Google Earth

A globe you can explore from your phone

Google Earth is a visual exploration app for viewing satellite imagery, terrain, cities, landmarks, and remote places around the world. It suits travellers planning a visit, students studying geography, and anyone who wants more context than a standard map can provide. You can move from a worldwide view to a neighbourhood, rotate the globe, tilt the scene, and inspect locations from different angles.

What it includes

• Satellite imagery: Browse detailed overhead views of urban areas, coastlines, natural features, and other locations.
• 3D terrain and buildings: See elevation and city structures in three dimensions where coverage is available.
• Street-level views: Open 360-degree imagery for a closer look at streets, landmarks, and surrounding areas.
• Guided exploration: Discover selected places and subjects through curated tours and visual stories.

Useful for planning and learning

The app works well when a place is easier to understand visually. Travellers can preview a destination and its surroundings, while teachers and students can use imagery to examine landscapes, cities, and physical geography. It can also help with simple location research when a flat map does not show enough about scale, height, or terrain.

What to expect

Google Earth has a visual-first interface built around familiar touch gestures, though detailed 3D scenes may demand more from a phone and its data connection. On smaller screens, advanced map and storytelling tools can feel less spacious than they do on a desktop. The app is published by Google LLC and has more than 500 million installs. Its rating is about 3.8 out of 5 from roughly 2.97 million reviews, giving a broad indication of how it performs across a very large user base.