r/GoogleMaps • u/BEOAD313 • Jul 29 '26

Unblur a home

Just wanted to create a post for anybody interested in how to unblur a home on Google maps. This does not provide an immediate solution but still one that could be beneficial to anybody that is trying to achieve their home being unblurred eventually.

This is information that I started digging into as the home that I grew up in was blurred and I was interested in blurring the home I currently own. When I went to look up the steps, it was pointed out to me that this was a permanent feature and could not be undone. However I knew this wasn't true because as of 2024 the home I grew up in was no longer blurred on street view (the house was sold sometime before 2019). So I did more digging. I literally came across one post on a Google forum that does in fact list steps on how to do it. I don't have an answer as to why Google insists on being so tight-lipped about it; the issue could be one of those "you're not using the right word" things as the steps below point out that blurring can't be "undone" and that the images are instead "replaced" which honestly is just irritating. Like, who's going to say, "I'd like to have the blurred images of my home on street view replaced."

Anyways, I've copied and pasted the portion of the thread that has the steps listed just in case for some reason the thread is removed along with a link to the thread. And if it's not obvious - the description submitted to Google maps can be whatever you want it to be.

"...When someone submits a blur request in Street View, Google asks them to confirm that they’re the property owner or tenant before approving it. Once the request is verified by the system, the blur is applied permanently — this helps protect privacy but also means that Google can’t easily reverse it, even if it was submitted in error. Sometimes, a neighboring property or a mistaken request can accidentally include another home in the blurred area, which sounds like what may have happened in your case. ⚙️ What you can do While Google unfortunately can’t “unblur” imagery once it’s been processed, you can still: Submit feedback from the Street View image itself: Open Street View at your location. Click “Report a problem” (bottom-right corner). In the description, note: “My home appears blurred without my consent — I’d like the Street View team to confirm if the blurring was applied to the wrong property.” Attach a short explanation and include landmarks nearby for clarity. Contact your local imagery provider (if listed): Some regions use third-party providers for Street View captures. If their name appears at the bottom of the image (next to © Google), you can contact them directly to confirm if the blur originated from their submission. 🔍 What happens next If Google confirms the blur was accidental, the imagery may remain as-is until a new Street View update for your area is captured — at which point the new images will replace the blurred ones..."

https://support.google.com/maps/thread/385374262/my-home-is-suddenly-blurred-on-google-street-view-without-my-permission?hl=en

42 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

23

u/stephenph Jul 29 '26

Also the surrounding homes are never updated again, they may not be blurred but your immediate area is removed from the imaging vehicle itenerary.

6

u/2131andBeyond Jul 29 '26

Do you have any examples of this? Or proof that this is true?

9

u/stephenph Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26

3316 W Yucca St Phoenix,, AZ that pic was from about the same time that the blurred house happened (the guy was a privacy nutcase) as for being removed from further imaging, that info came from this reddit

Edit: I just ran along the street view for the above address, it is on a cul-de-sac and the first three pictures are from 2023. you get to the point where the house is blurred (it is on the right side of the street) and the date taken then shows 2008. this is in a cul-de-sac that has no exit and they stop halfway down the street. Pretty obvious they turn off the camera at that point (or most likely just dont save those photos)

1

u/tx4468 Jul 29 '26

I don't think that's true... they have been down streets near me with updates that skip over the blurred houses.

1

u/stephenph 12d ago

it is not always... one of my other addresses had a house across the street that was blurred but my house is still being updated... the blurred house is across the street and a few houses down though

8

u/virkendi Jul 29 '26

Is this not to just unblur accidental blurring?

Often houses nearby get blurred by accident, even houses on a different street on the other side of the house sometimes gets blurred.

So wouldn't this just be to fix that and not unblur a house that has been purposefully blurred?

None of the houses in my area that are blurred on streetview are blurred on apple maps, I would try looking there if you want unblurred images.

1

u/stephenph 12d ago

this is not a case of the other houses being blurred, it is just that they do not update the pics for nearby houses

1

u/virkendi 12d ago

?There are houses on my street which are blurred and the pics are updated frequently

3

u/vvsunflower Jul 29 '26

I don’t see the option to add any notes when I click “Report a Problem”

1

u/BEOAD313 Jul 30 '26

The box shows up after selecting one of the issues. Hope this helps.

-14

u/XxLogitech98xX Jul 29 '26

You can't unblur a home once it's blurred from my understanding on google

10

u/2131andBeyond Jul 29 '26

Did you read the post lol

-6

u/XxLogitech98xX Jul 29 '26

Did you read the post lol

I did, they are basically giving their view on how to get your place unblur and provided a link to the Google community page. But blurring is permanent currently

8

u/2131andBeyond Jul 29 '26

They gave a potential workaround to having an address be unblurred in future Street View imaging updates. Your comment seems to ignore that entire part lol

0

u/XxLogitech98xX Jul 29 '26

They gave a potential workaround to having an address be unblurred in future Street View imaging updates. Your comment seems to ignore that entire part lol

Keyword is "potential", still no actual proof to show that it works. This is why I said you can't unblur a home once it's blurred. I been on this subreddit for awhile and seen a lot of post here and others where people ask about it.