# Blur Your House on Google Street View: How It Works

How to blur your house on Google Street View: who can ask, the proof Google wants, what a permanent blur changes and what it leaves untouched.

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To blur your house on Google Street View, open your home in Google Maps (per [Google's Blur Street View Imagery help page](https://support.google.com/maps/answer/15439776)), open the Street View image, click "Report a Problem", choose "My home", certify that you have the authority to ask, upload proof of address and submit the form. Only the owner or tenant of the home is eligible, and Google says that once a blur is applied it is permanent.

The permanence is the part most guides rush past. A blur is a one-way decision: you cannot ask for it to be undone, so it is worth thirty minutes of preparation before you file. The proof you attach also matters, because Google asks for documents that carry your address and tells you which details to hide on them before you upload.

This guide covers the request from start to finish: who qualifies, what to prepare, what Google does and does not say about timing, how faces, vehicles and license plates differ from a house, and what a blur leaves untouched. It is written for the person who lives in the home and wants less of it on public view, for any reason. It does not explain how homes are located, because that is the wrong end of the problem. Everything below is described as of the Google and Apple help pages read for this article. Those pages change, so check the live page before you file. This is information, not legal advice.

<div class="box"><b>The short version</b>
<ul><li>Only the home owner or tenant can request a house blur, through "Report a Problem" on the Street View image of the home.</li><li>Google asks for proof of address, with your name, account numbers and other sensitive details redacted, and says that a blur, once applied, is permanent.</li><li>A blur changes the Street View picture only. It does not remove the address, the map pin or the home from other services, and it does not undo AI images that third parties already made.</li><li>Apple handles blur requests for its own street-level imagery separately, so a second request may be needed.</li></ul></div>

<figure class="keyfacts">
<div class="keyfacts-grid">
<div><b>6 months</b><span>how recent a utility bill, bank statement or letter must be to count as proof</span></div>
<div><b>10 MB</b><span>the file size limit for the proof you upload, in PNG, JPG or PDF</span></div>
<div><b>60 days</b><span>how long Google says it keeps the documents before permanent deletion</span></div>
</div>
<p class="fig-src">Google Maps Help, "Blur Street View Imagery", read for this article.</p>
</figure>

## What a Street View blur does and what it leaves visible

A blur makes the house in the Street View image hard to make out for anyone using that product, and nothing else changes. Knowing the edges helps you decide whether the request answers your actual concern.

Street View is a set of photographs taken from the road, so the house you see is one picture of your property at one moment. Blurring it takes away detail a stranger could study from a screen, such as the entrance, the windows, the vehicles on the drive and the garden. For many households that is the goal, and it is a low-effort step.

What the blur does not do is change the facts around the picture. The address still exists in public registers, mapping services still show the building location, and people who already know where you live still know. If your worry is that a particular person or group has your address, the blur is one small step inside a larger plan. If your worry is the general feeling of a camera-eye view of your home being available to anyone, the blur addresses it directly.

If your home view was shared in a post or thread, a blur stops the product from supplying a fresh view but does not remove a screenshot someone already posted. That post is a separate item for the platform that hosts it.

## Who can request a blur, and who cannot

Google's help page is plain: "Only the home owner or tenant is eligible to request a house blur." That sentence settles most questions about eligibility, and it also settles one thing people sometimes hope for, which is that a worried relative, a neighbor or a friend can file for you or for themselves on a home they do not own or rent.

The proof you upload has to tie you to the address, because the page says a blur requires valid proof matching the requested location. People who appear on no lease, tax record, insurance policy or bill for the address, such as some adult children at home or informal housemates, should let the owner or named tenant file. Settle who does it before anyone starts.

