PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Google Expands Street View Indoor Maps Via Trusted Photographers

 & Leslie Horn Reporter

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Since Google took Street View mapping indoors last year, shoppers have been able to see the insides of stores, restaurants, salons, and more without having to leave their homes. Now Google is making it easier for even more business owners to have 360-degree images of their companies included in this service with the launch of a "trusted photographers" program.

If you want your business included on Google Maps, you can search on the new business photos site for a Google Trusted Photographer near you and independently coordinate a shoot with that person via phone or email.

"This self-serve model makes for easier scheduling and quicker turnaround, while also supporting the local photographers in your community," Google said in a blog post. "During the hour it should take for the shoot, you can collaborate with the photographer about how best to display and capture your business. When finished, the photographer will upload the images to Google, and shortly thereafter, you'll see 360-degree panoramic views of your business on Google.com, Google Maps, and your Google Places listing."

Google started the program as a pilot back in April and in May, Google announced plans for 360-degree Business Photos. At that point, business owners had to apply if they wanted their company to be considered. Now Google is opening up this offering for all those that want to be included by allowing them to get the ball rolling with a photographer on their own.

These Trusted Photographers are available in 14 cities including Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, L.A., New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. They're also offered in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and France.

About Our Expert

Leslie Horn

Leslie Horn

Reporter

Leslie Horn joined the PCMag team as a news reporter in the fall of 2010. She covered a wide range of topics, from digital media to the latest Apple rumor. After graduating with a degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Missouri, she wrote for Out & About, a travel guide in coastal Maine. One of her favorite reporting experiences was covering the 2008 Olympics from Beijing. She travels every chance she gets; a favorite trip was backpacking along the coast of Brazil. Though she was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Leslie embraces life as a New Yorker.

Read full bio