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Google Earth Gets a Highly Anticipated Interface Update, New Feature

While Google Maps is for many the preferred service to explore a specific place from the comfort of their sofa, Google Earth is a computer application that provides substantially more advanced functionality, and this is why it’s currently used by millions out there.
Las Vegas on Google Earth 1 photo
Photo: autoevolution
The quality of the maps available in Google Earth is outstanding, and the satellite view makes it possible to view up-to-date imagery with almost every location out there.

But until now, Google Earth lacked one important feature for users: a dark mode.

As many of you know already, dark themes are the next big thing for the modern computing UI, and pretty much every developer out there is working to bring such a visual update to their apps. Apple did it, Microsoft did it too, and of course, Google is working on doing the same thing as we speak.

The new Google Earth interface update is live today, and users can simply toggle between light and dark modes from the settings screen.

In addition, the new Google Earth update introduces a blue location indicator displaying where you currently are (similar to how the whole thing works on Google Maps).

However, on Google Earth, this feature comes with a halo that adjusts according to the strength of the GPS signal. In other words, the stronger the signal, the smaller the halo, and this is an easy way to figure out the app is struggling to figure out where you are.

In instances with excellent network availability you would expect to see a smaller halo revealing strong confidence in your estimated location. In cases where you may have a weak network signal, an older device, or lack of access to GPS signals the size of your blue dot may increase showing that Google Earth has lower confidence in your actual location,” Google explains.

The new updates are live today for everybody, including on Google Earth on the web.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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