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Camera generations #camera-gen
372 clues · 122 countries.
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372 clues · 122 countries.
Showing 372 clues across 122 countries.
In most of the US, Generation 2 is rare. However, Alaska has a fair amount of Generation 2 coverage.
Alaska has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front, with the front of the white car being very visible. The blur can also be fully transparent.
Alaska is the only state in the US where shitcam coverage is prevalent. This coverage is lower resolution with more faded colours, compared to other camera generations. Also, a large blur can be seen at the bottom of the page.
Generation 4 coverage in Alaska is concentrated around the city of Anchorage.
The Alaskan towns in the Alexander Archipelago, on the British Columbia border have a unique look. Tall mountains with lush green forests can be seen in the background, with the majority of buildings made of wood. In addition, Generation 2 coverage is often overcast and misty.
NOTE: Coastal areas of Oregon and Washington can have a similar appearance in terms of landscape and foliage.
Shitcam is only found around Anchorage and Fairbanks, and parts of the road that connects them.
NOTE: This map shows all places where this camera can be found. Keep in mind coverage may be updated in some places, therefore you may come across regular coverage in places highlighted here.
The Denali highway, stretching from Cantwell to Paxson in central Alaska, is a mostly gravel highway in the ‘Alaska’ mountain range. This road runs generally east to west, is covered in the generation 2 camera, and was taken in late summer, so wildflowers and green shrubby plants are common.
The Steese Highway is another gravel highway that goes from Fairbanks to the town of ‘Central.’ Similar to the Denali highway, this road runs generally east to west and is covered in generation 2. The difference, however, is that the mountains along this road are noticeably lower than the ones adjacent to the Denali Highway.
Highway 5, from the Yukon border to Tetlin Junction, can be recognized by the foggy, rainy weather, and Generation 2 camera.
NOTE: The Top of the World Highway on the Canadian side also has similar weather, but is mostly paved and has no outer lines, unlike the American side, which is only paved west of Chicken, and does have outer lines.
Nome, Unalakleet and Galena are three isolated Alaskan towns which are covered only by trekker. The trekker’s lime green hat or black and white beanie can be seen.
NOTE: The trekker’s black and white bandana can only be seen in Nome.
There are two types of car and camera meta in Albania:
Coverage where the Google car has a long antenna and you can see rifts in the sky.
Coverage where the Google car has a short antenna and there are no rifts visible.
You can click on the image to enlarge it. You can also use this Maps layer to look at the coverage in more detail (credits to icraig1205).
Andorra only has Generation 2 and Generation 3 coverage. In all Generation 3 coverage, a medium-short antenna is visible on the Google car.
Generation 3 is by far the most common. Almost all of Generation 2 is overwritten and is mostly confined to a couple of smaller off-roads.
Andorra has a lot of Generation 2 snow trekkers, especially on ski resorts.
NOTE: Other countries have snow trekkers as well, but Andorra has the highest amount for its size.
The South Pole Observatory has tripod coverage going around and inside of it.
Argentina has a black Google car in Generation 3 coverage.
NOTE: Within South America, only Argentina, Peru and Uruguay have a black Google car.
Argentina also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front.
NOTE: Peru, Brazil and Argentina are the only South American countries with smallcam.
These volcanic rocks in Generation 4 coverage can only be found on the RP43 south of Antofagasta de la Sierra in northwestern Catamarca.
Sunrise coverage with bad image quality and multiple blurs is found on a short part of the RN251 and RN22, west of Río Colorado.
A long antenna can be seen in Generation 3 coverage.
Roads that start with the letter ‘C’ are only found in Victoria and Tasmania. In addition, South Australia has some C roads near the border with Victoria.
NOTE: Since these are smaller and less major roads, Generation 1 or 2 is common.
Generation 2 cannot be found in the Northern Territory.
The area around Tom Price can be recognized by its red soil, Generation 2 camera and rocky hills.
Kangaroo Island in South Australia tends to have a distinct look. The vegetation mostly consists of bushes and low, stubby eucalyptus trees with puffy clusters of leaves. The orange soil colour is reminiscent of Western Australia.
In addition, the island only has Generation 2 and Generation 4 coverage.
The Stuart Highway from Alice Springs to around Pimba, SA can be easily recognized by its bright orange dirt, short trees and blue car Generation 4.
NOTE: Use the road angle and whether there are rumble strips to determine whether you are in NT or SA. Rumble strips are much rarer on the NT side.
You can tell the three German-speaking countries apart by camera meta alone:
Austria only has Generation 3 and Generation 4 coverage (the only exceptions being Generation 2 on one road in Burgenland, and several ski resort trekkers).
Germany only has Generation 4 coverage. (the only exceptions being spills and trekkers)
Switzerland car coverage is always low-cam. This can be recognized by the much bigger car blur.
Austria also has generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Western Europe also has smallcam.
The only island with Generation 4 coverage is Ilha de São Miguel.
Shitcam coverage is found on Ilha de São Miguel and Ilha do Faial.
The car seen on São Miguel has an indentation in the centre, while the one on Faial appears as a smooth surface, sometimes with an antenna visible.
In Generation 3 coverage, these three cars can be seen in Bangladesh: the red mirror with bars, classic white and striped white car.
NOTE: The classic white car is the only car that is not unique to Bangladesh. Make sure to not mix up the striped white with the Cambodian car, since they look similar.
In Generation 4 coverage, two Street View cars can be seen in Bangladesh: a black car and a white car.
Bangladesh, as well as a variety of other countries, has received some poor quality coverage, also known as “Shitcam”. The Shitcam car colours are black and white.
NOTE: Sometimes the car colour can be fully obstructed by a big circular blur.
The Generation 4 coverage in Bangladesh will often have a smoky feel to it.
Blossoming trees are tied to coverage and seasonal metas in Bangladesh, and are only found in the states where coverage was taken during spring time - Khulna, Mymensingh and southern Dhaka.
NOTE: Beware that this is only accurate in Generation 4 coverage.
Similarly, Generation 4 coverage with 2023 written on the copyright labels can be found in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet and less commonly Chittagong.
NOTE: 2024 and 2025 now make up around half of all copyright dates. These can be found all over the country.
Shitcam coverage is only found in and around Dhaka.
Generation 3 coverage with the white Street View car can be found in Dhaka, Chattogram as well as on the highway connecting them.
Generation 3 coverage with the striped Street View car can be found mostly on yellow roads west of Dhaka.
In the city of Sylhet there will often be a guard at the side of the car visible, usually holding a hayfork. Note that this only applies to Generation 3 coverage.
The only coverage in Belarus, apart from spills, is a single walking trekker in the historic centre of Minsk.
Instead of learning a lot of country-specific clues, it is more practical to simply memorise what the trekker looks like.
You can recognise trekkers by the fact that the camera feels a bit lower than the usual Google car. In Belarus’ case, the trekker is also mostly on pedestrian-only roads.
You can find information about the border spill coverage in the Spillover Guide.
Belgium also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Western Europe also has smallcam.
Bermuda features a black Street View car with the entire front sides of the vehicle typically visible.
Coverage in Bhutan was taken by a grey Google car without an antenna.
NOTE: Bhutan is the only left hand driving country which has a grey Google car. Make sure to not mix it up with a white Google car, since they can look similar.
Bolivia only has Generation 3 camera coverage. All of the country was covered by a solid white Google car with no antenna.
NOTE: In Latin America, white cars with no antenna can also be found in Peru and Chile.
A long section of Ruta 4 has a distinctive square smudge on the front left of the camera. This coverage starts in the altiplano near Vila Vila, going east through Cochabamba, all the way to Buena Vista in the flat Amazonian part of Bolivia.
The section of Ruta 7 between Mairana and the outskirts of Santa Cruz has coverage with a camera bug that causes a visual glitch. It is a distinctive, neon-like discoloration, that (depending on the road angle) is usually more or less to your north.
NOTE: This glitch can also rarely be found in some limited areas in and around Santa Cruz. In these areas, the glitch is often not as severe.
All of Botswana was covered by a white Google car without an antenna.
NOTE: Within Africa, this car can also be found in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini.
Random small blurs are common in Botswana’s coverage. These blurs are similar to the ones found on licence plates and faces, but they cover seemingly random parts of the panorama instead. This is especially noticeable in urban areas, and mostly absent on more rural roads.
In Generation 3 coverage, you can see two different cars:
A white car with a stubby antenna. There is a diagonal coil wrapped around the antenna.
A white car with no antenna.
The car’s colour is not always visible, meaning you will often see either just the stubby antenna, or no hints of the car at all.
The stubby antenna with a diagonal coil can also be found in Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico.
The Generation 4 cars you can find in Brazil have a visible front, and have one of the following three colour patterns:
Brazil also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front.
