How to Use Google Street View (for Virtual Tours)

Are you wondering how to use google maps street view to take a virtual tour?

This complete tutorial on how to use Google Street View on Google Maps will walk you through all the basics of getting on Google Street View and navigating, as well as the more advanced features that can enhance your virtual tour experience.

Whether you’re familiar with Street View and just looking for extra tips for taking a virtual tour or you’ve never even looked up the street view of an address, these tips will cover everything you need to know for Google Street View virtual field trips.

How to Use Google Street View for PC

While Google does have Street View apps for Android and Apple, virtual tours are better when they are done in Street View on a computer.

On the computer, you can access Google Street View through the Google Maps website.

On Google Maps type in destination you would like to see in Street View in the top left corner search bar. Once you have found the destination you would like to visit zoom in. Find the entrance or place on the map you would like to start your virtual tour at.

How to Get on Google Street View

Pick up the Pegman icon (the yellow symbol that looks like a person in the bottom right) by clicking and holding down the mouse button. Move the mouse while continuing to hold the button down. Then drop the icon on your starting spot by releasing the mouse button.

You will only be able to drop the Pegman icon on roads or pathways that are highlighted blue when you are holding the Pegman icon. If no roads are highlighted blue then there is no virtual tour for that location through Google Street View.

Some places may have blue circles instead of having the roads highlighted blue. This means that the location has a 360º image you can view of the destination but you won’t be able to walk around.

Looking Around

To look around and see a 360º view, click anywhere on the screen and hold the button down while moving the mouse.

Move the mouse left to look right, right to look left, up to look down and down to look up.

You can also look left or right using the keyboards left and right arrow buttons or the letters “A” (left) and “D” (right).

You can zoom in to get a closer look at something by using the + and – symbols on the bottom right of the screen, using the mouse’s scroll button (scroll up to zoom in and down to zoom out) or using the + and – buttons on the keyboard.

How to Walk Around

The cursor will have an arrow around it as you move it around the screen. There are also X symbols on the ground to show you where the next image in the virtual tour is.

Click on the X and you will move to that spot.

You can also click whenever there is an arrow around the cursor and you will move in the direction the arrow is pointing.

You can move one step ahead or back by using the keyboard arrow buttons or the letters “W” (forward) and “S” (backward) too.

Exit Street View

When you have finished navigating in Google Street View, or would like to go back to Google Map view to find another location to see in Street View, click the small left arrow in the black box in the top left corner of the Street View screen.

Getting Stuck or Lost

While Street View is easy to navigate, sometimes you may click on the wrong spot on the screen, end up in the wrong place and not be able to figure out how to get back.

If this happens use the map on the bottom left side of the Street View screen to help you navigate to where you were trying to go.

Hover the cursor over the map, then click on the expand symbol in the bottom right corner of the map. It will expand to fill the bottom of the screen. Zoom in using the arrow button on the bottom right or using your mouse’s scroll button.

On the map, you will be able to see the blue highlighted roads that are part of the virtual tour. Just click on the spot that you were trying to virtually walk to. It will move the Pegman to that spot and change your view to that location.

Click on the expand symbol in the bottom left corner to minimize the map and continue with your virtual tour.

Google Arts and Culture Features

Google Arts and Culture Street View Tours

In some locations (museums and art galleries) you will also see a small circle symbol near an exhibit.

If you hover over the symbol it will tell you what the exhibit is.

Click on it and you will get more information on the left side of the screen, as well as a picture of the exhibit.

You can also click on the “View more (Google Arts and Culture)” link to view the picture and information in a new window. Some exhibits will have an option to “View in HD” that you can click on too.

Multi-floor Buildings

Some indoor locations will have more than one floor that you can walk around virtually.

If a location has more than one floor, there will be numbers on the Google Street View screen in the bottom right corner, above the zoom buttons and compass. Just click on the number and you will be virtually taken to that floor.

Google Earth View

If you would like to see a view of the location from above, go back to Google Maps view and click on the satellite view in the bottom left corner.

For a clearer view click on the globe icon, the top icon in the bottom right corner, to enable globe view.

There will now be a 3D icon above the globe icon in the bottom right corner. Click on the 3D icon to switch to 3D view.

To rotate the view, click on the arrows beside the compass symbol (the top icon in the bottom right corner) and it will rotate by 90º.

To view from any angle, hold down the Ctrl button on your keyboard while holding down the mouse button and moving the mouse.

You can zoom in and out using the same buttons you did in Street View. To move around hold down the mouse button and move the mouse.

FAQ’s

How do I see a Street View on Google Earth?

You can get to Google Earth Street View the same way you do on Google Maps. On Google earth, the Pegman icon is in the bottom right corner beside the globe. Just click on it to pick it up and drop it on the blue highlighted roads and paths.

Is Google Street View real-time?

No.

To see when a google street view image was taken, look at the black bar on the bottom right of the Street View screen. It will say “Image capture:” followed by the year and month the image was taken.

Can you view archived Street View images?

Google Street View automatically shows the most recent images, but you can look through Google Street View history for older images too.

If there are older images available there will be a clock symbol next to the words Street View in the top left box.

Click on the clock and a small box will pop up with an image of the location you are looking at and a slider at the bottom to change to views of the same spot from earlier years.

Once you slide it to the year you would like to view, click on the image and the Street View screen will change to that year.

How often is Google Street View updated?

Google does not appear to have a set schedule for when they update their Street View images. While many residential areas appear to be updated every few years, rural areas are often more outdated.

Tourist destinations, like inside museums or amusement parks, also appear to be updated infrequently. Many virtual tour destinations were done five or more years ago.

Where will Google Street View be going next?

To see where Google is planning to go next, check the Google Street View update schedule for 2020 on this Street View webpage. You can also learn more about how Google collects images and see a picture of the Google street view car.

Planning a Google Virtual Field Trip

Want to do a Google virtual field trip for your kids, but not sure how to plan one?

Check out these articles for tips:

Or for a complete step by step plan to some popular virtual field trips on Google Street View, see these guides:

Now that you know how to use Street View, you can start playing around to see what other fun destinations you can find to explore virtually.

Have you found any fun places to explore on Google Street View? Let me know in the comments below where you went for your virtual tour.