What is Street View
Google Street View is a feature built into Google Maps and Google Earth that allows you to virtually travel around the world through panoramic views of 360 ° horizontally and 160 ° vertically, made in the streets and in some places of tourist interest.
This service was introduced in 2007 and continues to expand, thanks to the special cameras of Google Street View that are installed on the roof of cars called Google cars. In some areas, these shots are made thanks to the use of called bicycles Google Bikes, so that it is also possible to reach pedestrian areas.
To virtually visit the places reached by Street View, you can act as a computer, using the services Google Earth e Google Maps, but also from smartphones and tablets, through the special applications created by Google. In the following chapters, I will explain in detail how to use Street View on all platforms for which it is available.
Use Street View on PC
To use Street View from a computer, you can use the service Google Maps, accessible via any web browser, and from Google Earth, which is also accessible via the Web (provided you use the Google Chrome browser) and is also available as an application for Windows and macOS.
Google Maps
To use Street View means Google Maps, the well-known Google navigation service, connected to its main page using any of the most popular Internet browsers and, once its home screen is displayed, use the search engine located in the upper left corner .
Then type the name of the place you want to virtually visit (for example the Milan Cathedral) or indicate an address and click on the corresponding search result that is shown to you. The Google Maps cursor will automatically move to the point of interest you have chosen, to allow you to view it on map road or street satellite, depending on the option you have chosen, through the appropriate item in the bottom left.
After that, to activate the mode Street View, zoom in on the place of your interest, using the mouse wheel (or the appropriate area of the trackpad), until this mode is automatically activated. In case you do not succeed, to manually activate the road view, press and hold theicon with an orange little man, at the bottom right, and drag it to the blue road.
Once the mode is activated Street View, you can virtually walk the streets by pressing the icons with the arrows on the oi screen directional keys on the keyboard.
If you want to zoom in or out by a point, zoom in or out, using the mouse wheel or buttons [+] e [-], located in the lower right. To close the view mode Street View and go back to the one from above, click the button X that you find at the top right.
Google Earth
If you prefer to use the service Google Earth, which is dedicated to satellite exploration of the world, connected to its official website using the Google Chrome browser and, once its home screen is displayed, click on the button Start Google Earth.
You will then be shown a 3D image of the Earth and you can choose the place to travel virtually, using the icon of magnifying glass located in the left bar. Then click on it and type in the text field Search, the place you want to visit.
After clicking on the corresponding search result, it will be shown to you in a 3D view. Now, hold down onicon with a little man, at the bottom right, and drag it to the place you want to visit, in order to activate the mode Street View.
Once this is done, to move inside, use the icons with arrows you see on the screen or the directional buttons on the keyboard. To return to the traditional view, click on the icon X located at the top left.
If you don't use Google Chrome as a browser, you can download the free program Google Earth Pro on Windows and macOS: to do this, connect to its official website via the link indicated and press the button Accept and download, which you find in the center of the screen. After that, wait for the download of the executable file to finish.
Now, launch the Google Earth Pro by double clicking on it and, on Windows, install it by pressing on Si in the User Account Control window. Then wait for the download of all the files necessary for the operation of the software and its subsequent automatic start.
Su MacOSinstead, after having downloaded the installation file .dmg, double-click it and double-click the file again pkg, in the screen you see. Then press the button Keep going, then on Install and enter the Password macOS, confirming with the button Install software. Finally, tap on Close to complete the installation procedure.
Once the software has started Google Earth Pro, type the place you want to visit in the search bar located at the top left and click on the corresponding result. Then press the button Search, to be sent back to its satellite view.
At this point, choose whether to zoom in at street level using the mouse wheel (or the appropriate area of the trackpad), until the mode is automatically activated. Street View, or drag theicon with a little man that you see in the upper right corner, in correspondence with a road marked by the blue color.
In case the mode Street View does not activate automatically, click on theicona dell'omino top right. You can stop viewing at any time by pressing on the item Exit Street View, which is in the upper right corner. Browsing in Street View is the same as browsing via a browser, so I suggest you read the previous paragraphs again.
Use Street View on smartphones and tablets
If you want to use Street View on smartphones and tablets, you can take advantage of the free applications Google Street View, Google Maps e Google Earth. In the next few lines, I will explain in detail how to download and use them, to virtually visit places and points of interest with this special display mode on the road.
Google Street View
To use Google Street View in the application of the same name for Android or iOS, you must download it via the Play Store or the App Store. If you use Android, then, connect to the link just indicated and install the app by pressing the button Install and then apri. A iPhone or iPadinstead, connected to the App Store link indicated above, press the button Get and confirm by Face ID, touch ID o Password of iCloud and finally press on apri.
Once the main screen of Google Street View, use the search engine above and type the name or address of the place you want to visit, then tapping on the corresponding search result. Wait to see the map on the screen and then, using gesture, zoom in (place two fingers on the screen and move them away in the opposite direction).
Once you get to street level, tap thepreview image located at the bottom, if present: this will open the display mode of Google Street View and you can move inside it, to virtually explore the place you want. To move forward or backward, double tap on the screen, while swiping your finger to the left, right, up or down you can rotate the view.
At any time, to exit the view of Google Street View, premi sull'icona della arrow which is located in the upper left corner.
Google Maps
You can activate the mode Street View also in the navigation application Google Maps. To do this, download the application to your device, if it is not pre-installed, via the Android Play Store or the iOS App Store.
On the main screen of the app, tap on the text field at the top, to type the name or address of the place to visit, and tap on the corresponding search result, to see the street map. Then press onpreview image located in the upper left corner so that you can see the desired place with Street View.
To move virtually, double tap the screen in the direction you want, while to rotate the view, drag your finger on the screen to the right, left, up or down. To exit this display mode, press the icon with the arrow situata nell'angolo in alto a sinistra.
Google Earth
If you prefer to use the application Google Earth, to activate the mode Street View, download it to your device, via the Android Play Store or the iOS App Store.
When the application is running, tap onicon with magnifying glass located at the top and type, in the search engine, the name or address of the place to visit. Now, press theicon with a little man at the bottom left and tap on one of the blue streets that are shown to you, in order to activate the mode Street View.
Move around the view, using the icons of arrows screen, and move your finger on the screen, to rotate the camera view. At any time, to exit viewing mode Street View, premi sull'icona della arrow that you find at the top left.
How Street View works