<div class="tablewrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Situation</th><th>Who files</th><th>What the proof can be</th><th>Watch for</th></tr></thead><tbody>
<tr><td><strong>You own and live in the home</strong></td><td>You</td><td>Property tax record, homeowners insurance, or a recent bill or letter</td><td>Redact your name and account numbers first</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>You rent the home</strong></td><td>You, as tenant</td><td>The lease, of any age, or a recent bill or letter</td><td>Landlord approval is not mentioned on the help page</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>You share a home with the tenant or owner</strong></td><td>The owner or tenant</td><td>Their documents, not yours</td><td>Decide inside the household who files and who sees the result</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>The home has no formal street address</strong></td><td>The owner or tenant</td><td>The same proof, with the form option for no formal address ticked</td><td>The page says the same process applies</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>It is a neighbor's or a stranger's home</strong></td><td>Not you</td><td>Not applicable</td><td>You are not eligible for a house blur</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>

## How to file the request, step by step

The request takes a few minutes once the proof is ready, and the steps are the same on a computer, on Android and on iOS, according to Google.

<figure class="fig">
<figcaption><b>Filing a house blur request on Google Maps</b></figcaption>
<ol class="fig-steps">
<li><b>Prepare the proof first</b>Gather and redact your document before you open the form, so you are not hunting for a file halfway through.</li>
<li><b>Open the Street View image of your home</b>Find your home in Google Maps and open its Street View picture. Check that the image shows the right building.</li>
<li><b>Click Report a Problem</b>The link sits in the bottom right of the image. Choose the option for your home.</li>
<li><b>Certify your authority</b>The form asks you to confirm that you have the authority to make the request. Read it, because it is a statement you make.</li>
<li><b>Upload the proof and enter the address</b>Attach the file, type the address, and indicate whether the home lacks a formal address.</li>
<li><b>Submit and keep a record</b>Save a screenshot of the confirmation, the date and the exact view you reported. Watch the email you used, because Google may write to ask for more information.</li>
</ol>
</figure>

Tick the certification only if you are the owner or tenant. And watch the email you used: Google says it may email you for more information or status updates if you provide an email address, so a missed message can stall a request that would otherwise go through.

## The proof of address Google asks for, and how to prepare it

Google accepts a short list of documents, and the help page also names the ones it will not take. Preparing the right file is the step that most often decides whether a request moves quickly.

Accepted documents, per the page: a utility bill, a bank statement or another letter showing the address, dated within the last six months; a lease for the address, regardless of its age; homeowners insurance; and property tax records. Google says not to submit handwritten documents or government IDs, and not to submit a document that shows only a P.O. box. Files must be under 10 MB and in PNG, JPG or PDF format.

The page also tells you to keep the address and the document date and to remove your name, account numbers, payment details and health information before uploading. Treat that as a real privacy step, not a formality. A bank statement carries more about you than a blur request needs, and a lease can carry names, signatures and payment terms. Cover everything except what proves the address and the date, save a clean copy of the redacted version, and upload that copy only.

Google says the documents are permanently deleted from all systems after 60 days. That is a useful commitment, and it is also a reason to keep your own record of what you sent and when, because you cannot ask Google to show it back to you later.

<aside class="callout">
<span class="callout-label">Rule</span>
<h4>Redact before you upload, and upload only the copy you redacted</h4>
<p>Google tells you to keep the address and date and remove your name, account numbers, payment details and health information, and not to send government IDs or handwritten documents. Check the file once more after saving, because a missed line of account detail is the most common slip.</p>
</aside>

## Faces, vehicles, bodies and license plates are a different request

A house blur is one of several things you can ask Google to blur, and the others follow different logic. Google says it also uses technology to blur identifiable faces and license plates automatically, which means a person walking past or a car on the street is usually already handled before anyone asks.

The same help page says you can request blurring of your vehicle or your full body, and of imagery with inappropriate content. The form is the same entry point, with a different option chosen. The automatic blur is an algorithm and it can miss, so a face that is still recognizable, or a plate that is legible, is a fair reason to file a request. Eligibility for the house option is limited to the owner or tenant; for a picture of yourself or your car, file for what is yours.

