Accessibility in Google Earth

Computer

Use a screen reader

You can use Google Earth with ChromeVox, VoiceOver, NVDA, and JAWS. Google Earth works with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Find keyboard shortcuts

To explore the Google Earth globe, use the arrow keys. To regain functionality of other shortcuts, type "g".

Adjust animation settings

Animations help provide smooth transitions to navigate between different locations on the map. In Settings, you can control the speed of the animations or you can disable them.

Change Dark Mode settings

  1. On your computer, open Google Earth.
  2. At the top right, click Explore Earth.
  3. In the upper right hand corner, click Settings.
  4. In Display settings, under "Application theme," select Dark theme or Light theme.

Android

Use TalkBack

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility    TalkBack.
  3. Turn on TalkBack.

Find the accessibility menu

From the menu, you can adjust multiple features like volume control, brightness, and more.

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility    Accessibility Menu.

Adjust font size & screen size

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Display Size:
    • Adjust the text size on your device
    • Adjust the size of all content on your device. This also reduces how much of the screen is visible at once.
  4. Magnification: Activate a zoom feature on select areas of your screen.

Adjust color & contrast

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Tap "Color and motion"
    • Color correction: Choose from "Deuteranomaly", "Protanomaly" or "Tritanomaly".
    • Color inversion: Toggle to darken light content and lighten dark content. This setting applies to everything, which includes images and graphics.
  4. Animation: Toggle on to reduce movement on the screen.

Adjust animation settings

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Earth logo Google Earth app.
  2. At the top, tap your account profile picture and tap Settings.
  3. Under Animations, turn on "Flight Animations", set "Animation Speed" or select "Fly end animation" as "Orbital animation", "Cinematic Animation or "No Animation".

Change Accessibility control settings

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Earth logo Google Earth app.
  2. At the top, tap your account profile picture and tap Settings.
  3. Under "Accessibility", set "On-screen navigation controls" to display navigation controls on screen. Set "Screen centered drawing tools" to draw at the center of the window rather than the mouse or touch location.

Change Dark Mode settings

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Earth logo Google Earth app.
  2. At the top, tap your account profile picture and tap Settings.
  3. Under Display Settings and "Application theme", select Dark or Light.

iOS

Use a screen reader

You can use Google Earth with your iPhone and iPad's accessibility features, like the VoiceOver screen reader.

Use VoiceOver

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings.
  2. Tap Accessibility    VoiceOver.
  3. Turn on VoiceOver.

Adjust text size

You can adjust the size of the labels on the map to see them more clearly.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings.
  2. Tap General    Accessibility    Display & Text Size.
  3. Tap Larger text.
  4. Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes.
  5. Set your preferred letter size.

Adjust animation settings

Animations help provide smooth transitions to navigate between different locations on the map. In your settings, you can control the speed of the animations or you can disable them.

Change Dark Mode settings

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Earth logo Google Earth app.
  2. Tap on your account profile picture.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Under Application theme, select Dark, Light, or Use system theme.