Thanks to a hidden feature in Google Maps, users are going back in time en masse to see lost loved ones again. And that’s causing an emotional roller coaster.
It all started with a TikTok trend in which users shared videos of their discoveries in Google Maps: a smiling grandparent working in the garden, a childhood home with your father’s iconic gazebo, or even a simple greeting from someone along the road. The reactions are heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
“Screaming, crying, throwing up. This trend is killing me,” wrote one TikTok user after seeing her grandparents standing outside their home. Another shared how seeing her late mother’s car in the driveway triggered memories. We’ll show you how to try the trick yourself.
Find an old photo of your loved ones with Google Maps
Google Maps Street View is regularly updated with new images to keep the world around us up to date. But did you know you can also look back at older photos? Depending on the address, you can sometimes go back as far as 2007, when Google Street View first started.
With this hidden feature, you can easily browse through the years and relive nostalgic moments. The process is simple, both on desktop and on your phone:
Open Google Maps and find the address you want to view.
Activate Street View by dragging the yellow male (desktop) onto the map, or by tapping the image preview (mobile).
On desktop, a black box appears in the upper left corner with the option “View more dates.
On a mobile, this option may be a bit hidden, but scroll or navigate a bit through Street View until you see it.
Follow the map! (Image: Annie Spratt)
You will then be shown a timeline, and you can choose which moment you want to go back to. Unfortunately, not all addresses are available, especially from the early years of Google Street View, when coverage was still limited to major cities.
Gift from the past
The images on Google Maps are often captured during everyday moments, without ever thinking about how precious they would become. A smile, a wave, or just seeing a place that holds fond memories feels like a small gift from the past.
@tyra__lynn
Screaming, crying, throwing up. This trend is killing me
#googlemaps #2008 #jumpstone #grandparents #googleearth #nostalgia #gooddays
♬ original sound – noaidenno
So if you feel like a little nostalgia, or a warm hug of memories, try going back in time with Google Maps. Who knows what moments you’ll rediscover.
