Google’s plethora of apps include some real goodies, from Google Docs to Google Calendar, all tweaked to work across devices and in tandem via a Google Account. But one of the most interesting applications is Google Earth.
Google Earth looks like a cross between a mapping app and an educational tool, allowing you to do some really cool things with a representation of the world.
What can you do with Google’s 3D world exploration tool, I hear you ask? Well, let’s explain.
What is Google Earth?
Google Earth is a 3D program for visualizing the Earth using satellite images. It can be used in a browser, via a smartphone app, or via a desktop app.
This is a fairly advanced program that has covered most of the planet, giving you the entire Earth to explore based on aerial and satellite photography, overlaid on a 3D model.
Today, the app is particularly advanced, showing 3D renderings of some buildings and displaying clickable landmark pins.
Image: Google
What about Google Street View?
One of the key features of the app is Google Street View, which is technically a standalone app. Google Street View takes you to a street-level view of the world and allows you to drive up and down roads where there is a 360-degree camera. Functionally, it fits the Earth/Maps ecosystem quite well.
It’s great if you want to know a location before you go somewhere, but it’s also good for a few laughs.
Google Street View. Image: Google
What cool things can Google Earth do?
At its most basic level, Google Earth lets you enter an address and travel to it in a 3D model. Although I’ve described it like that, it’s a bit different from Google Maps. On the one hand, unlike Google Maps, it is not intended to be a navigation tool.
Google Earth is more of a discovery tool, with features built to highlight and show areas of the world.
From the top, as with Google Maps, there are labels for landmarks such as museums and town halls, but you can turn it into a photo discovery tool by turning on the “Photos” setting, collecting user-made photos.
Image: Google
Also, you can click the “Voyager” button to see app highlights (or play some quizzes), or click the “Feeling Lucky” dice button to take it to random.
If you have Google Earth Pro, which is the desktop version, you can play with the built-in flight simulator by clicking Tools > Enter Flight Simulator.
Image: Google
Are Google Earth and Google Maps the same thing?
No, they are not the same. As we said earlier, Google Earth is more of an educational tool, meant if you want to tour and explore an area from a satellite view. Google Maps, on the other hand, is a navigation tool, designed to help you get from one place to another.
Can I use Google Earth without downloading it?
As of 2017, Google Earth can be used perfectly through a browser, but the professional desktop version uses more system resources than a browser and has more features (such as the flight simulator).
Is Google Earth Live?
No, it’s not live. It consists of aerial and satellite images captured in extraordinary weather, dating back several years. Some images are older than others, which explains why some Street View images will be Autumn on one street and Summer on another.
Can I see a live satellite view of my home in Google Earth?
While you can probably see your home in the app, you won’t be able to see it live. Your home photo is probably several years old, and if it’s a new property, it probably hasn’t even been taken.
Have fun with Google Earth.