What Street View is and where to find it

Street View is a tool inside Google Earth that shows you photographs taken from street level — you can see what a neighborhood, building, or intersection actually looks like without being there. It works by letting you move around inside a 360-degree photograph, looking up, down, and in any direction.

Street View is built into Google Earth on desktop computers, tablets, and phones. You do not need to read a separate app or pay anything. The photographs come from Google's own camera cars that drive streets, plus images people have uploaded themselves.

Not every street has Street View coverage. Major cities and highways usually do. Rural areas, private roads, and some countries have little or no coverage. You will see a gray overlay on streets that have no images yet.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Google Earth, search for an address or place, and click the Pegman icon (the yellow figure) to enter Street View.
  • Once in Street View, click and drag your mouse to look around in all directions, or use arrow keys to move forward and backward along the street.
  • Street View shows you what a location looks like from ground level, including buildings, storefronts, street signs, and surrounding areas.
  • Coverage varies by location — cities have more images than rural areas, and some countries have limited or no Street View data.
  • You can exit Street View at any time by pressing Escape or clicking the back arrow, and you will return to the regular map view.

How to enter Street View on a desktop computer

Open Google Earth in your web browser by going to google.com/earth. Search for an address, landmark, or place name in the search box at the top left. Press Enter or click the search icon.

Once the location appears on the map, look for the Pegman — a small yellow figure that usually sits in the bottom right corner of the screen. Click and drag Pegman onto the street or location you want to see. If Street View is available there, the map will switch to a street-level photograph and you will see the area from ground level.

If you do not see Pegman, Street View may not be available for that location. You can also try right-clicking on a street and selecting "View Street View" from the menu that appears.

How to move around and look in Street View

Once you are in Street View, your mouse becomes your eyes. Click and drag the image to look left, right, up, or down. You can spin a full 360 degrees and look at the sky, the ground, or anything in between.

To move forward or backward along the street, use the arrow keys on your keyboard or look for blue arrows that appear on the street itself. Click an arrow to move in that direction. Some streets have arrows in multiple directions — click the one you want to follow.

You can also zoom in and out using your mouse wheel or the plus and minus buttons that appear on screen. Zooming in lets you read signs and see details more clearly.

Street View on phones and tablets

Open the Google Earth app on your phone or tablet. Search for a location the same way you would on a desktop. When the location appears, tap the Pegman icon and drag it onto the street.

Once in Street View, tilt and rotate your phone to look around — the view follows your device's motion. You can also tap and drag the image with your finger to look in different directions. Tap the arrows on the street to move forward or backward.

On a phone, you may see a compass icon in the corner. Tap it to switch between motion-controlled view (where the view follows your phone's tilt) and touch-controlled view (where you drag with your finger).

Understanding what you are seeing in Street View

Street View photographs are usually several years old — sometimes two to five years behind the current date. A building, business, or street sign you see may have changed since the photo was taken. Google updates coverage in some areas regularly, but not everywhere.

Some people and license plates are blurred for privacy. Faces are automatically blurred, and Google removes or blurs license plates in most countries. You may see some blur marks where this happened.

Street View does not show you inside buildings, private property, or gated areas. It only shows what is visible from public streets and sidewalks.

When Street View coverage is limited or missing

If you search for a location and see no Pegman or no blue arrows on the street, Street View is not available there yet. This is common in rural areas, newly developed neighborhoods, and countries outside North America and Europe.

You can still use the regular map view to see the location from above, measure distances, and see what is nearby. Zoom in on the map to see street names, building outlines, and terrain.

Google adds new Street View coverage over time, but there is no way to request it for a specific location. If you want to see a place that has no coverage, you may need to visit in person or look for user-uploaded images on Google Maps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see inside buildings or homes with Street View?

No. Street View only shows what is visible from public streets and sidewalks. You cannot see inside buildings, homes, or private property. Some museums and landmarks have uploaded their own interior images, which appear as separate photo collections, but these are not part of the standard Street View.

How old are the Street View photographs?

Most Street View images are two to five years old, though some are newer and some are older. Google updates coverage in major cities more frequently than rural areas. The date of the image usually appears in the bottom left corner of the screen when you are in Street View.

Why is my address not showing up in Street View?

Street View coverage varies by location. Rural areas, private roads, and some countries have limited or no coverage. If your address does not appear, try zooming out to see if nearby streets have coverage, or check back later — Google adds new images over time.

Can I use Street View to see my own house?

Yes, if your address has Street View coverage. Search for your address in Google Earth and use Pegman to view it from the street. If you want the image removed or blurred, you can request this through Google's privacy settings, though the process varies by country.

Does Street View work offline?

No. Street View requires an internet connection because the images are stored on Google's servers. You cannot read Street View images to view later without an internet connection.