D.E.P. app from Google Street View. There is no eternal kingdom in the field of technology and that of the popular application developed by Mountain View to explore half the world at the click of a button will not be an exception. Autumn is being a month of declines in Google and after the closures of Stadia or Hangouts, the turn is now for the app dedicated to Street View. The multinational — 9to5 Google specifies — has decided to remove it and end its support. And soon: March 21, 2023.
The decision means goodbye to an app used for years and that until a little over five years ago was installed from the factory on most mobile devices, but it does not mean that from now on you can no longer enjoy its services to "move" through remote places. Quite simply, the service adapts to a different scenario than the one that existed when the application was launched.
To understand it, it is necessary to review the recent history of the application. Until 2015, Google Street View was a common feature of mobile devices, a tool installed as standard and that acted as an essential complement if we wanted to use the service from the Google Maps app on Android. Things changed seven years ago, when Google Street View 2.0 was released.
A goodbye... preserving the functions
Maps went on to integrate an adjusted version of Street View, whose app thus became an independent tool. Among other things, it allowed us to explore cities as if we were walking through its streets and publish 360º images. There are those who have managed to get even more out of Google's options, such as fans of GeoGuessr, a game that consists of identifying any place in the world by taking a quick look – the faster, the better – at the images. There are true champions and celebrities in the field, such as Trevor Rainbolt.
Others have given in to nostalgia, diving into the historical images archived by Google in search of places that have already disappeared or even deceased relatives; and even the Police knew how to take advantage of it recently to identify and arrest an Italian mobster who took refuge in Galapagar.
The point is that in recent years the concept of the specific Street View app has been losing steam. It has continued to receive improvements that have affected its interface and the use of the camera, but its user base is not particularly large for a very simple reason: the Google Maps app already comes with integrated Street View, which makes the app less attractive. app. The existence of both, available for download, can even be a bit confusing for users.
Now Google has decided to make a move, which means that the Street View app on mobile devices will pass away when spring 2023 arrives.
Those who want to continue exploring Street View or upload photos will have to use Google Maps directly and those who wish to publish 360º videos will have the Street View Studio website at their fingertips.
In any case, the change will be noticeable in certain functionalities: closing the app will mean the loss of the "Photo Path" or "Photo Path" option, but the truth is that for most users the options offered by Street View will continue with Google Maps.
