Breaking: Google shuts down street view app!
Yes, the google street view app is going to be shut down in 2023. Originally, this was rumored by 9to5Google, who found that the latest update included hidden messages in the code, when these messages were enabled they revealed a shutdown was incoming. The rumor was later confirmed by Madison Gouvei, a Google Spokesperson, when being interviewed on The Verge. The dedicated street view app will be removed from the IOS and Android App store on March 21st, 2023. Launched in 2013, the street view app has received hundreds of updates, optimizations, and loyal users. But after all of this, still, Google shuts down street view, along with other popular Google platforms.
Google street view will still be accessible through Google Maps, but the dedicated Street View app was very useful to users who wanted to take street view further than just browsing. The app provided many useful features and tools to users who wanted to upload 360 degree pictures of their own to Google Maps. One groundbreaking feature, which was just released last year, was Street View Photo Paths. This tool allowed users to contribute to the street view database with pictures from their phone. These 2 dimensional pictures would then be stitched together and incorporated with street view. This was beneficial to add locations onto the Street View map that are not able to be shot with Google’s cameras. This is a big upset for users who wanted to, for example, add pictures of their businesses onto street view if they were excluded because Google’s cameras couldn’t reach them.
Along with the Street View app, Google is also shutting down the dedicated Google My Business app (GMB). The app allowed businesses to manage their profiles that appear in Google searches and on Google Maps. This app was especially useful to those who have multiple businesses, multiple business locations, or managed business accounts for others, because all profiles could be edited on the same page and at once. Now, without the app, users will have to edit their profile directly from the listing in a Google search, causing those with more than one profile to spend more time maintaining and updating their account.
This seems to be a common trend with Google for the time being. Many apps and tools that favored users who actively worked on them, like business owners for GMB or photographers on Street View are being shut down. There will be virtually no difference for consumers who only use these tools for directions or to find businesses, but it’s the creators who are getting hurt.
Google also shut down their Trusted Photographers program, which allowed aspiring and professional photographers to upload full 360-degree panoramas and virtual tours to local businesses and other locations on Street View. These photographers would be trained and certified by Google, and given a green checkmark that would ensure that the photographer was qualified to upload high quality virtual tours. This was useful to many self employed professionals who found work creating these tours for businesses. Now, since the program was canceled, these photographers are technically no longer certified by Google, and may have a harder time finding work.
Luckily, Momentum 360 is always looking for professional photographers to partner with us! If you are a 360 photographer, who is just getting into the business or have experience creating virtual tours, then visit our website to apply for a partnership and we will give you a call! We have over 1,000 photographers globally that are a part of our team, and have even more room for you! This is a great opportunity if you are looking to find more work creating virtual tours!
If you want to learn more about Google Marketing, Virtual Tours, and Photography; then check out some of our related blogs:
Google Street View 360 Virtual Tours
About The Author: Sean Boyle
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