NOTE: Brazil, Peru and Argentina are the only South American countries with smallcam.
In all Generation 4 coverage in Amapá, the front right of the camera is smudged. In addition, all Generation 4 coverage in Amapá features the white car with the blue stripe.
You can often see rifts in Alagoas Generation 3 coverage.
Northwest Rio Grande do Sul has coverage with this camera glitch in Generation 3.
The 364 through Acre is very recognisable due to the rollercoaster-like landscape and road: the road uniquely rides the hills rather than snaking around them. There is usually no traffic, and is covered mostly by Generation 3 with an antenna.
The Amazonas 319 has a very lush, bright green and tropical landscape, as it cuts through the Amazon rainforest. The road is flat and mostly unpaved, featuring bright orange soil. However, closer to Manaus the road becomes paved. There are wooden or ladder poles alongside the entire stretch. It is covered by the blue Generation 4 car.
The Pará section of the 163 is often hilly, curvy, dry, and sometimes hazy. It has a wide range of amazonian vegetation. The road is frequently trafficked, usually by transportation trucks. It is covered by the blue Generation 4 car.
Coverage was taken with a Generation 3 trekker.
There are three types of Generation 4 cars that were used to cover Bulgaria:
A blue car, which can be found in most European countries.
A red car, which is also found in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden. Of these, Russia and Slovakia are easiest to confuse with Bulgaria.
A black car, which is found in many European countries; of which Greece and Croatia are the ones more likely to be confused with Bulgaria.
All cars can be found with or without antenna. Additionally, you can also encounter coverage where the car is completely hidden.
The majority of Generation 3 coverage in Bulgaria was taken during March and April, resulting in very distinct dead-looking “winter” coverage.
NOTE: Hungary and Czechia also have a lot of similar dead-looking Generation 3 coverage. Furthermore, while not common, Bulgaria has some summer Generation 3.
You can commonly see a small piece of grey tape at the top of the car antenna in Generation 3 coverage. The community sometimes refers to it as “flag antenna”.
Not all Gen 3 coverage has this tape.
NOTE: This can also be seen in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
Locations with an invisible Generation 4 Street View car can be found along the North and West borders of Bulgaria, as well as the northern half of the coast.
A red Generation 4 Street View car is mostly found in central and southeastern Bulgaria.
This car can be found with and without an antenna.
Generation 3 coverage with a piece of tape on a short antenna can be commonly found in the eastern part of Bulgaria.
NOTE: Tape antennas can very rarely appear in other provinces, the only provinces where it’s never found are Vratsa, Montana, Pazardzhik and Smolyan.
Generation 3 locations with a taped long antenna and visible white car can be found in Stara Zagora, and rarely a few small roads in Plovdiv and Burgas.
NOTE: This combination of car and antenna can be found more commonly in other European countries as well. Make sure to use other clues.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera in Cambodia. This camera is known as the official Ari (or “Shitcam”). It has a wide circular car blur and often somewhat brownish colours. A good map will not usually include this coverage, but it is good to be aware of its existence, in order to not be caught off-guard by it.
NOTE: Within Asia, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also have shitcam coverage.
Canada has a fair amount of Generation 2 coverage, especially in rural or remote areas. Generation 2 can be recognized by the big circular car blur and the halo-like colour distortion in the sky.
NOTE: Generation 2 is very rare in the US. If you are between Canada and the US, and the location is in Generation 2, you are much more likely to be in Canada.
Generation 3 is significantly more common in Canada than in the US.
In addition, the side mirrors are blurred out differently: While they generally appear as two peaks in Canadian Gen 3 coverage, you will mostly see a single peak in the US.
Canada also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot. When the car isn’t blurred properly, you will usually see a mirror sticking out on the right side.
Yukon has a very northern, boreal landscape that is mostly hilly, sometimes with large mountains in the distance. Coniferous trees line the roads and the further north you go, the thinner and shorter the trees get. Older Generation 2 coverage is common in this region.
The Dempster Highway (road numbers 5 and 8) connects the Klondike Highway (road number 2) in Yukon with the remote town of Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.
It is very recognizable: it is an unpaved road with Generation 2 coverage, dark brown soil, and a tundra landscape with short trees. It is mostly hilly and mountainous, but the section between Fort McPherson and Inuvik is flat. Closer to Inuvik, the weather gets cloudy.
The Top of the World Highway west of Dawson City in Yukon has overcast Generation 2 coverage and is located mostly high up in the mountains, making it recognizable.
The Trans-Labrador Highway (road numbers 500 and 510) is a recognizable road, covered by Generation 4, mostly during sunny weather conditions. Thin pine trees line the side of the road, and it has a remote, cold, and northern feel. On many parts of the road, the sun is low in the sky. In addition, when the car drives past the city of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, it is common to see snow on the ground.
QC-167 and QC-113 are covered in Gen 3 and identifiable for their overcast autumn coverage, often with snow on the ground. In addition, a smudge can be seen on this road.
Cambridge Bay is the only Nunavut settlement to have Generation 2 trekker coverage.
Chile has a solid white Google Car with no antenna in Generation 3. There are two variants:
A plain white car (left).
A white car with a visible black section (right). This car is unique to Chile.
A blue Google Car can be seen in Generation 4.
NOTE: In Generation 3, a plain white Google Car with no antenna can also be seen in Peru and Bolivia.
The A-31 can be recognised by its high altitude, with a steep drop into a valley to the north. The road also has Gen 3 sunset coverage.
Generation 4 sunset coverage can be seen on Ruta 21 from Calama to San Francisco de Chiu Chiu. In the west near Calama, the sun has just started to set, causing a giant white dome in the sky. In the east, the sky has a warm gradient, and the tops of the volcanoes are seen glowing pink.
More Generation 4 Sunset coverage can be seen on B-710 and Ruta 5.
On the B-710, a slight ridge can be seen to the west, while Ruta 5 is more open. Make sure to use the road angle or other clues before guessing.
All official coverage in mainland China is taken with a tripod. Objects in the image will usually have motion blur, and slightly saturated colours.
NOTE: Hong Kong and Macau both have full Google Car coverage.
A separate Plonk It guide to Hong Kong can be found here. The Macau guide can be found here.
An exception to the road coverage mostly having car meta is the coastal Jln Pantai road, where a regular trekker was used. On this road, you will not see the back of the car, just a trekker blur.
In Generation 3 coverage, a short thick antenna is sometimes visible with a black, white or grey car. In Generation 4 coverage, a white or silver car is commonly found.
NOTE: Within the Americas, you can also find the antenna in Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil. However, Colombia is the only country with this antenna on a black Google car.
A camera glitch that makes a part of the image look very saturated can be found in southern Colombia.
Costa Rica’s Generation 4 imagery was captured using a large white pickup truck. In many locations, it is either fully or partially visible, but can occasionally be entirely blurred out. There is an antenna attached to the front of the car.
NOTE: The Panamanian truck has a distinctive white metal frame behind the driver’s cabin and a fully blurred out car is more common there. The truck used in Ecuador does not have an antenna.
Southwest of La Fortuna, near the Fortuna Waterfall, you’ll find a Generation 4 trekker taken by Rainbolt on a downhill trail with many stair segments. It concludes at a waterfall. You can recognise it from his brown hair or the camera crew following him.
West of La Fortuna, in the Puentes Colgantes Arenal, Mistico Park, there is another trekker on a tropical trail, taken by a black-haired individual.
Generation 3 coverage in Costa Rica is very limited, consisting of numerous trekkers in and around San José and by the northern west coast. There is also coverage on Cocos Island, located 500 kilometres southwest of the coast, as well as a boat trekker around Caño Island by the southern west coast.
Croatia has long, white licence plates. Some plates have a blue strip on the left, some are fully white. Most cars seen in Generation 3 will not feature a blue strip on their licence plates. In addition, there is a mix of cars with or without blue strips in Generation 4, with blue strips more common on newer cars.
NOTE: Blue strips are more common along the coast due to travelling tourists from other EU countries such as Italy.
Generation 3 coverage often has a non-standard car blur where the side mirrors of the car are partially visible. This is not unique to Croatia, but by far most common there.
NOTE: Sometimes, you can see a small circular yellow sticker on the car mirror. This sticker is unique to Croatia.
A black generation 4 car that will never have an antenna can be found in Croatia.
NOTE: A black car can be found in many European countries, though it will often have an antenna visible.
A white generation 4 car that will never have an antenna can be found in Croatia.
NOTE: A white car can be found in many European countries, though it will often have an antenna visible.
Croatia does not have Generation 2 car coverage. However, in some historic downtown areas, a Generation 2 trekker camera was used.
NOTE: In some of this trekker coverage, the Google employee’s red cap is visible.
Croatia’s capital Zagreb has a distinct big city feel. Apartment blocks can be seen throughout the city. The northern part of the city is hilly. Furthermore, Zagreb has blue electric trams.
