Protect your privacy: how to blur your house on Google Maps
Google Maps is an invaluable tool for figuring out where you are in the world or where you need to go. The same can be said for Street View, a first-person perspective option that uses photos taken by Google itself to help you navigate. You’ve probably seen Google’s ubiquitous camera cars driving by, snapping these images at some point. The result is an image of every home and business there is, easily accessible by simply typing an address into the navigation app. But as useful as this view can be, it is also an invitation to… scammers to use your home to intimidate you.
Of course, someone could just walk or drive by your house and see where you live, but with Google Maps they can do that easily: from their couch. Anyone with a phone or computer can do it. Including someone who wants to scam you out of money or time.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to blur your home on Google Maps and prevent others from seeing too many details of where you live. Here’s how to do it.
For more information, check out essential Google Maps travel tips.
Check this out: How to blur your house or any object in Google Maps
How to Blur Your House on Google Maps
You must do this on your computer. The blur feature is not available in the Google Maps application on iOS or Android. It can be accessed via the web browser on your mobile device, but it is quite difficult to use, so your best bet is a trusted web browser on your Mac or PC instead.
Bee maps.google.comEnter your home address in the search bar at the top right, press Return, and then click on the photo of your home that appears.
Click on the photo of your home, directly above your address, at the top left of the page.
You will then see the Street View of your location. Click Report a problem bottom right. The text is super small, but it’s there.
This is the Street View of your location.
Now it’s up to you to choose what you want Google to blur. Use your mouse to adjust the appearance of the image so that your house and anything else you want to blur are all in the red and black box. Use your cursor to move and the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out respectively.
If you want to blur more than what’s in the black/red box, use the + button to zoom in.
Once you’re done adjusting the image, choose what you want to blur underneath:
- A face
- Your house
- Your car/license plate
- Another object
You’ll be asked to provide some more details about what exactly you want to blur, in case the image is occupied with multiple cars, people, and other objects.
Also make completely sure that what you select is exactly what you want blurred. Google warns that once you blur something in Street View, it is permanently blurred.
Finally, enter your email address (this is required), verify the captcha (if necessary) and click Submit.
You will need to provide additional information about what you want to blur, so be thorough.
You will then receive an email from Google stating that Google will review your report and contact you once the request has been denied or approved. You may receive further emails from Google asking for more information about your request. Google does not provide information on how long it will take to process your request, so keep an eye out for any further emails.
To learn more, see how Google built Immersive View for Maps.
