How to Blur your home address in GoogleMaps

[TJC]

For those of use who value privacy, did you know that you can request Google to blur your home from street view. When blurred, you zoom across the address that is blurred to the next residence that is not blurred.

Here is my street with 2 homes blurred, note that there are blurred resident areas. No looking through the trees! Or at my front yard from road frontage.

To blur your home on Google Maps,

1. find your address in Google Maps,
2. open the Street View image,
3. and click "Report a problem" in the bottom-right corner.
4. From there, complete the form, select "My home" as the reason, and provide your email address to submit the permanent request for blurring.
5. This request is cannot be undone.

View attachment 241341

Sponsored

 

[Grumpaw]

Wouldn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure out if you can find the address and location of the houses on either side or across from you....getting your address would be easy peasy....
Home and property sales are public record. Wouldn't be hard to search home/property sales on your block and by process of elimination find your address.
Probably several other ways......
Hummmmmmm, lets see...."property sales of area of Highview Drive and Marlowe Drive"

 

[TJC]

Any easy or simple thing to do to make things just a little bit harder will send the opportunists to an easier target. Nothing is guaranteed.

You don't have to be faster than the bear, just faster than the slowest that the bear is chasing.

There, you made your point. But we all know that if someone wants to harm a person, they will find a way to harm them.

My point is.... Why make it any easier for them?

 

[Radioman]

Interesting. I didn't know that could be done. On the other hand, blurring your home would definitely call attention to it and I'm not sure that is a good idea.

 

[TJC]

Tell that to the police officers and other officials who hide from the public. I know officers who will not park their patrol cars in at there homes unless that can garage them.

 

[Chris M]

If once you do this it is "permanent", that would affect future prospective owners. I've often looked at street views of homes i was interested in.

 

[got3fords]

OP, please use Reply so we know who you are responding to. Or is that too revealing?

 

[Radioman]

Tell that to the police officers and other officials who hide from the public. I know officers who will not park their patrol cars in at there homes unless that can garage them.

If I were a peace officer, I wouldn't park my patrol vehicle at home either although some in my area do so.

 

[TJC]

If once you do this it is "permanent", that would affect future prospective owners. I've often looked at street views of homes i was interested in.

Nothing is permanent except death and taxes! Google doesn't want people blocking any data that they can monetize. They were forced by law to allow folks to block.

Here's an article discussing both sides of the coin.

Google Maps warning issued to homeowners to blur your house to keep yourself safe – but there’s a sneaky caveat
Homeowners have been alerted to potential burglaries
30 Jun 2025

HOMEOWNERS are being urged to take an extra step to protect their property, and it starts with Google Maps. Experts warn that criminals are using the app’s Street View tool to scope out homes before breaking in.

The warning comes from California, where police have said burglars are getting more sophisticated. Riverside Police Department Officer Ryan Railsback said some crooks are already scanning homes online to look for easy targets.

“The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimize people,” he told ABC News.

“It’s good for the public to be aware of that and counter what the criminals are already doing.”

One way to block burglars is to blur your home on Google Maps. Street View images offer a clear shot of your property, including possible entry points, layout, and even your security setup. That’s exactly the kind of information criminals are looking for, an expert said.

Professor Christopher Hermann, of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said thieves often check online before striking.

“Would-be thieves certainly want to scout their locations before they hit them,” Hermann said. He said they scan images to spot security cameras, fences, or high-value items visible in driveways or yards.

While the idea of blurring your home may seem extreme, it’s a tactic already being used by some burglars. Homes on some of the US’s most expensive streets, such as in East Hampton in New York, are already blurred out.

“Google Street View cars capture images from public roads, which might include your home,” the company said.

“If an image contains inappropriate content, or you prefer your home not be shown, you can request it to be blurred.”

Some law enforcement officials say it’s a simple, effective precaution.

But experts also warn it could have the opposite effect.

If you are the only home on your block that’s blurred, it could make criminals curious about what you are hiding.

Still, many say it’s worth considering, especially if you live in an area known for property crimes. With Street Views accessible to anyone with an internet connection, the risk may not be worth taking.

 

[Chris M]

Nothing is permanent except death and taxes! Google doesn't want people blocking any data that they can monetize. They were forced by law to allow folks to block.

