How to remove images of your home from Google Maps, real estate sites

Houston - You may want to take steps to help keep your home safe by having images of it online removed or blurred. 

Google Maps Street View shows you what restaurants, homes, and buildings look like to help you find where you're going. But they can also be a birds-eye-view to criminals looking for security cameras or side windows.

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You can ask Google to blur images of your home.

Experts at CNET say go to google.com/maps on a computer because the blurring feature is not available through the app. Enter your address in the search bar, then click the Street View image of your home. In the lower right corner, click on the words Report A Problem, and adjust the view of your home inside the red box. Answer the questions below about what you'd like to blur, enter your email address, and click submit.

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Remember that blurring on Google Maps is permanent. You'll receive an email from Google asking for more information or whether your request is approved.  

If you're not currently selling your home, you can also remove images of it from real estate sites such as Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.  

First ask the realtor who last listed the home to close out the listing and remove the photos from the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS.  

You can also request photos be removed from real estate sites directly. Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com work much the same way.

You’ll need to log into the site and verify you own the home by answering a few questions. Click on your profile icon and select Your Home from the menu. Click on the tile for your home to load the property page. Click on Edit Facts from the Owner View. Click on the photos and click Remove Photo, then select Save Changes.