NOTE: In addition to regular car coverage, Zagreb also has various urban sidewalk trekkers, often made with a Generation 2 camera.
Most coverage on the island was taken with a Generation 4 “smallcam”, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, with a short antenna sometimes visible on the back.
NOTE: Greece also has a significant amount of smallcam coverage, but will never have a visible antenna.
Famagusta can easily be recognised by the mostly flat landscape, with lots of red fields. Maybe more importantly though, all of the coverage is shitcam.
NOTE: Shitcam is quite rare in the rest of Cyprus.
A car antenna with a grey piece of tape stuck to the top can be seen on much of the Generation 3 coverage in Czechia and Slovakia.
NOTE: This can also be seen in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
A red generation 4 Google car can be found in both Czechia and Slovakia.
NOTE: A red car can be found in other European countries too.
A black generation 4 Google car can also be found in both Czechia and Slovakia.
NOTE: A black car can be found in many other European countries too.
These black signs can often be found by the end of bridges in Generation 4 coverage. The road number is displayed on the left.
Much of Czech Generation 3 coverage was taken during winter, resulting in very grey, and occasionally snowy, coverage.
NOTE: This is not common in Slovakia.
A white Google car is present in Czechia but not Slovakia.
NOTE: Other European countries can have a white Google Car.
While rare, it is possible to find Generation 2 in Czechia.
NOTE: Slovakia does not have any Generation 2.
The island of Anholt only has Generation 2 coverage, with distinct gloomy, overcast weather. A large portion of coverage is recognizable due to the sandy dirt on the roadside.
All Generation 3 coverage is made with a white car, with a short and thick antenna (“stubby antenna”). The antenna and or car are not always visible.
NOTE: Mexico, Brazil and Colombia can also have this same short antenna.
This antenna on a black car can only be found in Colombia, which can help with tough 50-50s with Ecuador. Note that Colombia can also simply have a white car.
All Generation 4 coverage was captured using a white pickup truck with a black trunk and no antenna.
NOTE: The pickup truck in Panama and Costa Rica has an antenna on the front.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera in Ecuador. This camera is known as the official Ari (or “Shitcam”). It has a wide circular car blur and often somewhat brownish colours. You will sometimes see a unique red logo at the front of the car.
NOTE: Within Latin America, Ecuador is the only country that has shitcam coverage.
Generation 4 coverage is found in most of Ecuador, with notable gaps in the northwest and southeast.
Egypt has very sparse coverage. The entirety of the coverage is in Generation 3, made with a trekker camera. Trekkers can be recognized by the fact that the camera is lower to the ground, having smaller blurs, and no car shadow.
Instead of learning a lot of country-specific clues, it is more practical to simply memorise what the trekkers look like. There are seven sections of coverage, each centred around historic places of interest, ranging from the Pyramids to Coptic churches and medieval citadels.
The coverage is limited to two general areas:
Cairo: four trekkers.
Alexandria: three trekkers, two of which are fairly far outside the city to its southwest (Monastery of Saint Mina and nearby archeological excavations).
Generation 3 coverage in Estonia often has a slight green tint to part of the panorama, which is referred to as “green blur” by the community.
For many players, this green blur can be hard to identify at first. The location shown in this tip’s image is a fairly extreme example. To familiarise you with how it might look in-game, here are some more examples where it is fairly visible: 1, 2, 3, 4.
NOTE: This discoloration usually does not occur in Latvia and Lithuania.
!!It can however also be found in Sweden, often on the island of Gotland.
The Generation 3 coverage in Estonia is more extensive than the other two Baltic countries, meaning that a lot of very rural roads are covered. As a result, if you are considering guessing in one of the Baltic countries, and your location is Generation 3 on a very thin and rural road, you are slightly more likely to be in Estonia.
Of course, use caution. This meta has many variables, and is not always reliable. Only use it as a last resort in no-info Baltic roulette rounds, when you have no better clues available.
Kihnu is a small island off the coast that has recognizable coverage:
All coverage is Generation 4, taken during late autumn (recognizable by the fallen brown leaves on the ground).
Noticeably, it has a very moody, dark cloud cover, taken close to sunset.
If you see a combination of these two things, Kihnu is a good place to guess.
NOTE: Near Tartu you can also get a fair amount of autumn coverage, sometimes with a fair amount of cloud cover.
All of Eswatini was covered by a white Google car without an antenna.
NOTE: Within Africa, this car can also be found in South Africa, Lesotho and Botswana.
The MR3 South of Ngomane can be recognized thanks to flatness, long dry grass and the dirt on the camera.
The Falkland Islands are a British Overseas Territory east of the Tierra del Fuego Province of Argentina. As such, for country streaks purposes, it is counted as the UK.
Coverage is very limited: there are only a couple of Generation 3 trekkers. The trekkers are all located on and around three islands in the western part of the territory:
Carcass Island
West Point Island
New Island
Due to the sparse nature of the coverage, that is also entirely not on any streets, it is not useful to learn any territory identification metas. Instead, it is better to just memorise what the trekkers look like.
The generation 4 coverage was captured with a black pickup truck with an antenna on the front. The truck is always blurred.
NOTE: The truck in Iceland does not have a similar antenna.
All Generation 3 car coverage on the Faroe Islands has a black Street View car with a plain grey roof rack.
NOTE: No other country with a similar landscape has a car similar to this.
A lot of Generation 3 coverage was taken in autumn, meaning that trees in this coverage often have distinct fall colours.
NOTE: This is significantly less common in Generation 3 coverage in the other Nordics. This means that when you are faced with a tough decision between countries, a fall vibe can be a good clue for Finland.
Take note that this season meta is not present in Generation 2 and Generation 4 coverage.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera in Finland. This camera is known as the official Ari (or “Shitcam”). It has a wide circular car blur, and can be distinguished from Generation 2 by its lack of a sky halo and often somewhat brownish colours. A good map will not usually include this coverage, but it is good to be aware of its existence, in order to not be caught off-guard by it.
NOTE: Within Europe, Finland and Spain are the countries that have the most coverage with this camera. This camera should not be confused with unofficial coverage, which is also common in Finland.
Finland also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: All of Northern Europe also has smallcam.
Generation 3 snow coverage is only found in far northwestern Lapland.
NOTE: Be careful: this tip is specifically about regular Generation 3 coverage. Generation 2, 4, and trekker snow coverage can be found elsewhere.
Generation 3 coverage with no antenna at all can be found in south-central Finland.
Road 970 in the far north, on the border with Norway, is easily recognizable: it runs through a river valley with hills on both sides. The river is visible in many places, usually to the northwest. The birch trees around the road are small and stunted.
NOTE: The Generation 3 coverage on this road was taken in the autumn, meaning that the vegetation looks dead and mostly devoid of leaves.
Downtown Helsinki has a lot of Generation 4 sidewalk trekker coverage.
NOTE: This tip is specifically about Generation 4 trekker coverage. Generation 3 sidewalk trekkers can be found in many other Finnish cities.
France has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Western Europe also has smallcam.
On the Breton island Belle-Île-en-Mer you can find houses typical for Brittany combined with colourful façades and outlines, superficially similar to houses in Portugal.
NOTE: The entire island was only covered with an often oversaturated Generation 2 camera.
On rare occasions, you may find a flag attached to the antenna in the generation 3 coverage. While much of the highlighted areas has been overwritten, learning the distribution of each antenna can yield very high scores.
NOTE: All pictured colourful antenna flags are unique to France.
All car coverage in Germany was taken with a Generation 4 camera.
NOTE: There are some Generation 2 and 3 trekkers, and spill coverage with older dates.
You can find this rare white and black Generation 4 car in Hamburg and around Frankfurt.
NOTE: You can also find the same car around London and in Ireland.
Lowcam coverage can be found around Singen and near Switzerland.
You can find a Generation 3 black car in this safari park southeast of Bielefeld.
You can commonly see 4x4s painted with a zebra pattern in the park.
NOTE: This car is unique to this park within all of Europe.
This rare Generation 3 car coverage with an antenna can be found in central Hamburg.
All regular road coverage in Ghana was made with a unique Google car. It has a visible roof rack with a piece of black tape on the right end of the front bar. In addition, the hood of the car is usually visible, showing a street view car wrapping that features a red rectangle and some other recognizable elements. Normally, this unique car is all you need to identify Ghana.
NOTE: Several natural reserves were covered with different unique cars.
The Ankasa Game Reserve has a unique Google car. The entire front of the Google car can be seen, with only the actual camera blurred. The roof of the car will have a street view vinyl and the ‘Ghana tape’ will be present.
All coverage in Gibraltar is Generation 3. The car will always have a unique long antenna with a silver tip, often referred to simply as the “Gibraltar antenna” by the community.