A vehicle or a person is a passing feature of a photograph; a house stays. That is why the permanence rule weighs most on the house request, and why it deserves more thought than a quick report about a plate.

## Why the permanence of a blur should shape your decision

Google states that once a blur is applied, it is permanent. The help page gives no way to reverse it. For most households that is a reason to file, because the benefit is lasting. For a few it is a reason to wait.

Think through three things before you submit. Would you ever want the home shown as it is? A holiday let, a small business run from the house or a property you plan to sell may benefit from a clear image. Is the concern about this product at all? If it is a specific person, a blur is a small part of the answer. And does everyone in the household agree? A person who wanted the image kept has no way back.

<div class="tablewrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Your reason</th><th>Blur is a good fit when</th><th>Pause if</th><th>Better paired with</th></tr></thead><tbody>
<tr><td><strong>General privacy</strong></td><td>You simply do not want the front of your home on public view</td><td>You may sell or let the home soon</td><td>Checking where else your address is listed</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Public role or visibility</strong></td><td>Your work puts your name in the news</td><td>The public record already ties you to the address</td><td>A review of public registers and listings</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Unwanted attention or harassment</strong></td><td>Your home view was shared or discussed online</td><td>You expect a screenshot copy to stay online</td><td>Reports to the hosting platform, and police if you feel unsafe</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Security concerns</strong></td><td>The image shows entry points, vehicles or layout</td><td>You rely on the picture for visitors or deliveries</td><td>A written plan for guests and couriers</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>You run a business from home</strong></td><td>The image is not part of how customers find you</td><td>Customers use the image to recognize the entrance</td><td>A clear, separate public address or contact point</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>

## What happens after you submit

After you submit, Google reviews the report, and the help page says it reviews reports as quickly as possible. It gives no fixed number of days, so any promise of a specific wait from another site is the writer's estimate, not Google's.

In our experience, a request with clear, redacted, in-date proof and a correctly entered address is usually handled without back-and-forth, and a request with a blurry scan or a mismatch between the document and the entered address is the one that draws an email. Answer any email promptly and from the same account.

When the blur is applied, Google adds two commitments about AI. Blurred images are excluded from generative AI prompting from that point on, and a new blur request does not change AI-generated images that third parties have already created or published. The second half matters: if someone has already produced an AI picture based on your home, the request does not reach it. That is a separate matter with whoever published the image.

The help page does not say how a blur interacts with imagery captured later, so check your address in Street View after new imagery appears, and file a fresh request if the view looks unblurred.

## Other places the same view of your home may live

A Street View blur covers Google's product only. Other services build their own street-level imagery, and some ask for requests in their own way.

Apple publishes street-level imagery in Maps under the name Look Around. [Apple's image collection privacy page](https://maps.apple.com/imagecollection/privacy/fr/en/privacy.pdf) says that to request blurring of "a face, license plate, or your own house," you should contact Apple, either through the Maps Image Collection contact or the standard privacy contact form. It also points to the "Report an Issue" feature in Maps for images that are already published. The page does not list required details for a blur request and does not give a timeline or say whether a blur is permanent. It does say Apple blurs imagery "as soon as possible", and that unblurred imagery is retained for 12 months from the date of collection. Because the page is silent on permanence, assume nothing, and keep a record of what you asked and when.

Other mapping and property services may carry their own pictures, each with its own process. Check each service rather than assume one request covers them all.

## What a blur will not fix, and where the rest of the work is

The blur removes one picture. It does not remove the address from the rest of the web, and a household that wants real privacy needs to look at the other layers.

Your address may be listed in public registers, company filings, property records and people-search listings, and each of those has its own removal or restriction route. It may also be in a post, a forum thread or a tagged photo. Some search engines offer request forms for pages that expose a home address; their policies were not reviewed for this guide, so check the current rules. The page behind a result stays online until its owner removes it. Each of those routes is separate from the blur, and none is covered by it.

