Create & publish Photo Spheres to Google Maps

You can create Photo Spheres using a 360 camera, or a DSLR system and stitching software such as PTGui, or Autopano. Find a list of recommended 360 cameras here.

Popular equipment to use with a DSLR system

DSLR camera	Canon	Rebel series: XSi/450D, T1i/500D, T2i/550D, T3i/600D, T4i/650D, XS/1000D, t3/1100D xxD series: 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, 70D xD series : 6D, 7D, 5D series
	Nikon	D5000, D5100 D90, D7000, D7100 D200, D300, D300s D600, D700, D800, D810
Fisheye lens		Canon 8-15mm f/4L fisheye lens (Canon mount only) Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG fisheye lens
Panoramic head		Nodal Ninja Ultimate R10 with compact 90° rotator 360Precision Acratech Spherical Panoramic Head (Sigma lens only) Tom Shot 360 (Sigma lens only)
Remote switch		RS-60E3, RS-80N3, MC-30, MD-DC2

Tips to create multiple Photos Spheres

• Make sure your phone is fully charged and has enough available memory to store your images.
• You can attach the camera to a monopod, tripod, or helmet to stabilize the camera at 1.20-1.80 m/4-6 ft.
  • Monopod: Keep the monopod steady above your head. Keep your head down when you take photos.
  • Tripod: Step out of the way before you take photos.
  • Helmet: Make sure to keep your head still when you take your photos.
• Space the photos about 2 small steps apart (1 m/3 ft) when indoors and five steps apart (3 m/10 ft) when outdoors.
• Follow natural paths and walkways so that there’s a clear line of sight between the photos.
• Take photos from the street and continue until you're inside the place.
• When you take photos indoors, limit your collection to 100 photos.

Publish & connect Photo Spheres

You can upload individual Photo Spheres to Google Maps the same way you publish flat images by using the Google Maps app, or the Google Maps platform on your computer. You can also use apps made by other companies, which also allow you to link your Photo Spheres into connected indoor or outdoor virtual tours. Check the app maker’s website for instructions.

After you create links in the chosen tool and publish them to Google Maps, allow up to 4 days for processing to complete.

If you’re a developer, you can create your own tool with the Street View Publish API.

Tips:

• The list of 3rd party publishing tools featured on the Street View website is not exhaustive. There are multiple other apps with similar functionalities that you can find online.
• Before you publish any Photo Spheres, make sure that they are:
  • At least 7.5 MP (4K) with a 2:1 aspect ratio
  • No more than 75 megabytes in size