Why Are Some Houses Blurred On Google Maps?

Google Maps has revolutionized the way we navigate the world. It offers seamless ways to find where something is located, and ways to get from place to place, even using complex routes. It also has a feature called Street View, which effectively shows you what the world looks like from whatever spot on the map you pick. When using Street View, you may have noticed some houses are blurred, while others are clearly visible. There's a good reason.

Since its launch in 2007, Google has been capturing billions of images across the globe for its Street View feature. Currently, Google says Street view has more than 220 billion images from around the world, representing more than 10 million miles across 100 countries and territories. Those views haven't just helped us find our way, they've also inspired people to have fun using games like GeoGuessr. 

Street View has several practical features, too. Timeline view allows you to travel back in time to see how buildings have changed in the last decade or so. Another hidden Google Maps feature lets you save favorite locations using emojis, and you can even compare routes between Apple Maps and Google Maps.

The blurred houses are a less-well-known feature of Google Maps, and it's not just celebrity homes and government institutions. It turns out, you can blur your house too if you'd like. Let's explore how.

If you're exploring an area on Street View, you'll realize some distinct objects that are blurred out, including people's faces and car license plates. According to early Google Maps developer John Hanke (who also happened to be the inventor of Pokémon Go), Google uses special technology to scan its image database for faces it needs to blur. Google uses a similar algorithm for license plates too.

When it comes to whole homes, Google relies on public requests to blur specific properties. One of the biggest reasons behind blurred houses is privacy concerns. Google's Street View cameras started at a fairly low resolution, but the company's improved a lot since then. One of its latest systems include seven 140-megapixel cameras. 

That type of detail could pose a threat, particularly if the image is of a potential target for stalkers or burglars. As only faces and number plates are blurred out, there are still a lot of remaining details that someone with bad intentions could use to cause harm, including possibly seeing where deliveries are placed or other revealing attributes.

If you don't want Google to display your house to the public, there is something you can do about it. One of the less-known Google Maps features is the ability to request blurring on your property or anything else you wish to be hidden. This only works on the web version for PCs, not your mobile phone. Here's how to request your house to be blurred on Google Maps:

1. From the Google Maps search bar, enter your home address or the property you wish to blur.

2. In the lower-right corner, drag the orange person-shaped figure to the property. Alternatively, click on the picture with a circular arrow underneath Photos to enter Street View.

3. In the bottom-right corner, click the option that says 'Report a problem'.

In the window that appears, you can then fit your property inside a red box by zooming in and out on the mini map. Under the Request Blurring heading, select 'My Home', fill in your email address, and verify your identity using the reCAPTCHA tool. Make sure you follow the steps carefully, as once you've blurred something, it cannot be undone, according to Google.

Leaving your house unblurred on Google Maps is unlikely to pose a security threat for the average user. Even given its current boosted resolution, the quality of most residential houses diminishes when zooming into windows. Another point to bear in mind is Street View only works on roads. So, if your house is located on a path away from the road, you won't be able to get a close-up view of it on Street View.

Google Maps isn't the only maps app that holds photos of different properties. Apple Maps and Windows Maps also feature images of properties, so if you truly want to remove your house from the internet, you'll need to submit requests to them too.

Lastly, you may want to reconsider blurring your house on Google Maps if you are selling your property. Without a picture of your property, it may be harder to attract buyers if they are limited in what they can see. 

Overall, blurring your house on Google Maps may be a sensible option if you've found an image you wouldn't like to share, but it's less useful if you want to remove your house from the internet altogether.