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Street View lands on Google Maps Web app

Users of the Google Maps Web app can now tap into Street View to explore their destination via a 360-degree perspective.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read
Times Square as seen by Google Maps Street View.
Times Square as seen by Google Maps Street View. Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

Google has revved up its mobile Maps Web app through the addition of Street View.

As of today, users who launch Google's Maps site on their mobile device can see and navigate a Street View angle of different spots around the world.

Enabling Street View requires just a tap.

After launching the Maps app, enter the city, landmark, or other destination that you want to see. The site highlights the location and its surrounding area. Tap on the person icon that appears in the lower right corner. If the location is Street View-enabled, a separate tab opens in your browser with the familiar Street View panorama.

You can swipe your finger left or right to move the full 360 degrees. You can also tap on the arrows to walk along the streets and sidewalks as you check out the people and places nearby. I searched for Times Square in New York City, which Google Maps quickly found. Tapping on the person icon displayed the Street View panorama of Times Square in all its glory.

The addition of Street View comes as little surprise since Google was expected to integrate the feature starting today.

But it comes as good news for iOS users in particular.

Though anyone can hop onto the Maps site via their mobile browser, iOS 6 users need a good alternative to Apple's buggy Maps app. Apologizing for its Maps app snafu, Apple itself has even suggested that iOS 6 users rely on other navigation apps for now.

Adding Google Maps to your iPhone or iPad is a simple process.

Just surf to the Google Maps page on your mobile device. Tap on the Send button at the top toolbar of your browser. Click on the icon to Add to Home Screen. An icon for Google Maps then appears on the screen, which you can drag to another screen or to a specific folder if you wish.