NOTE: This antenna can also be found in parts of Spain, but nowhere else in Europe. In addition, the parts of Spain where this antenna can be found do not border Gibraltar.
Greece has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
Greece has a lot of Generation 3 winter and fall coverage, which tends to look somewhat bleak and depressing.
Greece is a country with many small islands, some with coverage and some without. Furthermore, while mainland Greece and Crete have all three camera generations, this will not be true for most islands.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
All coverage in Greenland was taken with a Generation 3 trekker camera, which was often attached to a variety of vehicles.
Most locations with coverage will have their own odd and unique Street View vehicles, ranging from a red tractor to a snowmobile with a large box at the front.
While Nuuk is most easily recognized by the grey Street View car, it can also be recognized by being the largest city by far.
Hawaii has a large amount of Generation 4 "smallcam" coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front, with parts of the car being visible. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
A stubby antenna can be seen in most Generation 3 coverage on Hawaii.
NOTE: The antenna is not always visible, so make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
Hawaii has a fair amount of Generation 2 coverage, compared to other US states. Especially on more rural roads.
NOTE: Generation 2 can be recognized by the lower quality camera, and circular blur above and below the camera.
On the three largest islands, namely Hawaiʻi, Maui and Oʻahu, smallcam coverage was taken with a black Google car.
Generation 2 and non-smallcam Generation 4 coverage can only be found on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Maui and Oʻahu. The other islands only have Generation 3 or smallcam coverage.
Rural roads going through forests within a flat landscape are commonly found south of the city of Hilo, on the island of Hawaiʻi.
NOTE: Mountainous forests are dotted around Hawaii, but if you are in one, and you see red soil with Generation 3, consider guessing in Kauaʻi, the westernmost covered island.
It is somewhat common to see a small, grey flag on the antenna of Generation 3 Google cars in Hungary.
NOTE: This is also seen in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
A white generation 4 Google car can also rarely be found in Hungary.
NOTE: It can also be found in other European countries.
A black generation 4 car that will never have an antenna can be found in Hungary.
NOTE: A black car can be found in many European countries, though it will often have an antenna visible.
The majority of Generation 3 coverage in Hungary was taken during winter, resulting in very grey, dead looking coverage.
NOTE: This is also common in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
The Generation 4 coverage was captured with red and white pickup trucks, which have been well blurred.
The Generation 3 Google car in Iceland is a white car with a long antenna.
The vast majority of the coverage in India was taken with what’s commonly referred to as “shitcam”, which is a low-quality camera that can typically be recognised by the brownish colours and often, but not always, by a large circular blur covering the Street View car.
NOTE: Within Asia, Nepal is also entirely “shitcam”, while it’s also common in Cambodia and can rarely be seen in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
All the Generation 4 coverage in India was taken using the smallcam, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
While most of India is covered in shitcam, there is also a significant amount of Generation 3 trekkers throughout the country.
Black Generation 3 coverage can be found almost everywhere in Indonesia, but is most common in Sulawesi.
In some of the Generation 4 coverage in the city of Batam, a purple tint and a black blurred object can be seen. Although this camera glitch is most commonly found in Batam, you may spot it in nearby regions such as North Sumatra, around Medan. Make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
All of the coverage in Iraq is taken by a trekker with a camera similar to Gen 2 but with distinctly worse image quality and colour. This coverage tends to be overexposed, even becoming blindingly so at some points.
NOTE: This camera quality is sometimes referred to as Gen 1.5.
The trekker blur has a well-defined, pointed shape.
Ireland has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
If a very small rural road has Generation 4 coverage and is located in an unusually hilly landscape, you are likely to be in Donegal.
Note that this meta only applies to the smallest roads: thin, without road lines, and sometimes with grass in the middle. This type of coverage is also not exclusive to Donegal, it is just likely to be there.
One noteworthy area in the east is the Wicklow Mountains, just south of Dublin. They can look deceptively similar to the western coastal mountains. It can be very hard, if not downright impossible to distinguish these two areas.
Two things to look out for:
You will never see the coast from the Wicklow mountains.
Like Donegal, its small roads are mostly covered with Generation 4 instead of the Generation 2 that is more typically associated with small roads in the west.
An electrical vehicle (EV) with a Generation 4 camera was used to cover most of Eastern Ireland and parts of the Northwest. The back of the EV is visible in all this coverage: it is grey with a black semicircle.
Note that not all Generation 4 coverage in and around Dublin is made with this car. A considerable amount still has the regular blue Generation 4 car.
Coverage on the Isle of Man is limited to Generation 2.
This camera can be recognized by the lower camera quality and circular blur above and below. Colours will also seem slightly off.
Most Generation 3 coverage was taken by a black Street View car with a long antenna.
You may also see the black car without an antenna and a silver car with a short antenna.
Generation 4 coverage is only found in Israel, in the areas marked on the map.
The coverage was taken with a black Street View car.
Most of the Generation 4 coverage features a dirty front camera.
Generation 4 coverage with a clean front camera is mostly found in and around Tel Aviv.
This larger white Citroën follow car with a West Bank licence plate can be found in a region surrounding Jerusalem. It is noticeably found in the cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
NOTE: The side of this car features the text “SECURITY” in a bold font. Furthermore, this coverage will always feature a black Street View car with no antenna.
Italy has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
The island of San Domino only has overcast Generation 2 coverage, which mostly looks quite gloomy.
The appearance of the standard Japanese Google car is often black and white. You may find it in black or rarely with an antenna.
In addition, due to privacy reasons, the camera is intentionally set lower to the ground. This is known as low-cam. You can identify it by:
Looking downwards. The blur will be noticeably larger.
The road will look wider, and objects will be viewed from a lower perspective.
NOTE: The only other country that always has low-cam is Switzerland. It can also be seen in Generation 4 coverage in Sri Lanka. Also, the car will be blurred in Switzerland.
There are a variety of trekkers and tripods, covering a vast amount of locations which span over multiple prefectures and regions.
Due to the enormous volume of information on this topic, and it being too large to be contained in this guide, we recommend this resource to learn more about the various trekkers.
The island is shaped by a unique mix of British and Norman influences. The many winding roads and hedgerows are reminiscent of English country lanes, with tree-covered roads being particularly common. However, due to Jersey’s unique geographical position, most coverage features sunny weather.
All images were taken by a Generation 2 camera.
Coverage in Jordan was taken by a black Google car, without a red brake light.
NOTE: Jordan is the only Middle Eastern country where a black Google car without an antenna or a red brake light can be found.
All of the coverage in Kazakhstan was taken with a white pickup truck, which can either be fully visible or mostly blurred.
Kenya has many unique Google cars, almost all of which will have visible car meta. In Generation 3 you will typically see a car with a roof rack and a snorkel. In Generation 4 you will always have a large pickup truck, which will either be white or grey. The grey car comes in two slightly different variations, of which one can either be with or without a snorkel.
It is the only country other than Mongolia with a snorkel.
NOTE: You can see National Park Cars in other countries with a snorkel on the front of the vehicle. Each vehicle will have its own distinct look.
While the vast majority of Kenyan car coverage has a visible Street View car, it is possible to find Generation 3 coverage with no visible car.
This Generation 3 grey car with a large snorkel is mostly found in the west, but can also be found in the Mombasa and Nairobi areas, and regions east of Nairobi near Kitui.
NOTE: Most Generation 3 coverage has been overridden by Generation 4.
This Generation 3 black car with a small snorkel is mostly found in the east of the country. You can also see it north and south of Nairobi.
NOTE: Most Generation 3 coverage has been overridden by Generation 4.
Kenya has mostly Generation 4 coverage covered by a large grey Google car, with or without a snorkel. There are many metas regarding Generation 4, too many in fact to break down here.
RESOURCE: Therefore, please use this document. It covers this area in depth, and was created by snowf_lake.
Key meta information can be found in the tips below. Other less extensive, but still noteworthy car meta, can be found in the spotlight section.
You can see pieces of white tape on the roof of the Google car in a lot of the coverage north and south of Nairobi.
Mara Triangle has no considerable mountains and most of it is either flat or hilly. It has a white car that can be found in other Kenyan National Parks. Generation 4 coverage exists there as well.
The area surrounding and between Kerio and Lodwar uses the same car as the Aberdare National Park, but with a vastly different landscape. It is very sandy, dry, and has little vegetation.
You may also find yourself in Generation 3 coverage without car meta.
Kyrgyzstan can be recognised from the silver car and four bars that are visible. All coverage is Generation 3.
NOTE: No other country with a similar landscape has a similar Street View car.
You can use the Google car’s mirror to region-guess Kyrgyzstan. In the southern region, less of the road is visible on the mirror. The car’s reflection is more diagonal. For comparison, this is what it usually looks like.