If you are being targeted, the order changes. A blur request is slow, quiet and mostly preventive, so put your safety first: talk to the police if you feel unsafe, keep evidence of what was posted, and report the posts to the hosting platforms. Treat the blur as a later layer, filed when the first-day tasks are done. Our work with families on this kind of exposure is described on the [families page](/families).

## A realistic timeline and an invented scenario

The scenario that follows is invented, with generic people. The waits are our experience ranges, not Google's published figures.

Imagine two adults who rent a home and notice that a neighborhood forum thread links to a view of their front door. They have no reason to think anyone means harm, but they want the view gone. The tenant named on the lease takes charge. On day one they capture the view and the thread for their records and prepare a recent utility bill with name and account number covered. On day one or two they file through "Report a Problem" and screenshot the confirmation. The same week they send Apple a separate request, and they report the forum post to its host. Over the following weeks they re-check the view.

<div class="tablewrap"><table><thead><tr><th>Stage</th><th>What happens</th><th>Usually takes</th><th>Your job</th></tr></thead><tbody>
<tr><td><strong>Preparation</strong></td><td>Proof gathered and redacted, view documented</td><td>An hour or less</td><td>Make a clean redacted copy</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Submission</strong></td><td>Form filed with proof and address</td><td>Minutes</td><td>Save the confirmation</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Review</strong></td><td>Google reviews and may email for more</td><td>Days to weeks, not published by Google</td><td>Answer any email at once</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Blur applied</strong></td><td>The house image is blurred, permanently</td><td>When review ends</td><td>Check the view yourself</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Second service</strong></td><td>Apple request for its imagery</td><td>Not stated on the page</td><td>Keep a dated record</td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Later check</strong></td><td>New imagery may replace old</td><td>Whenever the view refreshes</td><td>Re-check and re-file if needed</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>

## Your next step: one document, one request, one list

Start today with the proof. Pick one document that shows your address and is in date, redact it, and save the clean copy. File the Street View request, then write a short list of every other place the address appears or could appear, so the blur is a first step and not the whole plan.

<div class="box hot"><b>If this is happening to you now</b>
<p>If your home has been shared online with threats or unwanted visits, handle your safety and the posts first, and file the blur as a later layer. Reputation Partners can review what is exposed and in which order to act, through a private audit. <a href="/audit">Request a private audit</a>.</p></div>

## Questions people ask

### Can a neighbor or a relative blur my house for me?

Not unless they are the owner or tenant of that home. Google's help page says only the home owner or tenant is eligible to request a house blur. A relative who does not hold the lease, the bills or the title cannot supply matching proof, so the person named on those documents should file the request.

### Can I undo a Street View blur later?

No. Google says that once a blur is applied it is permanent, and the help page describes no reversal process. If you may need the home to be clearly visible, for a sale, a rental or a business, think before filing. 

### Will a blur remove my house from Google Maps?

The help page describes a blur of the house in Street View imagery. It does not say the building, the address or the map location disappears. Expect the pin and the address to stay. If you want the address itself out of search results, that is a different set of requests with different rules.

### Does a blur stop AI-generated pictures of my home?

Partly. Google says blurred images are excluded from generative AI prompting from the time the blur is applied, but a new blur request does not change AI-generated images that third parties have already created or published. Anything already made needs to be taken up with whoever published it.

### Do I need to blur faces and license plates myself?

Often not. Google says it uses technology to blur identifiable faces and license plates automatically. The technology can miss, so if a face or plate in an image is still recognizable, you can request blurring of your vehicle or full body through the same report link, or report the image.

### Is a blur worth it if my address is public elsewhere?

It can be. The blur removes one detailed picture, even if registers and listings still hold the address. It does not replace work on those other places, and it will not help if the concern is a person who already knows where you live. Treat it as one layer of several, chosen for the reason you have.