The Somewhere on Google Maps trend has gone viral on TikTok after users discovered they could go back in time on Google Maps to find photos of their loved ones and locations of bygone years.
The images, captured by Google Maps’ street-view cars, show glimpses into everyday life, such as grandparents gardening, waiting at the bus stop with your classmates for the school bus, or walking one’s dog who has since crossed the rainbow bridge.
The two main sounds used in these nostalgic looks back at the past include “Springsteen” by the country singer Eric Church—with the lyrics “To this day, when I hear that song/I see you standin’ there on that lawn”—and “Childhood” by daniel.mp3 and Igor Zamaro, with gentle piano accompanied by the sound of children laughing.
Many people have shared videos of them searching through Google Maps along their childhood streets to find their grandparents or parents doing yard work.
One TikToker (@cindytraslavina) tried to hunt for her deceased father outside his house, and it wasn’t until she saw the suggestion to look at his place of work that Cindy found him mowing a lawn next to the street view car.
Many people found their dogs, such as @laciandbradleyray, who happened upon her old dogs chasing joyfully after the Google Maps street-view car, sharing their silly snapshots in time with viewers.
Another user (@jayeyou) shared a funny moment from when they were in high school. In the video, she can be seen crouched down next to her car trying to clean it with a towel and a spray bottle. The text overlay reads, “Somewhere on Google Maps, it’s 2012 and I’m a junior in high school crying because my car got egged.”
These moments are little snapshots in time and can evoke strong and heartbreaking feelings, as these people and moments that have long since left us still live on beyond them online.
It is different than Timehop or Facebook Memories because these are often candid moments where the people pictured have just been going about their everyday lives, perhaps without realizing that they were being photographed in the moment.
TikToker @sydshads is one of many who has perfectly explained the heartwrenching feeling of watching these videos. In the text overlay of her video she wrote:
“THIS TREND Y’ALL. The grandparents sitting in their lawn chairs, the dad getting the family outside to see the car, the barn that burnt down, the first date, the bikes laying in the lawn, the trees no longer standing, the car in the driveway, the brother at the local food joint, the DOGS. ALL OF THE DOGS. Running free, waiting for you to get home from school. I have cried every day since this trend started bc of these. Please keep posting, y’all are tugging at my heart strings every single time.”
For those who want to participate in this trend, several TikTokers have posted explanations of how to look at particular years on Google Maps. TikToker @genxgreenbox shared detailed instructions on how to find the different years’ Google Maps images.
More TikTok trends:
- TikTok’s ‘bed nesting’ trend is the new hurkle-durkling, is the new bed rotting
- TikTokers are debating if they have ‘low income white girl eyes’ and ‘trailer park cheekbones’
- ‘Tell me why I screamed too’: TikTokers are pretending their dogs got into Harvard in an adorable new trend
- Breaking down the controversial ‘Slavic Doll Diet’ trend on TikTok
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