Yes. Google Earth on the web pulls from the same Google satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery as the desktop app (Google Earth Pro). On top of that, it adds Historical Street View in more than 110 countries, the new ‘Request imagery update’ tool, and Detect change. In fact, the web offers more imagery options than any version of Google Earth we've ever shipped.
I sometimes hear from users who stick with the desktop app because they assume its imagery is fresher or better. The good news is that both apps read from the same Google imagery archive, and the web puts overhead history, street-level history, and surface changes in one place. One thing that affects imagery freshness is 2D vs 3D mode. 2D will often contain fresher, sharper imagery. Because desktop defaults to 2D, this can make it seem like its imagery is always a step ahead of web, which defaults to 3D. This often ultimately comes down to the power of choice and your use case. Google Earth on the web gives you all of the image types available in desktop plus access to historical Street View imagery.
Watch our walkthrough of satellite, 3D, and Historical Street View imagery on the web.
Satellite and aerial history back to the 1930s
Just like the desktop app, Google Earth on the web includes global satellite imagery back to 1984, high-resolution aerial photography from as early as the 1930s in select cities, and 3D imagery of cities and terrain around the world. Step back through historical imagery dates to see how a site has changed over decades, without installing desktop software or managing local cache files.
Exploring 3D, aerial, and historical satellite imagery on the web.
Ground-level history with Historical Street View
The desktop app's historical timeline covers overhead views. Google Earth on the web adds Historical Street View in more than 110 countries. Drop down to street level and jump through time to see how building frontages, utility poles, tree cover, and access roads have changed over the years.
Dropping into Street View on the web and stepping through past ground-level captures.
Requesting imagery updates where you work
We're also investing in new ways to deliver the freshest imagery possible, and you can help. When a project site needs fresher imagery, open the new ‘Request imagery update’ tool, draw a polygon around the site, and submit your request from the map.
Opening the ‘Request imagery update’ tool, drawing a polygon over a project site, and submitting an update request.
Highlight change over time in seconds
Decades of satellite and aerial imagery are only half the job. On a project, what matters is how quickly you can spot where the ground has changed.
In the desktop app, comparing site history meant spending hours clicking back and forth between imagery dates to hunt for new grading, cleared trees, or unpermitted structures. On the web, pick two years over your project site, and detect change shows where the ground changed in a heatmap.
Comparing two historical imagery dates with Detect change to map surface shifts.
All satellite, aerial, 3D, and Historical Street View imagery, plus the ‘Request imagery update’ tool, is free on the Standard plan, with no change to existing free imagery or refresh schedules.
Open earth.google.com, fly to a site you know well, and drop into Historical Street View, or use Detect change to see how the site has changed over the years. You can also watch our video walkthrough on imagery.
Stay connected
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We want to hear from you: Use the in-app feedback tool in Google Earth on the web (Help > Send feedback) and include the hashtag #EarthPro anywhere in your message so our team knows you're a desktop user and can route your input directly.
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File won't import? Send it to our team privately at goo.gle/earth-import-issue. Only you and our support and engineering teams can see your report, and attached files are automatically deleted after 60 days.
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Track what ships: Check our Release Notes and subscribe to the Google Earth YouTube channel.
