Technologies

Why You Might Want to Blur Your Home on Google Maps

It’s about your privacy.

Google Maps’ Street View lets you enter nearly any address, like that of a restaurant or concert venue, and check out a recent image of that location, captured by one of the Google Street View cars you’ll occasionally see roaming about. The feature is useful for knowing what building or landmark to look for when you arrive, in case the entrance is hard to find or you want to know where the best place to park is, but Street View also makes it easier for stalkers or criminals to plan their way inside your home.

Street View gives anyone a free ticket to examine your home over the internet — maybe they want to look for any cameras or find a side window to pry open. And sure, anyone can walk or drive by your home and do this in person, but Google Maps makes this process much simpler. Anyone with a phone or computer can do it.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to blur your home on Google Maps and help prevent others from seeing too many details of where you live. Here’s how to do it.

For more, here’s how to discover the past with Google Maps and how Google Maps can help you figure out dinner.

How to blur your home on Google Maps

You’ll need to do this on your computer, as the blurring feature isn’t available in the Google Maps application on iOS or Android, and while it is accessible through the web browser on your mobile device, it’s rather difficult to use, so use a trusted web browser on your Mac or PC instead.

At maps.google.com, enter your home address in the search bar at the top-right, hit return, then click the photo of your home that appears.

Address in Google Maps — Click on the photo of your home, right above your address, on the top-left part of the page.

Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Next, you’ll see the Street View of your location. Click Report a Problem at the bottom-right. The text is super tiny, but it’s there.

Street View of a location in Google Maps — This is the Street View of your location.

Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Now, it’s up to you to choose what you want Google to blur. Using your mouse, adjust the view of the image so that your home and anything else you want to blur is all contained within the red and black box. Use your cursor to move around and the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out, respectively.

Blur options for Google Maps — If you want to blur more than what’s in the black/red box, use the + button to zoom in.

Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Once you’re finished adjusting the image, choose what you’re requesting to blur underneath:

A face.
Your home.
Your car/license plate.
A different object.

You’ll be asked to give a bit more detail as to what exactly you want blurred, in case the image is busy with several cars, people and other objects.

Also, be completely sure that what you select is exactly what you want blurred. Google mentions that once you blur something on Street View, it’s blurred permanently.

Finally, enter your email (this is required), verify the captcha (if needed) and click Submit.

Submit option for blurring in Google Maps — You’re required to provide additional information about what you want to blur, so be thorough.

Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

You should then receive an email from Google that says it’ll review your report and get back to you once the request is either denied or approved. You may receive more emails from Google asking for more information regarding your request. Google doesn’t offer any information on how long your request will take to process, so just keep an eye out for any further emails.

For more, here’s how Google Maps can help you avoid crowded public transit.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 20, #574

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 20 No. 574.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition included A’s, B’s and C’s as clues, which made the grid look kind of funny. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Golden State sports.

Green group hint: Beantown teams.

Blue group hint: Do you believe in miracles?

Purple group hint: Keep running.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: California baseball teams.

Green group: Shortened nicknames for Boston teams.

Blue group: Associated with the Miracle on Ice.

Purple group: World marathon majors.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is California baseball teams. The four answers are A’s, Angels, Giants and Padres.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is shortened nicknames for Boston teams. The four answers are B’s, C’s, Pats and Sox.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with the Miracle on Ice. The four answers are 1980, Brooks, hockey and Lake Placid.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is world marathon majors. The four answers are Berlin, Boston, Chicago and Tokyo.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, April 20

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 20

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I found this puzzle a nice, easy one, Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: All-caps reply to a spammy political text
Answer: STOP

5A clue: Number of seasons that «Seinfeld» and «The Office» each ran
Answer: NINE

6A clue: Wild party, informally
Answer: RAGER

7A clue: Swedish furniture giant
Answer: IKEA

8A clue: Long-lasting salon treatment
Answer: PERM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Chinese zodiac animal
Answer: SNAKE

2D clue: Chinese zodiac animal
Answer: TIGER

3D clue: Hour following midnight
Answer: ONEAM

4D clue: The «p» of m.p.h.
Answer: PER

6D clue: Tombstone letters
Answer: RIP

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 20, #1766

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for April 20, No. 1,766.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle has a couple of rare letters in it. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.