Understand how to move your work from the Google Earth desktop app (Google Earth Pro) to Google Earth on the web, including where to find your desktop tools, how to bring your files over, and how to report issues.
For more information, see the full migration guide.
Find your desktop tools on the web
The following table lists tools in the desktop app and where to find them in Google Earth on the web.
| In the desktop app | On the web | How to open it | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Places | Projects saved in Google Drive, and reference projects | Import a file into a project. To show a project on every map, pin it as a reference project in Basemap settings. | Manage your projects on the Google Earth home screen and Adjust basemap settings |
| Temporary Places and local files | Local KML files | Open the local KML editor. | Understand data types in Google Earth |
| File Open | File import for KML, KMZ, GeoJSON, shapefile, CSV, and Google Sheets files | Import a file, or on the home screen, click New Import file. | Import data into Google Earth |
| Historical Imagery | Historical imagery and Historical Street View | In the toolbar, click Historical imagery, or open a Street View timeline. | Historical imagery and Historical Street View imagery |
| Ruler and elevation profile | Measure tool, elevation profiles, and terrain analysis | Open the measure tool, or in the toolbar, click Analyze a site. | Measure distances and areas and Terrain analysis |
| Layers panel | Basemap settings and data layers | At the bottom left, click the Basemap icon, or in the toolbar, click Add data layer. | Adjust basemap settings and Get started with data layers in Google Earth |
| Keyboard navigation | Keyboard shortcuts | In Google Earth, press ?. | Use keyboard shortcuts on your computer |
Choose how to bring your files over
You can bring each file into Google Earth as map features, a data layer, or a local KML file. Choose an option based on how you want to edit, store, and share the file. For more information, see the following pages:
- Understand data types in Google Earth: Compare map features, data layers, and local KML files.
- Import data into Google Earth: Import a file, and check supported formats and file limits.
- Manage imported data layers and storage: Check how much data import storage your plan includes.
Move your My Places to web projects
To move a folder from My Places to Google Earth on the web:
- In the desktop app, in the Places panel, right-click the folder and select Save Place As.
- Save the folder as a
.kmzor.kmlfile. - In Google Earth, import the file into a project, or open it in the local KML editor.
For more information, including import limits for large My Places files, see Import data into Google Earth.
After you import your folders, you can do the following:
- Pin always-on folders as reference projects: If you keep folders such as service territories or county lines turned on in the desktop app, import them into one or more projects. Then pin the projects as reference projects in Basemap settings. Reference projects stay on the map no matter which project you're working in. To turn folders on and off separately, import each folder into its own project. For more information, see Adjust basemap settings.
- Restyle features in bulk: In the top toolbar, click Select features, or press Ctrl+Shift+A on Windows and Linux or Cmd+Shift+A on MacOS. Then drag a selection box around the features that you want to change. For more information, see Style your places.
Imagery and site analysis tools on the web
Google Earth on the web uses the same imagery archive as the desktop app, including satellite imagery from as early as 1984, aerial imagery from as early as the 1930s in select cities, and 3D imagery. The following table lists tools on the web that aren't available in the desktop app.
| Tool | What it does | Where to find it | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Street View | View past Street View imagery along a street. | At the bottom of the screen, click Pegman, select a highlighted area, and then click See more dates. | Historical Street View imagery |
| Request imagery update | Draw an area where you need newer satellite imagery and send it to the Google Earth imagery team to inform prioritization. | Click Help Request imagery update. | Send feedback |
| Terrain analysis (Experimental) | Create contour lines at 1- to 20-meter intervals, map slope and aspect, and calculate cut and fill volumes. | In the toolbar, click Analyze a site. | Terrain analysis |
| Detect change (Experimental) | Compare two years and highlight areas of change in a heatmap, savable as a layer to your project. | Click Tools Detect change. | Detect change |
| Classify (Experimental) | Make custom land cover categories, label examples, and create a map layer for an area. | Click Tools Classify. | Classify |
| Data layers | Add data layers such as elevation contours, building footprints, infrastructure, zoning, and more. | In the toolbar, click Add data layer. | Get started with data layers in Google Earth |
| Ask Google Earth (Experimental) | Work with a geospatial AI agent in natural language to save time at work. Available in English in select regions. | In the menu bar, click Ask Google Earth. | Overview of Ask Google Earth |
Plans, free trial, and noncommercial access
The desktop app and the Google Earth Professional plan have similar names, but you don't need a paid plan to use Google Earth on the web. To compare plans or start a free trial, see Learn about Google Earth plans. To apply for credits for noncommercial work, see Apply for noncommercial credits.
Learn more and share feedback
To learn about new features and share feedback, see the Google Earth release notes, visit the Google Earth Help Community, and Send feedback on Google Earth.