Discuss StreetViewtipsatwww.facebook.com/webusermagazine 16 - 29 October 2019 51Travel back in time
If you want to see how an area has
changed at street-level over the past few
years, Street View can be your TARDIS.
Click the down arrow next to the clock
icon in the top-left corner to open a
panel showing archive Street View
imagery of th e location you’re viewing.
Drag the slid er to one of th e dots to
jump to that point in time, then click the
image to view and explore it full-size.
Someof th e imagery dates back 10
years and lines up perfectly with the
most recent shots.Checkfor parking
spaces
Don’t waste ti me driving aroundlooking
for parking in an unfamiliar ar ea – use
Street View to research available spaces
before you set off. Obviously, the
available imagery isn’t live, and the
reality may involve ro adworks, large
vehicles and other obstructions, but it’s
a quick and easy way to identify quiet
near by streets, parking restrictions and
designated car parks.Embed imagery onyour
website
Providin g a map on your website or
blog helps prospective visi tors plan
their ro ute, bu t the best way for them to
recognise that they’ve arrived at their
destination is to embed Street View
imagery on the page. To do this, click
the thre e-dot button in the top-left
corner and choose ‘Share or embed
image’. When the Shar e box opens, click
‘Embed a map’ and choose an imagesize from the drop -down menu. You can
then copy and paste the HTML code
into your own site or blog, so visi tors
can view and explore the location.Verify anaddress
A marker on a map shows you
where a place is but not whether it’s up
a hill, above a shop, in a gated
development or multi-storey prop erty,
or nolonger exists. Street View lets you
preview an address from the comfort of
your home, so you know exactly which
entrance to use and don’t end up
walking aroundlooking confused.Findthe best viewpoints
It’s easy to waste ti me on holiday
trying to photograph a famous
landmark or stunning vista from
differen t angles, only to realise later you
miss ed the best option. Street View lets
you plan your perfect shot in advance,It’s 10 years since Google launched Street Viewin the UK, but are you making the most of it?Robert Ir vineoffers some sugges tionsso you know
exactly where
to stand for
the best
viewpoint,
before you
even get
there.Guessthe Street View
location
Whether you needa diversion to kill
some time or you just want to test your
geographical kn owledg e, GeoGuessr
(geoguessr.com) usesStreet View as
the basis of several fun games, in which
you guess the location from random
Street View imagesand earn points
determin ed by how many milesor
kilo metres
astray you
were. Games
include World,
United States,
United
Kingdom and
Famous
Places, but
(due to
Google
incr easing its
costs) free users can now only play two
a day. An unlimited Pro subscription
costs from $1.99 (£1.59) per month, with
a 10-d ay free trial.Secret uses for
Street View
Accessing Street View via GoogleMaps on
your phone haslong beenslow and fiddly –
the fact that there’ s a separate Street View
appimplies Googlehasalways known it’s not
ideal. Thankfully, the problem was rectifie d
in a recent update to the Maps app, which
adds a dedicated Street View layer. Press the
Layers button in the top-right co rner and
select Street View to highlightin blue where
imagery is available, then tap where you
want to go to launch the Street View viewer.SWITCH TO STREET VIEW INSTA NTLY