How To

How Do I Change The Year on Google Maps?

April 19, 2021
Updated: September 24, 2024 at 10:43 PM

Google Maps links to Google Earth so that you can view images of your house as uploaded on the site or taken by satellite. However, you may want to see what the land looked like a few years ago.

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One of the most fun things about the utility is its ability to take you back in time and see what an area used to look like. This feature can be handy if you’re trying to find an old building that used to be there but isn’t now or if you want to picture your neighborhood as it was when you moved in. Here’s how to change the year on Google Maps.

How to change the year on Google Maps?

Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn’t make it easy to do this. There is no tool for changing the date on Google Maps, so you’ll have to dig independently. It’s a simple process, but it does require an active internet connection.

Find the location
To change the date on Google Maps, you’ll need to first go to the website maps.google.com. Find the location where you’d like to change the year and enter it in the search bar (make sure it’s exact). Once you’ve arrived at your desired location, look for the red marker on the map—that’s where you’ll be making your edit.
Locate the street view feature
You will see a little orange guy icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Drag that orange guy to the red marker on the map. After you let go, a new screen will open in place of your original map. Locate the “street view” feature in the top left corner of the screen.
How to change the year
Click on the clock icon. You’ll see a slider in the street view block—this is what we will use. By dragging the slider back and forth, you can change the year and choose what year you want to view. The year will change instantly in street view, letting you click around, and you’ll be able to see how things have changed over time.

Google creates a snapshot of a place at one point in time and preserves it forever. Sometimes it’s nice to take a trip down memory lane, and Google Maps can be a great way to do that. Maybe you want to remember where your favorite restaurant used to be or where you lived in college. Whatever the case, changing the year on Google Maps is easy.