Of all the technological advances made in the past couple of decades, Google Maps is without a doubt one of the most useful.

The idea that people used to get around using paper maps or, even worse, directions, seems unimaginable today.

But as convenient or as fun as Google Maps and Street View can be, there's a price to pay when it comes to privacy and letting the entire world see where you live at the click of a button.

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However, there's one very handy tool that can help you take back control of your privacy.

You may have noticed that some homes are blurred out on Street View. This has made headlines a number of times over the years, primarily because of the number of celebrities who have used it.

For example, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly has his £2.5million home in California blurred out to protect him from alleged stalkers.

Other celebs like Paul McCartney, Lily Allen, and Katherine Jenkins have also deployed the feature to protect their privacy from the press, obsessive fans, and the average Joe.

However, you can do this too thanks to an easy-to-use Google Maps tool.

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How to blur your house out on Google Maps

It's relatively easy to get your house blurred out on Google Maps.

You just need to load up Google Maps on a desktop PC or laptop, then type in your home address.

Open it in Street View by dragging the yellow cartoon character onto the road outside your address.

A photo of your home should appear on the left. Tap or click this, then hit 'Report a problem'. This should appear in very small text.

An adjustable red box should appear. Drag it to cover the area you want to hide, and then choose 'My Home' from the options that appear.

You can then give Google extra details about what exactly needs blurring. Then you just need to enter your email and press 'Submit'.

Once you send the request, the blurring effect is applied permanently, so make sure you definitely want to do it first.

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