This slightly northeast-bound road north of Bishkek can easily be recognised from the sunset coverage.
Street View coverage in Laos is very limited. Only five cities are covered: Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, and Pakse.
In addition, all coverage in Laos was taken by a Generation 3 camera.
All five cities have a distinct look and with some practise they are easily distinguishable from each other. The differences are discussed in more detail in the region-guessing section, but the summarized version is as follows:
Luang Prabang: historical architecture, hills, palms
Vang Vieng: distinct mountains
Vientiane: no roof rack, large city
Savannakhet: very flat
Pakse: red soil, arid, hills
A red generation 4 Google car can be found in Latvia.
NOTE: It can also be found in a few other European countries, including Lithuania, but not Estonia.
A black generation 4 Google car can also be found in Latvia.
NOTE: It can also be found in many other European countries, including Lithuania, but not Estonia.
Lebanon is currently the only Middle Eastern country that has official shitcam coverage.
Apart from the shitcam, all of the Lebanese coverage was taken with a Generation 3 trekker.
The Generation 3 trekker coverage in Lebanon is extremely limited, mostly being found around tourist attractions, university campuses and trails. Note that due to the large number of distinct trekkers, this guide will only cover those that are considered pinpointable.
All coverage in Lesotho is Generation 3. In almost all locations, the back of a white Google car without an antenna is visible.
NOTE: The other three southern African countries of Eswatini, Botswana and South Africa also have the same white car in Generation 3 coverage.
While Botswana and Eswatini only have Generation 3 coverage, South Africa also has Generation 2 and Generation 4 coverage. In addition, Generation 3 coverage is somewhat rare in South Africa.
All coverage in Liechtenstein is low-cam. This means that the camera on the Google car is intentionally set up lower than in most other countries. This can be recognized in two ways:
The car blur is significantly bigger.
Roads look wider and objects around you are seen from a lower angle.
Generally, the bigger car blur is the most consistent way to recognize low-cam.
NOTE: The only other countries that always have low-cam are Switzerland and Japan.
In Generation 3 coverage, you will often see random small blurs. These blurs look similar to the ones that are used to blur out licence plates or faces, but instead they cover seemingly random parts of the image – often on direction signs.
NOTE: This is also common in the Russian oblast of Kaliningrad, just to the southwest of Lithuania.
!!These random blurs are not typically found in Estonia or Latvia.
A black generation 4 Google car can be found in Lithuania.
NOTE: It can also be found in a few other European countries, including Latvia, but not Estonia.
A red generation 4 Google car can also be found in Lithuania.
NOTE: It can also be found in a few other European countries, including Latvia, but not Estonia.
The Curonian Spit is a long thin sand-dune spit south of Klaipeda, that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea. The main road on this spit, road 167, has a recognizable combination of landscape and road direction:
The road is surrounded on all sides by forest with many Baltic pines. In many places, you will see slightly windswept trees (visible in the example image).
Almost all coverage in Luxembourg is either Generation 2 or Generation 4.
Generation 3 is rare, but does exist.
Some of Luxembourg City’s downtown area was covered by a Generation 3 urban trekker. Occasionally, the trekker’s sunglasses and greying hair can be seen.
Coverage in Macau is limited to Generation 2.
Generation 2 can be recognized by the lower camera quality and circular blur above and below the camera. Colours will also seem slightly off.
The coverage in Macau specifically is some of the oldest Generation 2 available, meaning that the colours look even more washed out and overexposed than usual. This can be a great way to identify the Macau coverage in the absence of other clues.
A hilly, rural region of Macau can be found in the south. Roads are narrow, winding up hills with trees on both sides. A helpful clue are the lamp posts, which are commonly seen.
When this area appears in a world map, it can be confusing to newer players, as there are very few language or architecture clues available. The washed out early Generation 2 coverage can help with identifying it as being located in Macau.
All coverage in Madagascar was taken with a Generation 3 trekker camera.
NOTE: While there are some unusual vehicles seen on some of the coverage, the camera and blur is still the same.
A car with a barely visible grey metal roof rack can be seen by Manahy. There are some locations where the car is completely blurred out, where the shape of the blur is the best indication of the area.
A second Trekker, going to the northeast of Andavadoaka can be recognized by a person with a light blue T-shirt.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera on Madeira, commonly known as the official Ari (or "shitcam"). It has a wide circular car blur and makes the image appear rather gloomy. On Madeira, you will often see the unblurred back of a white car.
A good map will usually not include this coverage, but it is good to be aware of its existence, in order not to be caught off-guard.
Black pole stickers are most commonly found on the mainland.
NOTE: The black stickers on Borneo only exist in Generation 4 coverage.
Mali has very limited coverage. There are only ten small trekkers, divided over seven locations. Instead of learning a lot of country-specific clues, it is more practical to simply memorise what the trekkers look like.
All this trekker coverage is made with a regular consumer-grade camera on a tripod. This gives all the coverage a very peculiar and recognizable look, which is different from the normal backpack trekkers. It can have a slightly ‘ethereal’ look to it, but it is recommended to simply click on a few of the locations to get a feeling for what it looks like. Objects in the image will usually have motion blur, and slightly saturated colours.
From here on, the Mali tripod trekkers will be simply referred to as “tripods”.
NOTE: Tripods can also be found in several other countries.
Martinique, officially the Department of Martinique, is an overseas department and region of France, in the Caribbean between Dominica and St Lucia. As such, for country streaks purposes, it is counted as France.
Coverage is very limited: there are just three Generation 3 trekkers. Instead of learning metas to identify the territory, it is more useful to just memorise what the trekkers look like.
Mexico is one of very few Latin American countries that has Generation 2 coverage.
NOTE: Brazil has some Generation 2, but it is considerably more rare, as most of it is overwritten.
The Generation 3 coverage in Mexico mainly feature two cars:
A white car with a stubby antenna. There is a diagonal coil wrapped around the antenna.
A white car with a more visible back and a long red brake light instead of an antenna.
It is possible to find a white car without a stubby antenna, but with a tiny sliver visible where the antenna should be.
The Generation 4 cars in Mexico commonly have a visible front and can feature various different colour patterns. The three most common ones are:
Blue
White with a blue stripe
Black
In the harbour, there is an extensive Generation 3 trekker on a boat. The Google employee’s brown hair and sunglasses are visible. You can see Monaco’s skyline and the hills beyond it. There are a lot of expensive yachts around.
This trekker shows up a lot in the official competitive game modes, so it is worth remembering.
Mongolia very often has a visible Street View car as all of Mongolian coverage was driven with a large pickup truck. The truck can have several features such as a tent on top, red side-view mirrors, a snorkel, and roof-racks. All of these can be of help in identifying Mongolia.
The capital city, Ulaanbaatar, is by far the biggest city in Mongolia, with about 50% of the entire country's population living in it. As such, its urban development and sheer size is unlike anywhere else in Mongolia. The cityscape is bustling with many high rise buildings, chain stores, travelling cars, buses, and pedestrians, as well as clean roads and sidewalks. Meanwhile, the suburbs can be recognized from the vast yurt districts in hilly areas. Generation 4 coverage is common, however Generation 3 winter coverage is also common to see in the suburbs.
A Street View car with no tent can be seen in and around the capital city. It is generally found on a northwest diagonal going through Ulaanbaatar. Southeast of Ulaanbaatar, on the Choir highway, the car will have a double mirror on the left as well as a backward facing snorkel.
Driving direction is especially useful with this car as it is always travelling away from the capital.
Generation 4 coverage in eastern Mongolia uses a silver pick-up truck with a large metal box and shovel on the roof. The car was sponsored by Bodi Group, however camera stitching generally hides one of the letters.
Generation 4 coverage in western Mongolia uses a silver pick-up truck with a big light blue tent. Different variations of the tent can be useful for narrowing down the region.
Arvaikheer is a large central town recognizable by the warm, green, and grassy landscape in gen 4, with low rolling hills in every direction. Often you can see the town’s ferris wheel in a park in the centre of town.
NOTE: In older coverage, a distinct camera smudge can be seen on the right side of the camera.
Mongolia has four main areas of nighttime coverage. Those areas are:
All of these locations are driving towards town. Driving direction and car meta can help identify which area of nighttime coverage you are in.
All of the road coverage in Nepal was taken with what’s commonly referred to as “shitcam”, which is a low-quality camera that can typically be recognised by the brownish colours and often, but not always, by a large circular blur covering the Street View car.
NOTE: Shitcam coverage is also very common in India and can rarely be found in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
An orange google car can be found around:
Nepalgunj in the west
Madi, south of Bharatpur in the central south
Biratnagar in the east
Birtamod in the far east.
The southernmost trekker coverage is situated in the town of Lukla, which can be recognised by the narrow street with relatively large buildings, combined with the extremely dark coverage.
