Don’t you think it’s a little weird that Google has two separate apps services that help you find your way around this planet?
Most people use Google Maps, since it can guide you from where you are right now to pretty much anywhere on Earth you’d like to be, but Google Earth is more like a traditional atlas, and helps you explore Earth without leaving your house.
Most people think Google Earth is just a fancy map
You spin it right round baby and then close the window
Most people think that Google Earth is just Google Maps with a fancy 3D interface, but the purpose of these two apps is very different. Google Earth is a representation of Earth, not just the roads, and traffic, and other stuff Google Maps is good at.
This is what it looked like just over a decade ago, and it was already impressive.
![google-earth-on-google-maps-via-webgl[4]](https://static0.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/google-earth-on-google-maps-via-webgl4.png?q=70&fit=crop&w=500&dpr=1)
It combines satellite images, multiple types of data about our planet, aerial photos, and more into one of the most comprehensive data visualizations the public has access to. It can, however, be daunting to just log into the app or visit the site, and have no idea where to start. I guess you could start by visiting all the places named in Kokomo by The Beach Boys, but after that, what should you do? The good news is that Google has built several features onto Earth that will blow your mind and help you make the most of it.
It’s secretly one of the world’s biggest flight simulators
It’s plane incredible
One of Google Earth’s oldest hidden features is its built-in flight simulator. Originally hidden in the desktop application as an Easter egg, the sim now has a new home on the web. You can jump into it right now, which is more convenient than subscribing to Microsoft Game Pass and downloading hundreds of gigs to fly over your house in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Of course, this isn’t a fully-fledged commercial flight sim. It’s pretty rudimentary, but it does give you a good human-sized reference point for exploring the Earth. It has simple controls, and it’s not really about being a flight sim. The experience is all about seeing the world from a new perspective. You can soar through the Grand Canyon, weave between the skyscrapers of New York City, circle Mount Everest, or skim along dramatic coastlines anywhere on Earth
Google Earth has amazingly-detailed terrain data, so it’s absolutely worth giving a try. To access this feature, open Google Earth, then click “Explore Earth.”
Search for your desired location, and then open the “Tools” menu at the top. Then select “Flight Simulator.”
Now you should be flying over the landscape. On desktop, your mouse controls motion, and the Page Up and Page Down keys adjust your speed.
It doubles as an Interactive Tour Guide
No gift shop, though
Google Earth is packed with several professionally-made tours that have great production values and plenty of interesting facts for you to learn on several subjects. However, while the tours are still available, Google seems to be hiding them, or at least not promoting them.
Luckily, all you need to access the set of tours is visit https://www.google.com/earth/about/gallery/ and block out your schedule for a few hours, because there’s plenty of amazing stuff here.
Google Earth is basically a time machine
The good old days
Perhaps Google Earth’s most remarkable capability is its ability to show how our planet has changed over time. “Historical Imagery” allows you to compare decades of satellite photography, revealing how cities have expanded, forests have disappeared, coastlines have shifted, and major construction projects have transformed entire regions.
The very first tour in the set I linked to above uses this superpower to show us how water levels have risen around coastal cities, but you can just use View > Show Historical Imagery and use the timeline to show you the images and data Google has for any spot on Earth.
These bonus features make Google Earth even more addictive
Even after you’ve explored the biggest attractions, Google Earth still has plenty of useful stuff waiting to be discovered. The built-in measuring tools let you calculate distances and areas with surprising accuracy, making them useful for everything from planning hikes to estimating the size of DIY construction projects. You can also create custom Projects by dropping pins, drawing routes, adding photographs, and writing notes.
As with apparently everything, Google Earth now also has generative AI integration, powered by Google Gemini. But before you think this is just another pointless integration of AI, it actually makes Google Earth much more approachable.
Google has a few examples of the sorts of things you can ask using the “Ask Google Earth” feature, and it includes “Map news events from the past week” or “Create a 100-meter buffer around parks in the Bronx.” While generative AI can still hallucinate nonsense, being able to create complex tasks or requests like this gives Google’s venerate planetary model a whole new lease on life.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