Here's an article discussing both sides of the coin.

Google Maps warning issued to homeowners to blur your house to keep yourself safe – but there’s a sneaky caveat
Homeowners have been alerted to potential burglaries
30 Jun 2025

HOMEOWNERS are being urged to take an extra step to protect their property, and it starts with Google Maps. Experts warn that criminals are using the app’s Street View tool to scope out homes before breaking in.

The warning comes from California, where police have said burglars are getting more sophisticated. Riverside Police Department Officer Ryan Railsback said some crooks are already scanning homes online to look for easy targets.

“The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimize people,” he told ABC News.

“It’s good for the public to be aware of that and counter what the criminals are already doing.”

One way to block burglars is to blur your home on Google Maps. Street View images offer a clear shot of your property, including possible entry points, layout, and even your security setup. That’s exactly the kind of information criminals are looking for, an expert said.

Professor Christopher Hermann, of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said thieves often check online before striking.

“Would-be thieves certainly want to scout their locations before they hit them,” Hermann said. He said they scan images to spot security cameras, fences, or high-value items visible in driveways or yards.

While the idea of blurring your home may seem extreme, it’s a tactic already being used by some burglars. Homes on some of the US’s most expensive streets, such as in East Hampton in New York, are already blurred out.

“Google Street View cars capture images from public roads, which might include your home,” the company said.

“If an image contains inappropriate content, or you prefer your home not be shown, you can request it to be blurred.”

Some law enforcement officials say it’s a simple, effective precaution.

But experts also warn it could have the opposite effect.

If you are the only home on your block that’s blurred, it could make criminals curious about what you are hiding.

Still, many say it’s worth considering, especially if you live in an area known for property crimes. With Street Views accessible to anyone with an internet connection, the risk may not be worth taking.

If you want a good look at someone's home to break into, realtor.com seems a much better source to see entry points and possible security information. Blurring your house on Google Street view, which is not necessarily very current, is probably the last place I would go for surveillance.

 

[TJC]

realtor.com

The image of my house on realtor.com IS the googlemaps image. It is the ONLY image on Realtor.com

And it is blurred out.

As luck would have it, the google camera vehicle came down my street 4 days ago! Neighbors called me to let me know.

 

[AzScorpion]

The image of my house on realtor.com IS the googlemaps image. It is the ONLY image on Realtor.com

And it is blurred out.

As luck would have it, the google camera vehicle came down my street 4 days ago! Neighbors called me to let me know.

I think what Chris meant was that you could go on the MLS and see houses there where you can see the whole exterior and interior. No one selling their house would have their pictures blurred out for obvious reasons, they're trying to sell it. If it looks like a good target you could have someone else make an appointment with a realtor to see it and walk through and case it out. I always hated that when selling my properties and make it clear that no one can come through that hasn't been pre-qualified and especially NO open houses. This helps but here's never a fool proof way.

Personally I could care less if my house is blurred and most thieves are the smash and grab type. Meaning they're usually crack heads or just driving around casing an area and looking for clues that your houses an easy target. The biggest one is flyers and papers piling up around your front door.

 

[Chris M]

I think what Chris meant was that you could go on the MLS and see houses there where you can see the whole exterior and interior. No one selling their house would have their pictures blurred out for obvious reasons, they're trying to sell it. If it looks like a good target you could have someone else make an appointment with a realtor to see it and walk through and case it out. I always hated that when selling my properties and make it clear that no one can come through that hasn't been pre-qualified and especially NO open houses. This helps but here's never a fool proof way.

Personally I could care less if my house is blurred and most thieves are the smash and grab type. Meaning they're usually crack heads or just driving around casing an area and looking for clues that your houses an easy target. The biggest one is flyers and papers piling up around your front door.

Thanks Dave. That is what I was getting at but did not articulate as well as I should have.

 

[TJC]

Thanks Dave. That is what I was getting at but did not articulate as well as I should have.

It is very easy to be misunderstood when writing. And that misunderstanding happens on both the sending and receiving ends.

 

[AzScorpion]

It is very easy to be misunderstood when writing. And that misunderstanding happens on both the sending and receiving ends.

I do that with texts all the time. I'll read one and be like wtf because I misinterpreted what the sender was saying. Once they tell me I can see it from their pov.

Sponsored