How to remove your home address from the internet — 6 ways to protect your privacy

1. Blur it on Google Maps and Apple Maps

Street view features are incredibly convenient until you realize anyone can type in your address and see your home. If that makes you uncomfortable, both Google and Apple let you blur your property.

For Google Maps, visit the site on a desktop, enter your address, click the street view image of your home and click "Report a Problem" in the bottom right corner of the screen. Once clicked, you'll be taken to a form to fill out which allows you to select which parts of the street view you want blurred.

Apple Maps requires emailing mapsimagecollection@apple.com with your address and a description of your home in the Look Around feature. Both companies process these requests fairly quickly, and it's one of the easiest privacy wins you can get.

2. Request removal from Google Search results

Google yourself and see what comes up. If your address appears in search results, you can request Google remove it. Go to your Google Account by clicking your profile icon, select Manage Your Google Account, then navigate to Data & Privacy, History Settings, and My Activity.

Then choose Other Activity in the left menu, scroll to Results About You, and select Get Started. This lets you create alerts whenever Google finds your address and request removal.

Google won't remove it from government sites or news articles, but it will scrub it from many other sources, which makes a noticeable difference in how easily people can find you.

3. Clean up your social media profiles

Check every social media account you have to see if your address is sitting somewhere in your profile information. You probably added it years ago without thinking twice about it. Social media doesn't actually need your physical address, and leaving it there makes you incredibly easy to find.

Go through your "About" sections, contact information, and posts to remove any location details. While you're at it, check for photos showing your house number, street sign, or anything else identifying.

I noticed I had a toggle switched on in Instagram that let my photos appear in search results, for example. This is a simple step that closes off a major source of publicly available information about where you live.

4. Remove your address from Whitepages

Whitepages is one of the biggest directories of home addresses online and usually the first stop for anyone trying to find where someone lives. Your information is almost definitely there. The good news is removal takes literally seconds.

Visit the Whitepages Suppression Request page, paste in the URL of your profile, and request removal. It's straightforward and processes quickly. Just check back periodically to make sure your info hasn't been re-added.

5. Delete old accounts or request removal

Think about how many websites and services you've signed up for over the years. You've probably handed out your address dozens of times. Some accounts genuinely need it, like Amazon for deliveries. But most don't, especially ones you haven't used in ages.

Delete unnecessary accounts entirely or contact customer service to have your information removed. A great way to check for clues about forgotten sign ups is to check your promotional emails.

Common culprits include old shopping sites, unused apps, political organizations, nonprofits, subscription services you canceled, and random contest entries.

6. Use a VPN to hide your location

Your internet service provider knows your IP address and can figure out your physical location from it. A VPN encrypts your data and hides your location by routing your connection through different servers.

While it won't remove your address from sites where it's already posted, it stops new data collection tied to your real location. Free VPNs exist, but paid services offer better security and features for just a few dollars a month.

It's an extra layer of protection that makes it harder for websites and advertisers to connect your online activity to where you actually live. If you're shopping around, check out the best cheap VPNs in 2026.