People Are Finding Their Childhood Memories in Google Street View (and You Can Too)

TikTok trends can often be misleading, dangerous, or just nonsensical, but sometimes they're genuinely useful, or at least fun. A new TikTok trend, where people check out their old homes on Google Street View, is more of the latter. Looking up how your favorite places have changed over the years is a nostalgic treat, and while you've been able to do it for a while, it's great to see more people discovering it (just be careful about posting your home address online).

At the heart of all this is a lesser known feature that lets you view photos from the past. You can think of it like the internet archive, but for places. While some people might want to revisit their childhood neighborhoods that have since been demolished, others could use this feature to look at how their neighborhood changes in various seasons, or see how important landmarks have changed over time. 

How to view past photos in Google Street View

Google Street View has allowed you to 'go back in time' since 2014, but as the feature regains popularity, it's worth going over it once more. This feature works best on a desktop browser, although you can also access it on the Google Maps mobile app.

1. Open Google Maps and search for any address that works with Street View.

2. Click (or tap) the Street View icon near the bottom of the page (it should be a small thumbnail showing the current Street View photo).

3. On desktop, in the top-left corner of the Street View page, you'll see a widget that shows the current address and the date. Click the See more dates link. If on mobile, open Street View in full screen and tap into the picture to find the See more dates link.

4. This opens a pane in the bottom of the page. Scroll through the available dates and select a photo to view it.

For some locations, images are available as far back the late 2000s, which really allows you to see how they've evolved. I used this feature to view the changing seasons on the Golden Gate Bridge, where the landmark disappears into clouds on some days. I also had fun looking up the World Cup stadium in Brazil and even Apple Park. Who needs a TARDIS when you have a smartphone?