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Andrew is the News Editor for Review Geek, where he covers breaking stories and manages the news team. He joined Life Savvy Media as a freelance writer in 2018 and has experience in a number of topics, including mobile hardware, audio, and IoT. Read more...

Can you believe it’s been 15 years since Google Street view launched? To celebrate the anniversary, Google will now let you travel back in time when using Street View in the Google Maps app. All you need to do is tap a location in Street View, select “see more dates,” and enjoy the feeling of growing old.

Google claims that there are currently “220 billion Street View images from over 100 countries and territories.” Most locations, specifically streets and monuments, are available in Street View thanks to an innumerable amount of labor and technological progress.

Maybe you’ve seen those Street View cars driving around your neighborhood—that’s not the only way Google gets these photos! Some Street View images come from the backs of camels or Arctic snowmobiles. It’s a complicated process.

So, along with its new “time travel” feature (which previously debuted on desktop), Google is also launching a new Street View camera system. It weighs just 15 pounds and is about the size of a cat. It also features two arms for handheld photography, can strap to any car, and has detachable components for things like LiDAR (for depth mapping and such).

Google Maps should offer you the “see more dates” option when you tap a location in Street View on your phone. If not, simply update Maps and try again. This feature works on both Android and iOS.

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