Some Generation 4 coverage has a car blur glitch where the black back of the Google car is visible.
The Netherlands also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Western Europe also has smallcam.
Hawke’s Bay has dry, golden grassy hills, and in Generation 4 it will be sunny with a white Street View car.
Generation 2 coverage and gravel roads are particularly common in the Northland region.
NOTE: These tips do not exclusively indicate Northland. Be sure to use other clues when making guesses.
A typical bollard but with a black stripe instead of a red one is commonly found in Wellington, especially in older Generation 3 coverage.
This Street View car features a white-blue-white pattern which is blurred out, and is mainly found on the South Island or around and north of Auckland.
Stewart Island only has coverage around the settlement of Oban. It is easily recognized due to the distinct bay, which is often filled with small boats. There is only Generation 3 camera coverage.
A visible Street View car is present in most of the coverage, being a pickup truck with the cab and bed visible. The colour of the cab and other features of it varies. In Generation 3, a roof rack is present. You may also find a large blur covering the entire pickup truck.
Within mainland Africa, Nigeria is currently the only country to have this low-quality coverage, known as official ari, or “shitcam”.
Knowing where you can find each generation is very useful. Notably, Generation 3 is not found north of Abuja.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
Generation 4 is not found in the northwest or far south. Shitcam is now found in most of Nigeria.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
A flat landscape with coastal vegetation and many palms can be seen east of Lekki. The ground is very sandy. Almost all of the coverage is old Generation 3, with a silver follow car.
The A3 going east of Potiskum to the Borno State border can be recognized by the Generation 4 coverage, mostly open arid landscape, and the highway being divided.
This variant of shitcam with a distinct blue tint can be found in these areas.
This map shows where each old Generation 3 follow car can be found. They are uncommon, but can still be useful to know.
NOTE: The A121 is not shown on the map as it is recognizable from other clues. This silver Lexus, not shown on the map, can rarely be seen on the highway between Onitsha and Enugu.
All coverage in North Macedonia is Generation 3. There will never be an antenna on the Google car.
Every other country in Europe will sometimes or always have an antenna in Generation 3 coverage. For clarity’s sake: this means that cars with no antenna can be found outside North Macedonia.
NOTE: The only other country to have no antenna the majority of the time is Serbia, although there will be an antenna sometimes.
You can sometimes see some smudges on the camera. If you see one black smudge on the camera, you will most likely be on the A3 between Bitola and Prilep, or the R1302 in the far east. Keep in mind smudges can be randomly seen throughout the country.
The only island with car coverage is the main island of Saipan. The islands north of that have no coverage. Tinian and Sinapalu south of Saipan only have tripod coverage.
Norway has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Northern Europe also has smallcam.
The coverage in Oman was taken with a white pickup truck. In most locations, the truck is fully blurred out, however you may sometimes see the antenna or the front of the car.
Masirah Island features a dry and slightly hilly landscape, typically with somewhat grey soil and with brown shrubs visible. Road 51, which circulates the island, usually only has a white centre road line, which can help in recognising it. The front camera on the island is slightly smudged.
Coverage in Pakistan was mainly taken with a Generation 3 trekker camera.
In Gen 3 coverage, Peru uses a solid black or white Google car.
NOTE: In South America, these two cars are limited to the following countries:
The black Google car is only found in Peru, Argentina and Uruguay.
The white Google car is only found in Peru, Bolivia and Chile.
An important thing to note is that Peru has Generation 4 Street View coverage, whereas the neighbouring country of Bolivia does not. While Ecuador does have some Generation 4 coverage, it will always have a large pickup truck.
Peru also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front.
NOTE: Peru, Brazil and Argentina are the only South American countries with smallcam.
The 1N near the Piura and Lambayeque border has a distinct looking landscape. It features a semidesert landscape and has overcast coverage in Generation 3. The new Generation 4 is drier but still looks somewhat similar.
The 1S south of the city of Ica is not divided and mostly follows the coast. The soil is often red or orange in these areas, and there is little-to-no vegetation. This road is also entirely covered with the Generation 4 camera.
Ruta 28B between the towns of Kimbiri and Echarate is a paved road with very faded or missing road lines. It is also characterised by being a relatively small road with Generation 4 coverage, which hugs the hillside and is located next to a river valley.
Iquitos is a city in northeast Peru. It is an isolated city with only Generation 3 Street View coverage. Three-wheeled tuk-tuks, overcast skies, and rolling Amazonian landscapes are commonly seen in the area. This coverage is isolated from other areas of northern Peru.
In Generation 3 you can come across a white Street View car with the black roof clearly visible.
You may also come across a silvery grey car, which is also found in Bhutan.
An orange Street View car with visible side mirrors can be found on Corregidor Island.
All coverage was taken with a Generation 3 trekker.
A black generation 4 Google car can rarely be found in Poland.
NOTE: It can also be found in many other European countries.
A white generation 4 Google car can also rarely be found in Poland.
NOTE: It can also be found in other European countries.
Portugal has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
Nearly all of the coverage was captured with smallcam, a variant of Generation 4, which in this case can be recognised by the wide blur and antenna that is often visible. The camera is lower and the front blur more round than pickup truck blurs.
The Generation 3 Street View car found in Puerto Rico has an antenna at the front right. The antenna has a small white dot on the tip.
NOTE: The Google car on Guam and NMI also have an antenna at the front right. Make sure to look out for other clues before guessing.
Réunion has a Street View car with visible side mirrors, a roof rack, and black tape at the end of the rear right bar.
NOTE: Make sure not to get this confused with the Ghana car, which has tape on the front right bar.
You can spot this rectangular blur on the front camera in all the coverage going north of Saint-Louis.
If you see a mountainous landscape in Generation 2, you are likely close to Brașov.
Flat landscapes in Generation 2 are mostly found near Bucharest.
Three Generation 3 Street View cars are commonly found in Russia. The two most useful ones for recognising Russia are a black and a white car, both with a long antenna. You may also see a short antenna without a visible car.
A presence of Siberian larches and large mountains on a mostly paved, but sometimes wide-gravel road indicates the main road south of Yakutsk, with Generation 4 white car appearing north of Berkakit.
The coverage in Omsk Oblast is some of the most recognizable in Russia. It is typically summer Generation 4 and has a distinct landscape consisting of green agricultural fields, which are interrupted by isolated patches of (primarily) birch forest.
Note that in Generation 3, this landscape can be seen in a much larger area of Russia.
NOTE: This combination of coverage and landscape spills over slightly into the neighbouring Tyumen and Novosibirsk Oblasts (in the south, and near Tatarsk, respectively).
Grassy fields, with bushy vegetation, in early spring Generation 4 coverage is typical for Dagestan. The landscape can either be completely flat or mountainous. These flowers are also quite common in the Generation 4 Dagestan coverage.
Autumn Generation 3 coverage is common in Kaliningrad, Bryansk, Tula, and Belgorod in western Russia, but Kaliningrad only has autumn coverage.
Generation 4 coverage is quite extensive and is found in most federal subjects in the country. Notably, areas like the Altai mountains and most of the Far East lack Generation 4 completely. Knowing where Generation 4 can be found isn’t the most helpful at the beginner level; other clues like season and car are more important. The dark red signifies areas where all of the coverage is Generation 4.
Winter Generation 4 is most common in the south of Russia, ranging from Ryazan all the way down to Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan. Winter can appear differently depending on the month (and even time of month the coverage was taken) which can be used to further regionguess.
Summer Generation 4 is the most common coverage in generation 4. It is pretty much everywhere except in the south and some of the east, but can be further subdivided by car colour.
Autumn Generation 4 is quite rare and only found around Kazan and a few roads in Murmansk, as well as some of Ulan-Ude.
Generation 4 red car is the most common generation 4 car meta, found primarily east around Khanty-Mansi, as well as along the main highways down to Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude. There is also a sizable patch near Penza and Tatarstan, as well as Rostov-on-Don.
Generation 4 black car is found mostly near Moscow, Tver, and Voronezh, with some also existing in Tatarstan and less commonly in the south.
In the desert-like region west of the Caspian Sea, this completely flat and rural Generation 4 coverage on small poorly-tracked dirt roads can only be found in northern Dagestan and southwestern Astrakhan Oblast.
All the coverage in Rwanda is made with a Generation 4 camera. In most of the coverage, the Google car is entirely visible: it is a big white, black, or brown pickup truck. The camera mount is visible.
Occasionally, the Google car will be covered entirely by a big blur.
All coverage was taken with a Generation 3 trekker camera.
The historic centre is covered by a Generation 3 trekker camera.
All the coverage was taken with a low quality camera that’s commonly referred to as “Shitcam”. The car will often be completely blurred, with a very large blur covering the back and a somewhat smaller blur covering the front.
