Google opens up Street View time travel option

Google is rolling back the years on Street View and letting users see how areas have changed since 2007.

Vinay Shet, Google Street View product manager compared the new feature to a time machine, specifically the Delorean from Back to the Future. If you use it you can pore back over images that date back seven years.

"If you've ever dreamt of being a time traveler like Doc Brown, now's your chance. Starting today, you can travel to the past to see how a place has changed over the years by exploring Street View imagery in Google Maps for desktop. We've gathered historical imagery from past Street View collections dating back to 2007 to create this digital time capsule of the world," said Shet.

"Forget going 88mph in a DeLorean - you can stay where you are and use Google Maps to virtually explore the world as it is-and as it was. Happy (time) traveling!"

Shet said that the feature can be used to show how a geography has changed over the years, adding that this applies to regeneration and rebuilding.

"Now with Street View, you can see a landmark's growth from the ground up, like the Freedom Tower in New York City or the 2014 World Cup Stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil. This new feature can also serve as a digital timeline of recent history, like the reconstruction after the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Onagawa, Japan," he added.

"You can even experience different seasons and see what it would be like to cruise Italian roadways in both summer and winter."

The feature is live on Street View now, You should look out for a clock icon in the top left corner if you want to access historical views.

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