Google and Apple Maps Privacy: The secret to hiding your home

There is a little secret to removing your home from Google Maps and Apple Maps. Take back your privacy and follow these instructions.

Science/Technology Sep 9, 2026 0 28 Add to Reading List

At a glance

Google and Apple let you request a blur of your home in street-level map images.
Start a Google Maps request through Street View’s “Report a problem” option.
In the U.S., Google requires proof of address for a residential home-blur request.
Once Google applies a home blur in Street View, you cannot reverse the change.

There is a little-known way to hide some of the detail around your home from the street-level view on Google Maps and Apple Maps. These images can give anyone browsing a map a close look at your front door, windows, driveway, gates and other details that the mapping vehicle captured while driving through your neighborhood.

Few people realize that both companies provide ways to request a blur of their home’s exterior. You may overlook these privacy options because Google and Apple place them inside reporting tools and help pages.

If you would rather keep strangers from getting such a detailed street-level look at your property, here’s how to request a blur.

Google Street View vehicle capturing street-level imagery

A Google Street View vehicle captures street-level imagery of a neighborhood

How to blur your home on Google Maps and Apple Maps

Google lets homeowners and tenants ask the company to blur their residence in Street View. If you live in the U.S., Google now requires proof of address before it approves a residential request.

How to request a Google Maps home blur on iPhone or iPad

You can start the request directly from the Street View image of your property.

Open the Google Maps app.
Search for your home address.
Open the Street View image that shows your home.
Tap the menu in the upper-right corner.
Choose “Report a problem.”
On the reporting form, choose “Request blurring” and then “My home.”
Confirm that you have the authority to make the request. Google limits residential requests to the homeowner or tenant.
If you live in the U.S., upload proof of address. Google accepts documents such as a letter, utility bill or bank statement that shows the address and carries a date from the previous six months. You can also use a lease, homeowners insurance record or property tax record. Google accepts a lease even when it carries an older date.
Redact your name, account numbers and other sensitive information before uploading the document. Keep the address and document date visible. Google does not accept handwritten documents or government-issued IDs for this purpose.
Keep the file under 10 MB and use PNG, JPG or PDF format.
Enter a working email address and complete any verification that appears.
Tap Submit.

Google permanently deletes proof-of-address documents from its systems within 60 days after submission.

How to request a Google Maps home blur on Android

Android users can start from the same Street View reporting system.

Open the Google Maps app.
Search for your home address.
Select the Street View image that shows your property.
Tap the menu in the upper-right corner.
Choose “Report a problem.”
On the form, select “Request blurring” and then “My home.”
Confirm that you own or rent the home and have authority to make the request.
For a U.S. request, provide proof of address. A recent letter, utility bill or bank statement can qualify when it shows the address and a date from the previous six months. Google also accepts leases, homeowners insurance records and property tax records.
Cover your name, account numbers and other sensitive details before uploading the document. Keep only the address and necessary date information visible.
Save the document as a PNG, JPG or PDF file under 10 MB.
Provide a working email address and complete any verification steps.
Tap Submit.

How to request a Google Maps home blur on a computer

The desktop version makes the reporting link easy to find once you open Street View.

Open a web browser and go to Google Maps.
Type your home address into the search field.
Open the Street View image that shows your home.

Home blurred in Google Maps Street View

Find the small “Report a problem” link near the bottom-right corner of the Street View image.
Choose “Request blurring” and select “My home.”
Confirm that you have the authority to request the change.
For a U.S. residence, upload proof of address and enter the residential address you want Google to blur.
Use a qualifying document such as a recent letter, utility bill, bank statement, lease, homeowners insurance record or property tax record.
Remove your name, account numbers and other sensitive details from the document before uploading it. Leave the address and necessary date information visible.
Add your email address and select Submit.

Keep in mind that this request changes Google Street View imagery only. It does not remove your home from satellite or aerial images.

You should also think carefully before submitting the request. Once Google applies the blur, you cannot undo it. The company also excludes the newly blurred Street View image from future generative AI prompting after it processes the change.

Google reviews each request and may contact you by email if it needs more information. The company does not promise a specific turnaround time, so check your address again later to see whether the Street View image now hides your home.

Google Maps form for requesting a home blur in Street View

What happens if Google denies your request?

Google can reject a U.S. home-blur request when your proof of address does not match the location you selected. The company may also reject documents that show only a P.O. box or fail to meet its requirements.

If Google turns down your request, review the document rules again. Make sure you selected the correct home in Street View, then submit another request with clearer information or a qualifying document.

Second mission: blurring your home on Apple Maps

Apple calls its street-level imagery feature Look Around. It provides interactive panoramic views in supported areas. Coverage varies, so some addresses will not offer a Look Around view.

If Look Around includes your home, Apple’s reporting tools give you a way to ask the company to censor the imagery.

Open the Apple Maps app.
Search for your home address.
Open Look Around if Apple offers imagery for your location.
Tap your picture or initials next to the search field.
Choose Reports.
Tap Report a New Issue.
Select the option that best matches the Look Around imagery you want Apple to review.
Follow the on-screen instructions and give Apple enough information to identify your home and the image in question.

Apple automatically blurs identifiable faces and license plates before it publishes Look Around imagery. Its privacy policy also lets people request censorship of a face, license plate or their own house.

For some reports, Apple may connect the request with your Apple Account or email address. That gives the company a way to process the report and contact you if it needs additional information.

You can also visit Apple’s Maps Image Collection page to learn more about Look Around, Apple’s image collection process and its privacy protections.

More: How to delete photos of your house from real estate websites

Remove your personal data from the internet, too

Blurring your home on map services can limit what people see from the street, but it does not remove the personal details that data broker websites may collect and sell. Those sites can publish information such as your name, address, phone number, age and possible relatives, making it easier for strangers and scammers to piece together a profile of you.

You can request removals yourself, but it can take time to find the sites and keep checking when your information appears again. Incogni is our top pick for helping remove personal data from data broker sites. It sends and manages removal requests on your behalf, then continues monitoring participating brokers for your information.

It will not erase every public record or every mention of you online, but reducing the amount of information available through data brokers is a meaningful extra layer of privacy protection.

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Is your personal information exposed online?

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More ways to take back your privacy:

Kurt’s key takeaways

Your home’s street-level image may seem harmless until you notice how much detail strangers can see. A clear view may reveal your front door, windows, driveway, gates and other entry points. Google and Apple both give you ways to reduce that exposure by requesting a home blur. U.S. residents should know that Google now requires proof of address, so remove your name, account numbers and other sensitive details before you upload anything. Also remember that Google makes the change permanent once it applies the blur.

Would you blur your home on Google Maps or Apple Maps, or do you think street-level images are useful enough to leave alone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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