When Will a Google Street View Car Come to Your Area?

Download Article

Everything you need to know about their schedule

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: September 1, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

When does the Google Maps car come?

|

What does a Street Car look like?

|

Uploading a Street View Image

|

How to Request a Satellite Image

|

Q&A

|

Tips

Looking for your chance to become internet famous? Well, maybe posing in front of a Google Street View car will put you on the map. But how do you know when the car is coming? Is there a set schedule? We’ve answered these questions and more in this article, so keep reading to learn how Google’s cars work.

Things You Should Know

Google doesn’t publicly release their Google Street View car schedules, but you can find out the month and year a car may be in your area.
Street View cars usually have Google Maps decals and a tall tripod with a spherical camera on the roof.
A Street View car won’t come to your home on a specific day, but you can request new Google Satellite images.

Section 1 of 4:

When does the Google Maps car come?

Download Article

Google has a loose schedule for where their cars will be during the year. Google’s cars come randomly, but you can see when they’re planning on visiting certain areas in a yearly time frame. Head to https://www.google.com/streetview/how-it-works , enter your country and region, and check to see when a car may be in your area. ^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Keep in mind that Street View cars can be delayed by weather, traffic, and other outside forces, which is why there isn’t a definitive schedule.
- Generally, Google Maps updates every 1 to 3 years, depending on the location.

Section 2 of 4:

What does a Street Car look like?

Download Article

A Street View car is a 4-door car with a tall camera on top. Painted with Google Street View logos, these cars are usually easy to spot. But, if the decal doesn’t set it apart, the tall spherical camera on top will. Resting on a tall tripod that towers over other vehicles, this modular camera consists of 7 cameras that capture a 360° 3D image of the street. ^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Google doesn’t use a specific make or model for these cars, but the cars do need 4 doors to hold the tripod in place.
- A newer camera with a compact design with 2 spherical cameras (that resemble owl eyes) will start replacing older models in 2023. ^{[3]
  X
  Research source}

Section 3 of 4:

Uploading a Street View Image

Download Article

Google gives users creative liberty to publish their own Street View imagery. Has a Google car not come by your neighborhood in years? Is there a trail you hike that’s not on a map? Uploading a 360° video of your favorite locations can help put your town on the map. Here’s what you need to do: ^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Gear up with a Street View-compatible camera, like the Insta360 Pro 2 , GoPro Max , or Labpano Pilot Era .
- Mount your camera on a vehicle or helmet and go for a drive, ride, or walk.
- Publish your images to the Street View Studio in your selected location.
- This process only works if your area is already on Google Maps.

Section 4 of 4:

How to Request a Satellite Image

Download Article

Google cars may not come when you’d like, but you can ask Google’s satellite to stop by your desired place. Say you’ve done a lot of landscaping work on your house recently. Maybe you’ve installed a pool, built a barn, or planted trees. If the image of your property on Google Maps is from before those renovations, ask Google to take a new satellite image. ^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Head to Google Earth .
- Go to the area you’d like updated on the Map.
- Click the 3 bars on the top left-hand side of the screen and select “Feedback.”
- Type “I would like to recommend an imagery refresh” in the feedback window.
- Select “Capture screenshot.”
- Send your request.
- This doesn’t ensure a Google Satellite will come on a specific day or time.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

Will they blur out people if they are caught on camera?

Community Answer

Yes. Their faces will be blurred out, but not the rest of their body. There is a way you can have them blur an entire person out by clicking "Report a problem" while in Street View and selecting where you want Google Maps to blur.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 26 Helpful 60

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Check social media to see if anyone in your city or state has recently seen a Google Street View car. Try searching tags like #googlemaps and #streetview on TikTok or Instagram.

Thanks
Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

I like going to this website to see where the street view car currently is: https://whereisthegooglecar.com

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Log in

When Will a Google Street View Car Come to Your Area?

Things You Should Know

Steps

When does the Google Maps car come?

What does a Street Car look like?

Uploading a Street View Image

How to Request a Satellite Image

Community Q&A

Tips

Tips from our Readers

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Is this article up to date?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories