Google Maps Street View brings historical images to mobile

Finally, another excuse to lose hours staring at your phone.

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Google Maps Street View, the iconic feature that has allowed countless people to see their parents mowing their lawns with their faces blurred out, Google announced that one of the best parts of Street View is finallycoming to mobile. As of Tuesday, iOS and Android users can look at Street View images from previous years on the Google Maps mobile app.

This has been doable on desktop for years, but who uses a computer these days? If it’s not on mobile, it might as well not exist. To access old Street View photos, Google says all you have to do is tap the Street View image you’re looking at, then tap “See more dates.” Sounds simple enough. Once you’ve done that, you can see what your neighborhood or office building looked like 10 years ago, if those images are available.

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If you’ve never done this, it can be a seriouslyfun distraction from the horrors of daily life. Whether it’s seeing an old neighborhood dog on the sidewalk or finding out that your local deli used to have a different colored awning over its entrance, there’s something inherently fascinating about seeing the evolution of a tiny slice of humanity over time. 

If nothing else, it’s something to do on your lunch break or during a really boring meeting.

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