New Trend Has People Looking Up Old Home Photos on Google Maps — and Sharing Emotional Reactions to Seeing Late Loved Ones

TikTok users are taking to Google Maps to find photos of their loved ones, dogs and childhood homes from years ago

A heartwarming TikTok trend has users traveling down memory lane — virtually — by exploring old Google Maps photos of places with links to cherished memories and loved ones.

Across the app, users have been sharing screenshots of pictures from Google Maps "Street View" that have captured nostalgic moments in time — like users' loved ones doing yard work or walking home from school — usually set to a clip of the song "Springsteen" by country singer Eric Church.

These images, originally captured by Google Maps' street-view cars, are often candid snapshots that offer glimpses into everyday moments in the posters' pasts. Many of the videos' captions begin with the words, "Somewhere on Google Maps," with the lyrics of Church's song in the background — "To this day, when I hear that song/I see you standin' there on that lawn/" — adding to the video's sense of nostalgia.

The clips have captured everything from users' now-deceased childhood dogs playing in the front yards of their homes to more humorous moments as well.

@jayeyou