How to Use Apple Maps Street View

The Look Around feature lets you virtually explore

by
Rob LeFebvre
Rob LeFebvre
Senior News Editor
Rob LeFebvre has been a freelance technology writer for 10 years and an educator for 20. His articles have appeared in 148Apps, Cult of Mac, Engadget, and many others.
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Rob LeFebvre
Updated on December 10, 2019

Released with iOS 13, the Look Around feature for Apple Maps will be familiar if you’ve ever used Google Street View. There are two ways to use the Apple Maps street view feature: browsing and searching. However you decide to find your destination, Look Around will show it to you up close and personal.

Apple’s version of the concept is limited right now to Honolulu, Las Vegas, San Fransisco, and San Jose, with more coming all the time.

Browsing With Look Around Street View

If you swipe around on the map (in a supported location) using the Transit or Map view modes (not Satellite), you’ll see a set of binoculars appear in the upper right-hand corner of your screen, just underneath the Info and Compass buttons. 

  1. Tap the Binoculars icon and a little inset will appear at the top of your screen, with the map peeking out underneath. 

  2. You can tap the Expand icon in the upper left to make the Apple Maps street view go full screen. Tap the same icon again to collapse back to the smaller window. 

  3. Swipe left, right, up, or down to see a 360-degree view of your chosen location. When you're finished looking around, tap Done.

    Binoculars icon, Expand button, Done button in Apple Maps Look Around

How to Search in Apple Street View

As always, you can search for a specific location in Apple Maps, in any view, Satellite included. 

  1. Tap the Search for a place or address field and type in the name of your chosen location. You can also tap any of the categories in the Search Nearby section. 

    Search field, Fast Food, Castro district Search in Apple Maps

  2. Apple Maps will take you to the place you searched for with a map up top, a Directions icon below, and some photos below that. Tap Look Around in the bottom left photo and you’ll get the full screen version of Apple Maps Look Around. 

  3. You can swipe in all directions for an up close view of your location, tap the Expand/Un-expand icon in the upper left to do just that, and tap Done to get back to regular Maps. 

    Look Around button, Expand, Un-Expand buttons in Apple Maps Look Around

Fun Places to Check Out With Apple Maps Look Around

Don’t feel like you have to stay close to home, either. Just like Google Street View or Google Earth, you can look anywhere on the globe (that Apple has images set up for, of course).

Want to see what’s happening in Honolulu? Take a gander at Diamond Head from the residential streets around it. Check out the Castro District in San Francisco, or The Strip in Las Vegas. As Apple adds more places, you’ll get to virtually “visit” them all from the comfort of your iPhone or iPad with Apple’s Look Around.

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