Dec 04, 2020 12:00:00

It is now possible to post photos to Google Street View with just an Android smartphone

Most of Google Maps Street View consists of photos taken by a dedicated street view shooting vehicle, but general users post photos taken with devices that can shoot 360 degrees from the

Google Street View app, and Google Street You can also add it to the view. Google announced on December 3, 2020 that it has updated the Google Street View app to allow some users to take pictures from their Android smartphones and add them to Google Street View.

Now anyone can share their world with Street View
https://blog.google/products/maps/anyone-can-share-their-world-with-street-view/

Google Maps now lets you create Street View photos with just a phone --The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/3/22149884/google-maps-street-view-photos-phone-android-update

You can submit Google Maps Street View photos on Android --9to5Google
https://9to5google.com/2020/12/03/submit-google-maps-street-view-photos-from-android/

A new update to the Google Street View app allows users with Android smartphones that support Google's augmented reality (AR) content platform,

ARCore , to take pictures of roads and landscapes and publish them to Street View. became. Now that many Android users can create Street View photos, we can add photos of places that were not previously registered in Google Maps or new landscapes to provide a better map. Google says it will be possible.

Until now, it has been possible for ordinary users to take 360-degree panoramic photos and upload them from the Street View app. However, it is said that many people could not use the device that can shoot 360 degrees because it costs thousands of dollars (hundreds of thousands of yen).

You can check the GIF movie (13MB) of adding a photo from your Android smartphone using the Street View app by tapping the image below.

First, select your current location on the Street View app and tap 'Create' at the bottom of the screen.

When you tap 'Connected Photos' ...

Enter the photo shooting mode.

It seems that in shooting mode, you can take pictures for Street View at regular intervals just by walking down the street while holding your smartphone. The photos taken will be automatically processed and arranged using ARCore technology, and will be displayed at an appropriate position on Street View in a state where other users can view it. It seems that the face and license plate will be blurred even for photos taken by general users.

Photos added this way aren't 360-degree panoramic photos, so they're not comparable to existing Street View images, but they're still a great help in covering areas that haven't been added to Google Street View. I will.

According to Google, the Street View app update will be available in beta in New York and Austin, Canada, Toronto, Nigeria, Indonesia and Costa Rica. Google plans to release features in more regions in the future.

Stafford Marquardt, product manager in the Street View division of Google Maps, says many people ask, 'How can I drive a Street View car?' Unfortunately, Street View cars aren't rented out, but Marquardt says anyone can contribute to Google's Street View by using the new features added to the Street View app.