How to access the new Street View layer of Google Maps on Android

Google is slowly closing the gap between mobile and desktop versions of Google Maps, and a recent update also made it easy to use Street View on the Android app and on a computer.

The mobile version of the feature now works almost the same as its desktop counterpart. Activate the new Street View layer of the Android app and you'll see blue-highlighted trails along streets, sidewalks, and other lines of communication that show street-level locations. These lines appear on both the map and the Street View perspectives.

This new Street View layer is only available in the Android version of Google Maps at the moment, but iOS users should get it soon. To activate it:

1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android device.
2. Navigate to the location you want to view.
3. Touch the Layer icon, then 'Street View'. You may need to zoom in to view the street level view.
4. In Street View mode, you can use your device's touch screen to rotate the camera 360 degrees and press the blue lines to move around the viewpoints.

Most users should have access to this feature, but if you do not appear to have a Street View option in the Layers menu, you may need to update your Google Maps app first. Check for pending updates by visiting the Google Play Store page of the app. And if really, really If you like Street View, you can even get a standalone app in the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

The new Street View layer is just one of many new features added to Google Maps in recent months, including the ability to report traffic incidents and speed traps.