Google Maps on mobile phones became more interesting to use on its 15th anniversary.
The search giant recently added a feature on Google Maps' iOS and Android versions that lets you see various places as they were on past dates while using Street View, per Google's latest blog post.
The feature to turn back time on street view was previously only available to its web-based counterpart, said Engadget.
Google Historical Street View Details
According to Google's blog post, Google Maps' new feature, which allows you to turn back time even when you're using its Street View feature is now available on Android and iOS globally.
To use the function, go to Google Maps on your phone and then opt to go into Street View in a major location, such as a well-known highway or famous landmark. Afterward, tap "See More Dates" to see the historical imagery it published of that place, dating back to 2007 when Street View was first launched.
At this point, you can browse each of the images to see a "digital time capsule" of sorts that shows how much a place has changed.
Of course, this will only work for a location where Google has a lot of historical Street View Data collected through Google's Street View cars, per Reader's Digest.
As such, what you'll find will vary widely by location. If you're living in a private subdivision that didn't allow Google's Street View cars, you'll have zero chance of seeing your subdivision changing as time goes on.
However, as previously mentioned, the feature is great to use in popular locations, such as San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, and Denver, which were the first places to be captured for Google Maps' Street View.
Since it's Google Street View's birthday, Google's Pegman, the mascot for Street View, who you can drag and drop anywhere to use the feature, will also be dressed up in a birthday hat and balloons for the event.
A New Way of Capturing Time
Aside from Google Street View's new feature on mobile devices, Google also revealed a new way to capture data for Street View.
The company revealed a new camera that takes all the power, resolution, and processing capabilities commonly found in a typical Street View car and fits it into an ultra-transportable camera system the size of a house cat.
This new camera, which will be launched next year, weighs only 15lbs., making it easier to bring along to areas that aren't fully mapped like the Amazon rainforest.
It's also customizable, which means that the new camera can accept modifications and other hardware like LiDAR.
Finally, it can fit on any car that has a roof rack and can be operated from a mobile device, allowing Google's partners to explore more sustainable solutions for Google's current fleet of cars. These include hybrids and fully electric vehicles.
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