NOTE: The coverage is a newer variant of shitcam, where the image is dimmer and hazier than the original shitcam primarily found in India and Nigeria.
This desaturated and even dimmer variant of shitcam is most common on Príncipe.
A silver or white truck cab is visible in the Generation 4 coverage. Several variants of each exist, most of which are region or road specific. The most useful and recognizable ones will be shown in the spotlight section. For a complete overview, see this document by Lupus.
In the area around Dakar and Thies you can also find a black pick up truck.
NOTE: The car may sometimes be fully blurred. Make sure to look at the landscape or other clues in the absence of car meta.
A Google Car with a visible roof rack and the right side mirror is seen in Generation 3 coverage. Rifts can also be seen in the sky.
NOTE: This specific Google Car with the right side mirror visible is unique to Senegal. Roof racks and rifts however can be seen in various other countries.
The silver Generation 4 car with a long antenna at the front left can be seen on many roads, but none past the eastern border of Diourbel Region.
NOTE: The antenna is visible even if the car is blurred.
The silver Generation 4 car with a box in the back right of the cab can mainly be seen on the road between Richard Toll and Louga, and the N3 between Tiourene and Matam. It can also be seen on the dirt road hugging the Mauritanian border, from Matam to Gassamberi. Finally, it can be seen on a few roads near Diolotène.
The silver Generation 4 car with a stain at the back left of the cab can be seen on the N2 from Richard Toll to Matam and Bakel to Nayé. It can also be seen on the N1 between Tambacounda and Nayé.
The silver Generation 4 car with a stain at the back left and a dirty roof can mainly be seen on the N1 between Kaffrine and Tambacounda, and the N7 between Tambacounda and Kedougou. It can also be seen between Dahra and Diakhao.
The silver Generation 4 car with a red cloth at the front left can be seen on this eastern road between Ouro Sogui and Bakel.
The white Generation 4 car but with the antenna down, parallel to the car’s roof, can be found on the N6 between Ziguinchor and Kolda.
The white Generation 4 car with a noticeably dirty back can be seen on the road going north of Kolda, up to Katonfara.
Most of the coverage in Serbia was taken by a Google car with no antenna.
NOTE: Other than North Macedonia, almost all of central and eastern Europe has antenna coverage in Generation 3.
You can recognise St John and Lazarus Islands thanks to the Generation 3 trekker, the smooth asphalt roads and the sea almost always nearby.
A car antenna with a grey piece of tape stuck to the top can be seen on much of the Generation 3 coverage.
NOTE: This can also be seen in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
A black generation 4 Google car can also be found in both Slovakia and Czechia.
NOTE: A black car can be found in many other European countries too.
A red generation 4 Google car can be found in both Slovakia and Czechia.
NOTE: A red car can be found in other European countries too.
These black signs can often be found by the end of bridges in Generation 4 coverage. The road number is displayed on the left.
While Czechia has a lot of Generation 3 winter coverage, Slovakia has a lot of Generation 3 spring coverage.
A black generation 4 car can be found in Slovenia.
NOTE: A black car can be found in many European countries.
A white generation 4 Google car can also rarely be found in Slovenia.
NOTE: It can also be found in other European countries.
Generation 2 coverage is quite common in the country.
It can be recognized by the large circular car blur and the halo-like colour distortion in the sky.
NOTE: On the continent of Africa, Generation 2 is only found in South Africa.
All Generation 4 coverage in South Africa was taken by a blue Street View car with a short antenna.
NOTE: The antenna is sometimes hidden by the blur.
South Africa also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, but with a short antenna on the back.
A camouflage car with black side mirrors and roof racks can be seen in Kruger National Park, on the Mozambique border.
NOTE: The Park now also has generation 4 coverage.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are a British Overseas Territory east of the Falkland Islands. As such, for country streaks purposes, they are counted as the UK.
Coverage is very limited: there are only a couple of Generation 3 trekkers:
One trekker in the abandoned town of Grytviken
Three trekkers in the isolated fjords of the rest of the island.
Due to the sparse nature of the coverage, that is also entirely not on any streets, it is not useful to learn any territory identification metas. Instead, it is better to just memorise what the trekkers look like.
Almost all road coverage in South Korea is made with a Generation 3 camera.
In most, but not all, of the coverage, the back of the Google car is visible. You can see three colours: black, white and silver. The car never has an antenna.
Generation 2 coverage is almost exclusively found in Seoul and Busan. It can also be found on a couple of highways outside the cities, however almost all of that coverage has been overwritten.
A small camera can be seen mounted above the brake light on the Street View car on coverage northeast of Seoul and around Pohang.
Generation 4 cars are blue or less commonly black. The car can be completely hidden.
Spain also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera in Spain. This camera is known as the official Ari (or “Shitcam”). It has a wide circular car blur, and can be distinguished from Generation 2 by its lack of a sky halo and often somewhat brownish colours. A good map will not usually include this coverage, but it is good to be aware of its existence, in order to not be caught off-guard by it.
Coverage during early spring on dirt roads between green grassy fields, and leafless vineyards with red soil, is very common in the central-north part of Castilla la Mancha.
This type of coverage is particularly extensive in the northern part and exclusively in generation 3. Towards the south you will also find very similar looking coverage in generation 4.
In most Generation 3 coverage, you will be able to see the front of the Google car partially through the blur: it is visible as blue-white-red patches, reminiscent of the French flag. The red patch is usually most visually distinct.
NOTE: This car is unique to Sri Lanka. Coverage in Ghana has a similar front of the car visible, but this coverage also has a roof rack.
All Generation 4 coverage is low-cam. This means that the camera on the Google car is intentionally set up lower than in most other countries. This can be recognized in two ways:
The car blur is significantly bigger. Generally, the bigger car blur is the most consistent way to recognize low-cam.
Roads look wider and objects around you are seen from a lower angle.
Note that Sri Lanka’s Generation 3 coverage is made with a normal height camera!
NOTE: All coverage in Japan and Switzerland is low-cam. However, landscape should be sufficient to tell these apart from Sri Lanka.
Google used a weird, low-quality camera in Sri Lanka. This camera is known as the official Ari (or “Shitcam”). It has a wide circular car blur and often somewhat brownish colours. A good map will not usually include this coverage, but it is good to be aware of its existence, in order to not be caught off-guard by it.
NOTE: Other tropical countries with shitcam include India, Cambodia, Ecuador and to a lesser extent Bangladesh.
A white street view car with a long antenna is featured on a lot of Generation 3 coverage.
NOTE: A similar car is found on all road coverage in Iceland and is also somewhat common in Finland. While it exists in both Norway and Denmark, it is extremely rare in both.
Sweden has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
NOTE: Most of Northern Europe also has smallcam.
Dirt roads which have a deep grey colour and are aligned with low, green grassy vegetation on either side are commonly found in the northern half of Jämtland. This is mostly found in Generation 4 summer and Generation 3 fall coverage.
Along the Swedish west coast, and in Skåne, you may find a white Google car with a blue stripe on the back.
NOTE: This car is almost never found outside of Sweden.
The highest altitude public road in Sweden, which is a dirt road going straight over a treeless mountain plateau, was covered in Generation 4 on a cloudy day during summer.
NOTE: The highest point on the road features a parking spot and is right on top of the “Falkvålen” label.
The stretch of road 95 closest to the Norwegian border can be recognized by a large number of yellow snow poles, all having two white reflectors. The coverage can be either Generation 2 in autumn or winter, or snowy Generation 4.
Road 95 west of Arjeplog can be recognised by the Generation 4 thawing snow coverage in a mountainous landscape. The amount of snow significantly decreases as you go further east.
The city of Umeå has a lot of Generation 4 spring coverage, with dirty piles of thawing snow along almost every road. Almost no other city in the country has similar coverage.
The island of Holmön has Generation 3 coverage, made by a white car with a long antenna, that features a distinctive visual glitch.
NOTE: A similar glitch can be found elsewhere, however it should be less noticeable than on Holmön.
By far the most important way to recognize Switzerland, is that all car coverage is low-cam. This means that the camera on the Google car is intentionally set up lower than in most other countries. This can be recognized in two ways:
The car blur is significantly bigger.
Roads look wider and objects around you are seen from a lower angle.
Generally, the bigger car blur is the most consistent way to recognize low-cam.
NOTE: The only other countries that always have low-cam are Japan and Liechtenstein.
Generation 2 coverage is very limited in Switzerland. It can be found mostly near the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais, and on a few very short stretches in Schaffhausen.
NOTE: This does not include the many ski resorts with Generation 2 snow coverage, which can be found throughout the southern half of the country.
In Generation 3 coverage, you can find this black car with a long antenna and a red brake light in the middle, similar to the one you can see in Russia.
You can also find this Generation 3 car with a very large blur that covers the entire car and almost looks like low-cam.
