While we certainly appreciate the guidance of a GPS, seeing where we’re supposed to go before we get there helps validate our destination when we arrive.
Google has provided just such a capability through the Street View feature of their Google Maps application.
If you Google your address, you can actually see a street view of your home. But while this feature is fun and useful when checking out various locations, such as government buildings, clubs, restaurants, historic landmarks, etc., it gets a bit concerning when you realize that other people can look at pictures of your home at their leisure.
If this realization unsettles you, don’t worry. Google has provided a way to blur pictures of your home, even if someone were to pull it up in Street View.
Let’s elaborate on why you should blur your home on Google Maps and how to do it.
Why Is Blurring Your Home On Google Maps a Good Idea
Technological and digital innovations are amazing and speak volumes to the human mind’s imagination, ingenuity, and accomplishment.
However, as with almost any new technology, Street View is often misused for its intended beneficial purposes, which is why it’s a good idea to blur your home on Google Maps for privacy reasons.
If you can pull your house up in Street View, so can bad actors with nefarious intentions, including burglars and stalkers.
Seeing the layout of your house, property, and neighborhood allows such individuals to devise an optimal way to breach your home’s safety.
Many people have children who are home alone for several hours, others have personal relationships that they would rather not allow former associates to see, and others have items of high value that they do not want to tempt would-be thieves.
Our home is our safe space, so irrespective of the reasons, we want to protect our privacy. This can be helped by removing its visualization from Street View.
Of course, this isn’t a foolproof plan. Any of those individuals could simply drive by or walk past your home, but generally, they wouldn’t travel great distances to do so.
With Street View, they can do this from thousands of miles away if they wish. So, blurring your house on the map is a good privacy and safety measure.
How to Blur Your Home On Google Maps On a Computer
From a computer, follow these steps to blur your home address on Google Maps.
Step 1. Navigate to Google Maps. Enter your home address in the search bar and hit Enter.
Step 2. On the right side, a map of your neighborhood will appear with a marker designating your house’s location, while on the left, you will see a picture of your home from some angle.
Step 3. Click on the photo displayed, and the Street View of your home’s location will be displayed instead of the map.
Step 4. At the bottom, in the right corner of the picture, there is a tiny block of text that says “Report a Problem.” Click on it.
Step 5. You will now see a picture with a red block in the middle. Use your mouse to navigate the block over the area of the picture you want to blur.
You can use the mouse wheel button or the “+” and “-” buttons to zoom in or out on various parts of the picture, and the cursor to move the block into the desired position.
All Street View images are different. Some will have multiple people or pets, some cars, and some just have your home. At this point, you will need to provide details about what you want to blur.
For instance, it could be your entire home, the face of a person in the picture, the license plate of your car, or any other object of concern.
Google may ask you for more details about your blurs, but once you provide them, you will need to enter a required email for confirmation, fill out a captcha code or check box if asked, and click the Submit button.
How to Blur Your Home on Google Maps on a Mobile Device
To blur your house on Google Maps on a mobile device, follow these steps:
1. Open the Google Maps app and enter your home address.
2. Tap the three-dot icon at the top right.
3. Select Report a Problem.
4. Select My Home as the reason you are requesting that the image be blurred.
5. Fill in as much detail as possible to help Google identify the correct home to be blurred. Remember, the blurring is permanent. So you’d want to make sure they get the right home.
6. Enter your email address.
7. Complete the CAPTCHA verification and hit submit.
At some point, Google will send you a confirmation email stating that they have approved the requested blur or asking for more information.
Things to Keep In Mind When Blurring Your Home on Google Maps
There are two important aspects to keep in mind when it comes to blurring your home on Street View.
- The first is that once blurred, that becomes the permanent status of your home’s Street View appearance. In other words, don’t do this just as a test because you cannot undo it.
- Secondly, Google offers no timeline information regarding how long the process will take to complete.
So, if you expect to hop back into Street View and find the requested blur, you will not be satisfied with what you see.
If your provided information does not satisfy Google’s criteria, they may potentially deny the blur.
Wrapping Up
Isn’t it cool to be able to see the street view level photos of your home on Google Maps? Absolutely!
But for privacy and safety reasons, you may choose to blur your home or certain aspects of your property in the Street View feature.
So, if you make the choice, you now know the steps to make it a reality. Just remember to make sure it’s what you want, since the changes are permanent.
Use the comment section for any questions or concerns you might have.
