Google Earth got a web update in June 2026, and one of the things it brought over was a long-buried extra: the Google Earth flight simulator, now running in your browser.
Google first slipped the flight simulator into Earth back in 2007. Now you can fly over cities, mountains, and famous landmarks without having to pull out the old desktop software. You get two aircraft to choose from: the beginner-friendly Cirrus SR22, or the faster, touchier F-16. It’s best to think of the Google Earth flight simulator as a casual way to explore, not a full-on flight sim.
Flying is only part of what Google Earth does. You’ve still got Voyager tours, stories, and quizzes, plus Timelapse, a 4D map built from millions of satellite images. It shows how the planet has changed from 1984 to the present, including deforestation, glacial retreat, urban expansion, and coastline change. Google says Timelapse runs on Earth Engine and a multi-petabyte catalog that includes NASA and Copernicus data. It was updated in April 2023 with imagery through 2022, and more historical imagery was planned from 2024 onward.
If you use Google Earth for school, travel, or plain curiosity, this is a useful update to grab. The Google Earth flight simulator has always been one of the strangest things tucked inside Google Earth, and this makes it much easier to reach. Some of the more advanced experiences still work better on desktop, especially with a solid internet connection.
You can use the Google Earth flight simulator now in Google Earth on the web.
Author: Chema Carvajal Sarabia
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