Anyone with your address can type it into Google Maps and look at your front door. For most people that is fine. For others, such as people who have been stalked or harassed, people leaving an abusive relationship, or anyone whose job attracts angry strangers, it is one more piece of the puzzle they would rather keep private.
Google lets you ask for your home to be blurred in Street View. Here is how it works, based on Google's own help pages, and what to think about before you do it.
What you can ask Google to blur
Google already blurs faces and license plates in Street View automatically. Its privacy page says its technology is "designed to blur identifiable faces and license plates", and that if its detectors miss something, you can let Google know.
Beyond that, Google says you can request further blurring of any image that features you, your family, your car or your home. When you do, Google says it will blur the entire car, house or person.
Who can ask for a house blur
According to Google's help article "Blur Street View Imagery", only the home owner or tenant can request a house blur. You need to show proof of address. People without a formal street address can still ask, through the same verification process.
Step by step: blurring your home
The steps are the same on a computer and in the Google Maps app on Android or iPhone.
- Open Google Maps and find your home.
- Open the Street View image that shows your house.
- Select "Report a problem" in the bottom right of the image.
- Choose "My home" as what you want blurred.
- Tick the box to confirm you have the authority to make the request.
- Upload proof of address and enter your residential address.
- Complete the form and submit it.
Check the street from more than one angle afterwards. Your house may appear in several images taken from different points along the road.
Proof of address: what Google accepts
Google's help article sets out these rules for the document you upload:
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| No handwritten documents or government IDs | Use something like a utility bill or bank statement, not a driver's license |
| Dated within the last 6 months | Leases are the exception |
| Under 10MB, as PNG, JPG or PDF | A phone photo or scan is usually fine |
| Redact names and account numbers | Cover them before you upload |
| Deleted after 60 days | Google says documents are permanently deleted from all its systems after 60 days |
Think before you blur: it is permanent
Google is clear on this: "When we receive and apply a blur request, the blur is permanent." You cannot undo it later, and it stays even if you move house or sell. A future owner would get a blurred house too.
Google also says a blurred image will not be used for generative AI prompting from that point on. It notes that AI imagery already created or published by others before the blur is not affected.
Some people worry a blur draws attention to a house. It may make your home look different from its neighbors on Street View. Weigh that against your own situation. For someone with a real safety concern, the trade is usually worth it.
If you rent, it is worth mentioning the request to your landlord, since the blur will outlast your tenancy. If you share the house, agree it with everyone who lives there first.
A quick checklist
- Find every Street View image that shows your home
- Get a recent bill or statement and redact names and account numbers
- Submit a "My home" request through Report a problem
- Ask for your car to be blurred too, if it is parked in view
- Keep a note of the date you submitted
- Check back later to see whether the blur has been applied
Street View is only one piece
Blurring your house hides what it looks like. It does not hide where you live. For many people, the bigger risk is the sites that list your home address, phone number and relatives next to your name.
If privacy is the reason you are blurring your home, do the rest too:
- Search your own name, phone number and address in a private window and note what appears. Our guide to what people see when they search your name walks you through it.
- Remove your details from Google search results and people-search sites. See how to remove your personal information from Google.
- Opt out of data broker sites one by one, and check back, because listings often reappear. Our step-by-step opt-out guide covers the process.
If you are in danger, contact local emergency services or a specialist support organization first. This guide is general information, not legal or safety advice.
How Reputfy Personal helps
Reputfy Personal scans search engines and people-search sites for your name, alerts you to new listings, and prepares removal requests for you to send. It does not blur Street View for you, since only you can make that request to Google, but it covers the much bigger job of keeping your address and phone number off people-search sites. It costs $15 a month, or $12 a month billed yearly. See Reputfy Personal.
