Update Your Home Address on Google Maps Guide

Understanding Google Maps Business Listings and Personal Address Updates

Google Maps serves as a location-based service that billions of people use monthly to find businesses, navigate routes, and discover local services. According to Google's own data, over 4.7 billion people use Google Maps each month across the globe. When your home address appears on Google Maps, it typically shows up through a Google Business Profile or personal map contributions. Understanding how your address displays on this platform matters for privacy, business purposes, and ensuring accurate location information reaches people searching for you.

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Your address may appear on Google Maps in several ways. If you operate a home-based business, your residential address might be listed as your business location. If you've contributed to Google Maps as a local guide or reviewer, your profile may show location information. Additionally, your address could be indexed through public records, property databases, or previous business listings that haven't been removed. Google aggregates information from multiple sources, which means your address might appear even if you haven't personally added it.

The difference between updating a personal address and a business address is important to recognize. Home-based businesses follow different verification processes than residential listings. If you're updating a personal residence address, the process differs from managing a business location. Understanding which category your listing falls under will determine which update method you should use and what information you'll need to provide.

Practical takeaway: Before beginning any update process, search for your name or address on Google Maps to see how it currently appears. Take screenshots of what you find. This baseline information will help you track what changes you make and verify that updates have processed correctly.

Locating Your Current Listing on Google Maps

Finding your existing listing on Google Maps is the essential first step. Start by opening Google Maps on your computer or smartphone and using the search function. Type your full address or business name into the search bar at the top. If you operate a business, search for your business name. If you're searching for a personal address, type your street address. The search results will show pins on the map indicating locations that match your query.

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When results appear, look for your specific location on the map. You'll see a red or blue pin marking the spot. Click on this pin to open an information panel on the right side of your screen (on desktop) or at the bottom (on mobile). This panel displays the current information that Google Maps is showing about this location. The panel typically shows the address, phone number if listed, website if available, hours of operation for businesses, and user reviews or ratings.

If you have a Google Business Profile, you should also check Google Business Profile directly by going to business.google.com and signing in with the Google account associated with your business. This is where you manage official business information. If you don't find your listing here but it appears on Google Maps, it means the information is coming from another source, such as public directories or data aggregators. Understanding the source of your listing matters because different sources require different update methods.

For home-based businesses or personal addresses, you might find multiple versions of your listing on Google Maps. Different variations—such as slightly different address formats, missing suite numbers, or misspelled names—might all be indexed separately. Document all versions you find. This helps you understand the scope of updates you may need to make and whether you need to consolidate duplicate listings.

Practical takeaway: Create a document that lists every variation of your address or business name that appears on Google Maps. Include the exact text shown, the phone number if listed, and any other details displayed. This inventory becomes your reference guide as you work through updates.

Updating Your Address Through Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile is the official tool for managing how your business appears on Google Maps, Google Search, and other Google services. If you operate any kind of business—including home-based operations—managing your information through this platform is the primary method Google recommends. To access your Google Business Profile, go to business.google.com and sign in with the Google account you want to use to manage your business information.

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Once logged in, you'll see a dashboard showing all business profiles associated with your account. If you have multiple locations or businesses, each will appear as a separate profile. Select the profile where you want to update the address. Look for the "Info" or "Business Information" section on the left menu. This section contains editable fields for your business details, including address, phone number, website, and business category.

To change your address, click on the address field and modify it to reflect your new location. Google Maps requires that your address follows standard formatting conventions. Include the street number and name, city, state, and ZIP code. If you're moving to a new address, enter the complete new address exactly as it appears on official documents or postal records. Google uses these details to verify your location and show it correctly on the map.

After making changes to your address, you'll need to verify the update. Google typically sends a verification code through the mail to your new address, or you may be able to verify through phone or email depending on your account history and business type. The verification process confirms that you have legitimate access to that address. During this verification period, your old address may still appear on Google Maps while Google processes the change. Verification usually takes 1-3 weeks, though it can sometimes take longer.

Practical takeaway: Before updating your address in Google Business Profile, gather all necessary information about your new location. Have your new street address, phone number, and business hours ready. Write them down exactly as they appear on official documents to ensure accuracy during entry.

Managing Your Personal Address and Privacy Considerations

If you have a personal Google account and have contributed to Google Maps—such as by writing reviews, uploading photos, or adding places—your profile information may be publicly visible. You can adjust the visibility of your personal information through your Google account settings. To manage your public profile on Google Maps, sign in to your Google Account and navigate to your profile settings. Look for options related to how your profile appears to others.

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Your public profile on Google Maps typically shows your profile picture, name, and review history. However, your home address should not appear on your public profile by default. If you notice your residential address is showing on Google Maps in connection with your personal account, this is unusual and worth investigating. This might indicate that your address has been added as a saved place that you've marked as home, or that it's appearing through another source.

To prevent your personal address from appearing publicly, you can manage your saved places and home location settings. In Google Maps settings, you have control over your "Home" and "Work" locations. These are convenience features that help you navigate quickly, but you can keep them private so they don't appear on public profiles. Additionally, you can control which reviews and contributions you want to be publicly visible.

If you want to reduce your personal information visibility on Google Maps entirely, you have options. You can limit your Google Maps contributions visibility, adjust your Google Account privacy settings, and use privacy-focused browser settings that limit tracking and data collection. Some people use a separate Google account for professional purposes and keep personal mapping activities on a different account with stricter privacy controls.

Practical takeaway: Review your Google Account privacy settings specifically for Google Maps. Check what information appears on your public profile, adjust visibility settings for your saved places, and decide whether you want your home location tracked in your account at all. You can always adjust these settings later.

Handling Duplicate and Outdated Listings

Many people discover that their address appears multiple times on Google Maps with slight variations. These duplicates can show different phone numbers, different business names, or the old address alongside the new one. Duplicates happen because Google Maps indexes information from many sources, and when updates take time to process, outdated versions remain visible. Consolidating duplicates improves the accuracy of your information across the platform.

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To address duplicate listings, you'll need to manage them through Google Business Profile. If you have claimed all the duplicate versions of your business listing, you can merge them into a single profile. Go to business.google.com and look for options to manage multiple locations or merge listings. Google provides tools to identify potential duplicates and combine them. If you notice duplicates that you haven't claimed, you can suggest edits or report incorrect information.

The process of removing old address information from Google Maps takes time. Even after you update your address in Google Business Profile and it's verified, old versions may remain visible for weeks or months. This happens because Google's index updates gradually, and information from third-party sources may persist. During this transition period, both old and new addresses might appear in search results.

If your business has permanently closed and you no longer want your address