Use this easy Google Maps tip to keep your home hidden.
Did you realize that anyone with an internet connection may be as close as a few clicks from your house?
Using photos taken by Google’s camera vehicles, outsiders may virtually stroll right past your house thanks to Google Maps and its Street View function. Although it’s a fantastic tool for organizing excursions and discovering areas, there are some serious privacy issues with it.
Someone with bad intentions may use that type of access to obtain information about your house. For this reason, celebrities frequently obscure their residences on Google Maps to prevent robbers and stalkers from seeing them clearly. You may also take the same action to prevent your house from appearing on the virtual map.
Consider taking this extra step to obscure your property from public view if it can be seen on Street View. Here’s how.
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How to make your house appear blurry on Google Maps
The blurring tool isn’t available in the Google Maps app for iOS or Android, so you’ll have to accomplish this on your PC. Although it may be accessed via your mobile device’s online browser, it is not very user-friendly; thus, your best bet is to utilize a reliable web browser on your Mac or PC.
Enter your home address in the upper-right search field on maps.google.com, press return, and then click the picture of your house that shows up.
The Street View of your location will then appear. Select Report a Problem in the lower-right corner. Though quite small, the writing is present.
You may now decide what you want Google to blur. Use your mouse to move the image’s perspective so that the red and black box contains your house and anything else you wish to blur. You can zoom in and out with the plus and minus buttons, and move about with your cursor.
After you’ve completed modifying the picture, choose the object you want to blur underneath:
- A face
- Your house
- Vehicle/license plate
- An alternative item
If there are a lot of automobiles, people, and other items in the picture, you will be prompted to choose exactly what you want blurred.
Additionally, be sure that the item you choose is precisely what you want obscured. Google warns that everything you blur on Street View will remain blurred forever.
Lastly, click Submit after entering your email (which is necessary) and, if necessary, confirming the captcha. Google should then send you an email stating that it will examine your report and notify you whether the request is accepted or rejected. Google can send you more emails requesting more details about your request. Keep an eye out for any more emails as Google does not provide any information on the processing time of your request.
Not a Signal? No issue. Google Maps Continues to Function Offline
Even without internet connectivity, navigate like an expert. Many individuals begin their road journeys by filling up the car, downloading a soundtrack, and using Google Maps to help them navigate. Whether you’re trying to find the ideal scenic route or escape rush hour traffic, turn-by-turn directions make traveling easier. But things might quickly go wrong if you lose signal in the middle of your journey.
Google Maps cannot assist you find petrol stations, reroute, or recover from a bad turn if you don’t have an internet connection. Unless you prepared ahead of time and saved your map for offline usage, you’re stuck with the directions you started with.
Fortunately, there is a clever solution. Turn-by-turn navigation is still possible using offline maps, even if you’re totally unconnected. Here’s how to ensure that, even in the event of a service outage, you never get lost.
Do you want to know more techniques and tips with Google Maps? See three Google Maps features you should be aware of, as well as how to obscure your home on the map.
Place the map you wish to download inside the rectangular boundary using your fingertips. To navigate the map with one finger, squeeze with two fingers to zoom in and out. You can see how much storage space the download will require on your phone as you navigate around the map. After you’re satisfied with the space, click “Download.”
To download the map offline, you may also enter a city or other location into Google Maps and then click the Download option that shows up in the pull-up window. However, this method is limited to iPhones.
To download the map, you need to be on Wi-Fi. Go to the Offline maps page, touch the gear icon in the upper right corner, choose When to download offline maps, and then choose via Wi-Fi or mobile network if you wish to download via cellular. You may view all of your offline maps on the Offline maps page when your map has finished downloading.
You may now use Google Maps in the region you downloaded and just in that area, even when you’re not online. Because traffic and other road conditions are not taken into consideration, you won’t receive incredibly precise travel times or other route possibilities, but you will receive a rough estimate of how long your trip should take. Directions for walking, bicycle, and transit are similarly unavailable offline; only driving directions are given.
Disclaimer:
This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The steps described for blurring your home on Google Maps are official features provided by Google to help users protect their privacy. We do not support or encourage the misuse of privacy tools or any activity that violates the law or the rights of others. Always use digital tools responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy and legal standards in your country or region.