privacy: blurring your home from public view. Here’s how.
For more, check out essential Google Maps tips for travel.
How to blur your home on Google Maps
You’ll need to do this on your computer since the blurring feature isn’t available in the Google Maps application on iOS or Android. It is accessible through the web browser on your mobile device, but it’s rather difficult to use, so your best option is a trusted web browser on your Mac or PC.
At maps.google.com, enter your home address in the search bar at the top-right, hit return, then click the photo of your home that appears.
Next, you’ll see the Street View of your location. Click Report a Problem at the bottom-right. The text is super tiny, but it’s there.
Now, it’s up to you to choose what you want Google to blur. Using your mouse, adjust the view of the image so that your home and anything else you want to blur is all contained within the red and black box. Use your cursor to move around and the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out, respectively.
Once you’re finished adjusting the image, choose what you’re requesting to blur underneath:
- A face
- Your home
- Car/license plate
- A different object
You’ll be asked to give a bit more detail as to what exactly you want blurred, in case the image is busy with several cars, people and other objects.
Also, be completely sure that what you select is exactly what you want blurred. Google cautions that once you blur something on Street View, it’s blurred permanently.
Finally, enter your email (this is required), verify the captcha (if needed), and click Submit.
You should then receive an email from Google that says it’ll review your report and get back to you once the request is either denied or approved. You may receive more emails from Google asking for more information regarding your request. Google doesn’t offer any information on how long your request will take to process, so just keep an eye out for any further emails.
For more, take an inside look at how Google built Immersive View for Maps.
