You can ask Apple to blur your home in Apple Maps, making it harder for strangers to inspect your entryway, windows, and driveway through its street-level Look Around images.
You may want that extra privacy simply because you don’t like having detailed photographs of your home online. For those who are victims of stalking or harassment, blacking out the property can also reduce how much another person can examine without visiting the street.
Apple accepts home blurring requests via Maps and via email. Blurring does not remove your address or affect photographs on other services and you should not assume that a Look Around request also covers satellite imagery.
Find your home in Look Around
Look Around lets you explore street-level photographs before visiting a location. Details that help you recognize an unfamiliar building may also reveal more properties than you would prefer.
Start by searching for your full home address in Maps. Check that the result identifies the correct building, then open the Look Around preview or binoculars button when it’s available.
Look Around doesn’t cover all avenues. If Maps finds your address but doesn’t offer street-level imagery, you won’t have a Look Around photograph to report from that location.
Once the image is open, move down the street until your house is clearly visible. The address marker alone may not distinguish your property from the house next door.
For a corner lot, check out the views from both streets. If you live in an apartment or condominium, describe the building and area you want to darken so Apple doesn’t have to deduce which part of the image concerns you.
Request home blur on iPhone or iPad
Opening the relevant image before reporting provides Apple with helpful context. Its reporting process can collect the direction and angle of your Look Around view, along with the information you send.
- With your home visible, expand Look Around to full screen.
- Tap the address or expand the information panel, then select Report a problem.
- Choose Privacy concernsfollowed by Dark images of my house.
- Fill out the form, clearly describing the property and providing all the information requested by the form.
- Please check your location and account details before sending.
Apple Look Around associates blur reports with your Apple account and view the account when sending. They may send you an email to clarify your request or let you know that the issue has been resolved.
You are submitting a request, so the photograph will not change simply because you completed the form. If you can’t find your privacy options, you can contact Apple’s image collection team directly.
Request blurring via email
Lists of Apple’s image gallery pages [email protected] for requests to blur a house, face or license plate. Email is an alternative when you can’t locate reporting controls in Maps.
Include your full address and explain that you want your home blacked out in Look Around. A Maps link and a screenshot marking the building can help Apple locate the right property.
Apple’s public page does not specify a mandatory email template or a universal requirement to attach proprietary documents. Provide enough information to identify the images, then respond if Apple asks for clarification.
Can Apple also blur satellite images?
Apple blacked out a house in both satellite imagery and Look Around. In January 2022, we reported that Tim Cook’s house had been blurred out in both views after Apple obtained a restraining order against a woman accused of stalking.
Apple’s obfuscation of Cook’s house demonstrates that satellite imagery can be obscured, but the case does not prove that every house obfuscation request covers both views. The company’s privacy policy specifically describes requests to blur Look Around’s images without promising to obscure satellite images of the same property.
If satellite imagery is part of your concern, say so in your email and ask Apple if they can black out both views. Check them separately if Apple confirms it has made a change.
What to expect after submission
Apple does not post guaranteed delivery times or a clear turnaround policy on its image collection page. Save your correspondence so you can follow up and don’t assume you’ll be able to unblur later.
Blurring also removes a visual reference that visitors might use to recognize your entry. They can still look up your address, but you may need to give them more specific arrival instructions.
If Apple reports that your request has been fulfilled, revisit your home in Look Around and check nearby scenic spots. You’ll need separate requests for Google Street View or other services, and blurring won’t remove real estate photographs or copies that someone has already saved.