Note that this is not the same as low-cam: the camera is still at a normal height, meaning you see the world around you from a normal vantage point.
The Provincial Highway 20, specifically the part that runs through Yushan National Park, features tall mountains covered with coniferous trees. The road also utilises these tube-like double guardrails.
NOTE: This road is only covered in Generation 2 and 4. The Generation 4 coverage is very overexposed and features sunny weather.
The road that leads up to Taipingshan National Forest in Yilan is distinct due to it often being very foggy when covered. Other features of this road include the coniferous trees and a guardrail with red legs.
NOTE: Certain parts of the roads feature a sunset in Generation 3.
This open landscape with forests of short trees surrounding a narrow grassy road can be found in Hualien in the flat parts of Guangfu and Fenglin. This area can be distinguished due to it being commonly covered in Generation 2; however, you can find similar landscapes in Generation 3 and 4.
Tanzania has extremely limited coverage:
Several Generation 3 trekkers in Gombe National Park. There is also one small indoor tripod in this park.
A couple of tripods on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Some spill coverage, made with a regular Google car, on the border with Kenya.
This guide only discusses the trekkers and tripods. For the spills, see our spillover guide.
It should be noted that none of the trekkers and tripods are pinpointable, or even on a road, and therefore they typically do not appear in serious competitive maps. This guide describes them primarily for the sake of completeness. The spills however do appear in maps from time to time.
Due to the sparse nature of the coverage, that is also entirely not on any streets, it is not useful to learn any territory identification metas. Instead, it is better to just memorise what the trekkers and tripods look like.
On Mount Kilimanjaro, there are a couple of tripods.
This is a type of coverage made with a regular camera mounted on a tripod. As a result, this coverage has a distinct ethereal look, compared to normal street view: objects in the image will usually have motion blur, and slightly saturated colours.
NOTE: Tripods can also be found in several other countries.
There is one more tripod in Tanzania, inside Jane Goodall’s house. It is also located in Gombe National Park, adjacent to the normal Generation 3 trekker coverage.
Most Generation 3 coverage has no visible Street View car.
NOTE: Vientiane and some Generation 3 coverage in Cambodia will also not have a visible car. Bike trekkers and a white car with a brake light can rarely be found all throughout the country in Generation 3.
This rare Google car with a visible mirror is only found in far southern Thailand.
NOTE: Due to most of the coverage being overwritten by new Generation 4, this car is rarely seen.
This rare Google car is only found on the island of Ko Sichang. It is recognizable due to the bar(s) protruding out of the blur.
In the Generation 3 coverage, the Google car never has an antenna.
The Generation 4 coverage in Turkey typically features a white Google car. Usually, only a tiny sliver of the back of the car is visible. The car can have a short antenna, or no antenna at all.
Turkey also has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
Generation 4 truck coverage is mainly found in the far east of the country and along the southern coast, with smaller pockets in the west and around Kastamonu.
For a more detailed look, see this document.
Road E99 south of Şanlıurfa is a divided highway which can be recognised by the slightly hazy Generation 4 sunrise coverage combined with the flat agricultural landscape and general south-north road angle.
Road D525 south of Söke is a completely straight road going south-south-west to north-north-east with winter Generation 3 coverage. Along the road you will typically find a large amount of reed.
In all coverage in Kampala, a unique Google car is visible. This car is white with square side mirrors and a boxy look.
NOTE: This Google car is only found in Uganda and is unique to the city of Kampala and its outskirts.
Most coverage in the Ugandan national parks was taken with this Street View car, which is similar to the one seen in Kampala, but with a black bar along the front of the car. The visibility of the car varies greatly, and it is somewhat common for it to not be visible at all.
All coverage in Ukraine is Generation 3. Most of it was made using a red Google car. This car is almost unique to Ukraine. It sometimes has an antenna, and sometimes no antenna. Note that the car is not always visible, though at times you will still be able to tell its colour due to the car blur glitch.
NOTE: The car meta can be very useful to tell Ukraine and Russia apart:
Most importantly, you will not find the red Generation 3 car in Russia.
Russia can have Generation 4 (and sometimes Generation 2). Ukraine never has either Generation.
Russian Generation 3 cars always have either a short or long antenna. If you see no antenna at all, consider Ukraine.
Also note that some parts of Belgium can have a red google car with a long antenna.
This older 2011 coverage was made with a black or white Google car, instead of the standard red one. Both cars have a long antenna.
The black car was used in Donetsk. Note that Donetsk has no newer coverage whatsoever, so never guess in that city if you see a red car.
The white car was used in Lviv, Kyiv and Kharkiv. As the coverage in these cities is mostly overwritten, the white car is very rare.
The older 2011 coverage in Odesa was made using a silver car with a short antenna, rather than a black or white car with a long antenna. The car may sometimes be fully blurred.
In Generation 4 coverage, a white pickup truck with a trekker camera was used for much of the coverage. In a lot of the coverage, the truck is completely blurred out.
NOTE: A similar truck can be found in Qatar and Oman. In the UAE the antenna at the front of the cabin is on the middle of the car, while in Qatar it is on the left.
You can also find regular Generation 4 coverage taken with a black car. The brake light is commonly visible.
NOTE: A similar Generation 4 black car can be found in Israel.
In some parts of Dubai, including the old town, a Generation 4 sidewalk trekker was used. Sometimes, the employee’s black hair is visible.
The UK has Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot.
The Isle of Man is an island in the Irish Sea between the United Kingdom and Ireland. There is only Generation 2 coverage on the island. For country streak purposes, it is counted as part of the United Kingdom.
Plonk It has a more in-depth guide to the Isle of Man here.
Jersey is an island in the English Channel between France and England. There is only Generation 2 coverage on the island. For country streak purposes, it is counted as part of the United Kingdom.
Plonk It has a more in-depth guide to Jersey here.
Generation 2 coverage is rare in the US. If you have a Generation 2 location in a North American setting, you are more likely to be in Canada.
The exception to this is Alaska, and to a lesser extent Hawaii, which have a fair amount of Generation 2. You can also rarely see generation 2 in rural areas of the deep south.
Generation 3 coverage is also significantly less common than in Canada.
In addition to having less Generation 3 coverage than Canada, the side mirrors are also blurred out differently: While they generally appear as two peaks in Canadian Gen 3 coverage, you will mostly see a single peak in the US.
Generation 3 coverage in the US and Canada generally has no visible antenna. This can be helpful to distinguish it from Europe in low-info rounds. Some European Generation 3 coverage has no visible antenna, but most of it does.
There is an important exception: in national parks in the US, you can find a Generation 3 car with a stubby antenna with diagonal coils around it. Still, this specific type of antenna is not found in Europe.
Both the US and Canada also have Generation 4 “smallcam” coverage, which is mounted lower than regular Generation 4 and has a relatively big circular blur with a small protrusion at the front. The blur can also be fully transparent, making it harder to spot. When the car isn’t blurred properly, you will usually see a mirror sticking out on the right side.
Uruguay only has Generation 3 coverage. Coverage was taken by a black Google car without an antenna.
The car is not always visible.
NOTE: Within South America, you can also find this car in Argentina and Peru.
In a lot of coverage, the camera quality is somewhat smudgy.
NOTE: This is significantly less common in Argentina.
The coverage on the Midway Atoll was made with a Generation 2 camera.
The islands other than the Midway Atoll can generally be characterised by three things. Firstly, the Generation 3 trekker coverage. Secondly, the low, bushy vegetation, and thirdly, the presence of numerous birds.
Eastern Island, situated right next to the Midway Atoll, has two small areas of low-quality tripod coverage. It does not have any other official coverage.
Car coverage on the islands will have a large, visible street view car, which will either be red or white. Details about where to find each car can be found in the region guessing section.
All coverage in Vanuatu was taken with a Generation 3 trekker.
Vietnam has a fair amount of motorcycle coverage. This can be recognized by the unique shape of the car blur, which vaguely resembles the shape of a bone, and extends slightly higher up on one side. Sometimes you will only see the helmet of the motorcyclist.
There is both Generation 3 and Generation 4 motorcycle coverage.
Vietnam has by far the most motorcycle coverage in the world. In particular, if you see this type of coverage in a rural place, you are almost guaranteed to be in Vietnam.
Shitcam can be found in some areas of Vietnam. Notably, the shitcam coverage has a car blur similar to the one from the previous tip, which makes it distinct from other countries where shitcam usually has a larger and more circular blur.
NOTE: The areas in which shitcam can be found will be discussed further at the end of step 2.
Shitcam is only found in a few spots in the Red River Delta.
The island of Phú Quốc is found in southern Vietnam near Cambodia. Phú Quốc only has Generation 3 coverage and has a lot of dark red soil. You may sometimes see a large forested ridge, which sits northeast on the island.