This article provides information on how to blur your house on Google maps using the desktop app and why you might want to.

What to Know

  • You’ll need to search for your home and enter street view to start to process of blurring your home on Google Street View.Report a problem in Street view and fill out the form asking Google to blur your home. Once you complete this process, it can’t be undone. Your home will be permanently blurred in Google Street View.

Why Blur Your House on Google Maps?

In Google Maps Live Street View, anyone can virtually “drive” to your house and then examine everything about your home from the photos captured by Google. If you want more privacy, you can blur your house on Google Maps.

Images captured by Google for Street View can be used for a number of nefarious purposes, including:

  • Potential thieves can scope out a property for potential security vulnerabilities like high hedges or easy access to upper windows.Businesses looking for potential customers can see if your house needs new windows, doors, or external work to try and target you with their marketing efforts.Snoopy neighbors may try to identify local code violations so they can report you to the local authorities and get you in trouble.

How to Blur Your House on Google Maps

You can tell Google to blur your house so people can’t make out any details about your property from Street View.

  • Open the Google Maps desktop app, and make sure you’re logged into your Google account. Type your home address into the search field. Select the address for your home.
  • To see Street View’s image of your home, select and hold your mouse pointer on the small yellow human icon at the lower right corner of the map. Drag this icon onto the road in front of your home.
  • Once you’re in Street View, use the arrow keys to rotate the view so you can see your home right in front of you.
  • When you drag the human icon onto the map, if you don’t see a blue line on the road in front of your house, that means your road isn’t on Google’s Street View route, and you don’t have to worry about Street View storing any images of your home. You can only drop the human icon onto a road that is highlighted in blue.
  • Once you have your house in view, select Report a problem at the lower right corner of the screen.
  • You will see the image from Street View with a small red box at the center. You can rotate the image or zoom in and out to center the box on just your home or entire property. Fill out the form by selecting My home in the Request blurring section. You’ll see a field where you can provide more details so Google can accurately identify what part of the image you want to blur.
  • Finally, fill out the required email address form, complete the reCAPTCHA verification, and select Submit.

Once you submit this form, you’ll need to wait for Google to review the request and respond. Google may follow up via email to ask for additional information. Or, you may simply receive confirmation that the image you requested has been blurred on Street View. Either way, this is a good approach offered by Google to put your privacy back into your own hands.

Once you request Google blurs your home, keep in mind there’s no reversing the process. After your request is processed, no one will ever be able to see your home or property on Street View in Google Maps again.

Open the Google Maps desktop app, and make sure you’re logged into your Google account. Type your home address into the search field. Select the address for your home.

To see Street View’s image of your home, select and hold your mouse pointer on the small yellow human icon at the lower right corner of the map. Drag this icon onto the road in front of your home.

Once you’re in Street View, use the arrow keys to rotate the view so you can see your home right in front of you.

When you drag the human icon onto the map, if you don’t see a blue line on the road in front of your house, that means your road isn’t on Google’s Street View route, and you don’t have to worry about Street View storing any images of your home. You can only drop the human icon onto a road that is highlighted in blue.

Once you have your house in view, select Report a problem at the lower right corner of the screen.

You will see the image from Street View with a small red box at the center. You can rotate the image or zoom in and out to center the box on just your home or entire property. Fill out the form by selecting My home in the Request blurring section. You’ll see a field where you can provide more details so Google can accurately identify what part of the image you want to blur.

Finally, fill out the required email address form, complete the reCAPTCHA verification, and select Submit.

  • How do I set my home address on Google Maps?
  • In a browser, go to Menu > Your places > Labeled > Home. Enter your home address, then click Save. To change your home address, search for Home and select Edit next to your home address in the search bar.
  • How do I update my home address information on Google Maps?
  • To report an inaccurate address on Google Maps, select Suggest an edit. To add photos, go to the Photos section, and then select Add a photo. To report a missing location, right-click or tap-and-hold where the new place should go and select Add a missing place.
  • What is the easiest way to find my house on Google Street View?
  • Go to Instant Street View or ShowMyStreet and enter your address. Alternatively, go to Google Maps, enter your address, and select the Pegman in the lower-right corner to bring up Street View. On mobile devices, try the Google Street View app for iOS or Android.
  • Can I unblur my house on Google Maps?
  • No. Your decision is permanent, which could make it harder to sell your house in the future, so take that into consideration.

In a browser, go to Menu > Your places > Labeled > Home. Enter your home address, then click Save. To change your home address, search for Home and select Edit next to your home address in the search bar.

To report an inaccurate address on Google Maps, select Suggest an edit. To add photos, go to the Photos section, and then select Add a photo. To report a missing location, right-click or tap-and-hold where the new place should go and select Add a missing place.

Go to Instant Street View or ShowMyStreet and enter your address. Alternatively, go to Google Maps, enter your address, and select the Pegman in the lower-right corner to bring up Street View. On mobile devices, try the Google Street View app for iOS or Android.

No. Your decision is permanent, which could make it harder to sell your house in the future, so take that into consideration.

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