Google Maps Street View Is Now Available Across India

What is Google Maps Street View?

Imagine being able to go to any spot in any country while sitting in your own home. This is possible with Google Maps Street View. Street View uses several panoramic images to generate a visual representation of one's surroundings. It allows one to take a virtual tour of any location.

Google uses cars, camels, boats, and even photos from people to collect images for the Street View feature. Recently, Google announced that Google Maps Street View will be available in Indian cities.

In which Indian cities is Google Maps Street View available?

Last year, Street View was made available in a few places, like Bengaluru. Now it can be used across India, including small villages and towns.

A small message at the bottom right of the Google Maps web version shows when an image of a place was taken. This can be used to check where one is travelling, if one is in the correct location, and help someone decide where to go. The Street View returned to India after being banned for six years for security reasons.

Why was Street View banned in India?

In 2016, Google Maps Street View was banned in India. One reason was that Street View images showed people’s faces, revealing a person's identity and not protecting their privacy. The defence ministry also said that it could be used to attack the country. So, the Indian government banned it.

However, Google used the help of local organisations such as Genesys International and Tech Mahindra to launch it in India again. This is Google's first partnership with local organisations for Street View.

Google Street View now blurs people's faces in the images. The company wants to respect people's privacy. So, Indian citizens can now easily access Street View.

How can you use Google Maps Street View?

Google Maps Street View is available on smartphones via the Google Maps app and the Google Maps website. To use it, launch Google Maps in your computer's browser. Then click ‘Turn on Street View’ from the ‘Layers’ box at the bottom left. By selecting this option, the streets on the map will be highlighted in blue.

Then you can search for a location, click on the blue lines, or drag and drop the small yellow-coloured person on the bottom right of the map to see a street view of the area. The arrows on the photos can also be used to check out different street-view areas.

So, which places will you look at using this feature? Please tell us in the comments section.