I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wondered why Street View hasn’t been incorporated well in the Google Maps mobile app.  It’s a useful feature.  Historically, we’ve had to download a separate Street View app that worked in conjunction with Maps.  Google has since unified them.
Now its taken a step forward with regard to accessibility, making sure we’re aware the feature is there.  Via the Maps Google+ page, Google has let us know that the Street View functionality now pops up on our location searches.
[blockquote author=”Google Maps team”]Take a look at your destination before you start navigating. Just tap the Street View thumbnail in #GoogleMaps for Android.[/blockquote]
When you pinpoint a location, a Street View preview thumbnail shows up towards the bottom left corner.  You can’t miss it.  Touch it to view the street and take a digital stroll.
Just make sure that you’re on the latest version of Maps.
[pb-app-box pname=’com.google.android.apps.maps’ name=’Maps’ theme=’discover’ lang=’en’]
Source: Google Maps on Google+
Google maps has had streetview since the beginning.
Previously, in the mobile Maps app, the Street View app had be installed for it to work: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.street&hl=en
The Google Maps that was included in the very beginning of Android (i.e. on the HTC G1) had it integrated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TeSJaaR70g
I haven’t had that old (2012 last updated) Street View installed in ages, street views have been available within the Google Maps Android app for a long time.
Not sure when exactly you didn’t need to have the Street View app installed anymore…anyhow, the news was that Google improved the accessibility for it in the Maps app, so I changed the wording to avoid confusion.