How to Blur Your Home on Google Street View

In 2007, Google introduced the Street View feature in its Google Maps, allowing users to explore the world from their computers or smartphones. Over the years, Google has captured over 220 billion images and created a 360-degree map of the world, which users can view without actually visiting the place. According to an official blog, Google has managed to capture over 10 million miles across 100 countries for Street View. Users can open Google Street View and virtually navigate through cities, towns, and even rural areas and get an understanding of the surroundings before traveling to the place or booking a hotel.

However, if you are someone who likes privacy and spot your house in Google Street View, you may feel uncomfortable with strangers being able to see easily across the globe. The good news is that Google allows you to blur home on Google Street View to help users protect their privacy and security. In this guide, we will share with you the step-by-step process to blur your home on Google Street View. Let’s jump right into it.

Why blur your home on Google Street View?

It’s not like if your home is captured on Google Street View, it can be a matter of grave concern. But yes, it can be some who are well-known personalities or for those who want to keep everything under a stone. Whatever the reason may be, before you delve into the process of how you can blur your home on Google Street View, here are some common reasons for doing so:

• Privacy concerns: Not everyone wants their home to be visible to millions across the globe. Who knows, you might have been captured doing some private getaways by Google Street View. Blurring your house or activities can keep your property safe.
• Safety issues: If you are a social media influencer or a celebrity, then you can opt to blur home on Google Street View to maintain privacy and prevent people from finding your place or leaking your address.
• Avoid embarrassing moments: Google Street View has caught people in not-so-great situations and is now available for millions to explore. This list by The Sun gives you some of the most embarrassing moments caught by Google Street View. Truth be told, you may not want to get caught in such acts, don’t you?

Once you have blurred your home or yourself in Google Street View, you can have peace of mind and let the world explore everything around you.

How to blur your home on Google Street View?

Here are the steps you need to follow to blur your home on Google Street View. It is an easy process and gets the job done quickly.

On Computer

1. Launch your favorite browser on your PC.
2. Visit www.google.com/maps website on the browser.
3. Type your home’s address in the search bar and hit the search icon.
4. You will see the image of your house in the top left corner.
5. Drag the pegman from the bottom-right corner onto your location to view your house in Google Street View.
6. On the bottom right corner of the Street View window, you need to click on the “Report a Problem” option to report, in our case, blur your home on Google Street View.
7. You will be redirected to a new web page, where you will be asked to adjust the view of your house to correctly report.
8. Then, you will be asked why you are reporting the image, and you need to choose the option “My home.” There are other options, such as A face, My vehicle/license plate, or a different object, which you can use to blur the respective content.
9. Upon clicking on the “My home” option, you will have to agree to a term that confirms that you have the authority to request the blurring of the house. There is a text box where you can input more details about the house so that Google has more clarity on whether the report is legitimate or not.
10. Then, you need to provide your email address and submit the form.
11. Google will review your request and may ask for additional details if required.
12. Your house will be blurred upon successful verification.

On mobile

1. Launch the Google Maps app on your phone.
2. Open the map in Street View by tapping the image as shown in the image.
3. Tap on the 3-dot menu icon at the top-right and select the “Report a problem” option.
4. You will be presented with a form where you will need to select the correct image preview indicating your house. Then choose “My Home” under the Why are you reporting this image question.
5. Enter your email address and hit the Submit button to report.
6. You will be notified if Google requires additional details about the report or if the report was successful or not in your email address.

It may take Google a while to come to a decision on your report and blur your home on Google Street View. This is because of the number of reports they have to handle. Once your house is blurred, you will no longer be able to recognize it. The blurring applies to both mobile and desktop apps, irrespective of where the report was submitted from.

Some handy tips for reporting

There are a few tips that you can consider when reporting on Google Street View to enhance your chances of getting your home blurred on Google Street View.

• Blur specific parts of your house. You can ask to blur your entire house or specific parts, such as your house number, street number, or anything personal that is mentioned in the captured image.
• Always double-check if you need to blur your house because it is irreversible.
• If you live in a shared property, then consider informing your neighbors about the same, as they may not want you to blur their house or entrance.
• If you see Google Street View again capturing your house, then you can report it again.

Final thoughts

Blurring your home on Google Street View helps, but other apps, such as Apple Maps, might have captured your house. Ensure that you have reported the same in those apps as well. If you want to switch to a different navigation app, then you can check out our dedicated guide that lists some of the best alternatives to Google Maps. Apple Maps is also under testing for the web and is gaining new features with each new version. So, you may want to keep an eye on it.