Current imagery automatically displays in Google Earth. To discover how images have changed over time or view past versions of a map on a timeline:
- On your device, open Google Earth.
- Search for places.
To view a map over time, you can either:
- In the toolbar, click
Historical imagery.
- Click View >
Historical imagery.
- In the toolbar, click
Select how you want to view the map.
- To turn on historical imagery view, at the top left, click Historical imagery.
- To turn on timelapse, at the top left, click Timelapse.
A timeline appears. At the top right, click the timeline to explore the map over time.
- To find a specific time, you can either:
- Click the year you want to view in the timeline.
- Click Previous or Next.
- To lock the latest imagery, click Last page.
- To minimize the historical imagery toolbar, at the top right, click collapse_content Collapse.
- At the top left, the toolbar remains active as a floating chip.
To deactivate historical imagery, click
Historical imagery.
Tips:
- To optimize your viewing experience, 3D buildings feature is turned off when historical imagery is turned on.
- Satellite image availability is represented on the slider.
- Image availability may change as you explore.
- Years are marked by dots. Smaller dots indicate additional months.
- If a previously selected year becomes unavailable, its dot on the slider turns gray.
- Global coverage varies.