Google has added historical Street View imagery to Google Earth, letting users time travel through locations from both aerial and street-level views. The feature was previously only available on Google Maps.
New Time Travel Feature
Users can now explore how places looked in the past directly from Google Earth. This combines the platform’s bird’s eye view with street-level historical images.
The update responds to a popular social media trend where people used Google Maps to virtually time travel. Users would search for old imagery to find loved ones or watch how locations changed over time.
Google launched this feature to celebrate Google Earth’s 20th birthday. The platform first launched in 2005 and gained 100 million downloads in its first week.
AI Insights for Professional Users
Google Earth is also adding AI-powered environmental data for professional users in the United States. The new tools help with urban planning and environmental analysis.
Users can now view:
- Tree canopy coverage for cities
- Land surface temperature data
- Areas that need cooling solutions
For example, users looking at Austin, Texas can see which neighborhoods have more trees and identify hot spots that might need better cooling systems.
Popular Platform Continues Growing
Google Earth remains widely used today. In the past year alone, people searched for locations on the platform more than 2 billion times.
The historical Street View addition makes Google Earth more useful for researchers, urban planners, and curious users who want to explore how the world has changed over time.
The new features are rolling out now as part of Google Earth’s anniversary celebration.
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