How to use Street View on Android

You’ve probably used Google Maps hundreds of times but did you know you can use Street View on your smartphone or tablet? Here’s how to use Street View on Android. See also: 15 strange sights in Google Street View: Funniest Google Street View pictures.

Thanks to Google’s fleet of cars with 360 degree cameras mounted on top, you can get a real life view of your destination before you even leave the house. It’s an ideal way of taking a virtual walk down a road to make yourself familiar with it and the feature isn’t limited to desktop browsers. Read: How to sync a Google Map route between your PC and smartphone or tablet.

If you have an Android smartphone or tablet then you’ve probably already got Google Maps installed since it’s part of Google’s set of standard apps. If, for whatever reason, you don’t have it, simply head to the Google Play store and download it for free. Once you have, follow our guide below on using Street View.

How to use Street View on Android

Step one

Open Google Maps on your Android smartphone or tablet by clicking the icon. It will be in your app menu if you haven’t got it on the homescreen. See: How to use Google Maps offline – download maps for travel abroad.

Step Two

Search for the place where you want to visit Street View and click on the correct result.

Step Three

Once the map loads and shows you the destination in regular 2D map form, click the white bar at the bottom of the screen which displays the location and also has an icon for travel directions.

Step Four

The bar will pop-up taking over most of the screen and now you’ll see the option to open Street View. Click on the image to launch Street View. If the place hasn’t been photographed for Street View then the option will be missing.

Step Five

Now you’re in Street View mode (which works in portrait or landscape). You can look around by simply dragging one finger and pinch to zoom, too. Click the arrows you can see on the ground to move up or down the road – as far as Google Maps allows.

For more information on Street View and see where it’s available, visit maps.google.com/streetview.