Paris, Tokyo, New York, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro, or the small town where your grandparents were born. Any place on the planet fits on your cell phone screen. With a satellite app, you type the city's name and, in a few seconds, you fly there: you see the streets from above, the buildings in 3D, the beaches, the stadiums, and even the sidewalk in 360°, as if you were walking on it.
In this guide you will see what you can see of a city from a satellite, whether these images are live, how to view any city on Google Earth step by step, what other apps can help, the most impressive places to visit via the screen, and what happens to your privacy.
What can be seen of a city via satellite?
- The entire city from above: Streets, squares, rooftops, rivers, beaches and parks in high-resolution images.
- Buildings and mountains in 3D: In hundreds of cities, the buildings and terrain appear in three dimensions, and you rotate the camera around them.
- The street in 360°: With Street View, you descend from the sky to sidewalk level and walk through the streets.
- Distances and areas: How long is a park, a plot of land, or the path from the hotel to the beach?.
- What the city was like before: In many places, you can compare photos from different years and see a neighborhood being born.
- Famous landscapes: Deserts, volcanoes, glaciers, and monuments that you may never visit in person.
Are the satellite images live?
No. That's the most common question, and the answer comes from Google itself: Google Earth images are collected over time from various providers and are not in real time. You won't see cars driving or people on the street.
Each region is a mosaic of satellite and aerial photos taken on different dates. Therefore, your street may appear with a construction project that has already been completed or with a building that did not yet exist. Large cities tend to receive new photos more frequently than rural areas.
The closest thing to "live" data is weather satellites. They photograph the planet every few minutes and show clouds, hurricanes, and smoke from wildfires, but from a great distance, without being able to see streets or houses. You'll learn about an app like that below.
Google Earth: the entire planet on your phone.
Google Earth is the world's most popular satellite app. It has over 500 million downloads on Google Play, a 3.8 rating from nearly 3 million reviews, and an iPhone version with a 4.0 rating on the US App Store.
- High-resolution satellite images: The entire globe, from your neighborhood to the other side of the world.
- 3D terrain and buildings: In hundreds of cities, buildings are becoming more prominent and mountains are gaining height.
- 360° Street View: Stroll through the streets with photos taken at sidewalk level.
- Search by name: Type in a city, neighborhood, address, or landmark, and the app will fly there.
- Measuring tool: Mark points on the map to measure distances and areas.
- Own maps: Create maps with the places you want to visit and share them with friends.
The download is free on Android and iPhone.
How to view any city by satellite on Google Earth
- Install Google Earth using the button at the top of this page, or from Google Play or the App Store.
- Open the app and wait for the globe to load.
- Tap the search bar and type the name of a city, neighborhood, or tourist attraction.
- Choose the correct result from the list. The app rotates the planet and flies to the location.
- Move the image closer and further away using a pinching motion with two fingers.
- To see the buildings in 3D, drag two fingers upwards at the same time. The camera tilts and the city gains volume.
- To access Street View, tap the little person icon and select one of the blue lines on the map.
- To measure, tap Measure, mark the points with Add point, and finish with Done. The distance appears at the bottom of the screen.
Repeat the search for as many cities as you like. In just a few minutes, you can go from a beach in the Caribbean to a street in Tokyo.
Other apps for viewing cities via satellite
- Google Maps: It has surpassed 10 billion downloads on Google Play and is also available on iPhone. Tap the layers button and choose Satellite to switch the drawn map for the aerial photo. Street View is also there, and in many places the option to see more dates shows older photos of the same street.
- Apple Maps: It comes pre-installed on the iPhone. Flyover provides a 3D aerial view of select cities, and Look Around shows 360° street views in countries such as Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Mexico, as well as cities in the United States and Japan.
- Zoom Earth: This iPhone app and website (zoom.earth) displays satellite weather images updated every 10 minutes, ideal for tracking clouds, storms, and hurricanes approaching your city.
- Copernicus Browser: The European Space Program website features photos from Sentinel satellites taken a few days ago. The resolution doesn't show houses, but it does show full rivers, crops, wildfires, and the growth of cities.
Impressive places to visit via satellite.
Not sure where to start? Type these names into the search bar and zoom in:
- Eiffel Tower, Paris: Tilt the camera to see the tower and the fan-shaped avenues surrounding the Arc de Triomphe.
- Central Park, New York: The green rectangle in the middle of the Manhattan skyscrapers.
- Palm Jumeirah, Dubai: the artificial palm-shaped island, which can only be understood when viewed from above.
- Pyramids of Giza, Egypt: The three pyramids and the Sphinx on the outskirts of Cairo.
- Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro: The hill, the statue, and the view of Guanabara Bay.
- Venice, Italy: an entire city crisscrossed by canals.
- Machu Picchu, Peru: The ruins high in the mountains, surrounded by the Andes.
- Grand Canyon, United States: The canyon in 3D, with the Colorado River below.
- Sydney Opera House, Australia: the white shells on the edge of the harbor.
Tips for making the most of it
- Use Wi-Fi: 3D images consume a lot of data. When using your data plan, opt for the top-down view.
- Plan your trip before you leave: See the hotel, the nearest beach, and the distance to the city center using the measuring tool.
- Go back in time: Google Earth holds a collection of historical images. In cities like London, Berlin, Warsaw, and Paris, there are aerial photos from the 1930s.
- Search by coordinates: If you have the latitude and longitude of a place, paste the numbers into the search bar.
- Share the place: Send the link to the view to whoever is traveling with you.
- Check your street: Look up your address and see how much the neighborhood has changed since the last photo.
Privacy: what appears and what doesn't
In Street View photos, Google automatically blurs faces and license plates. If your house appears and you prefer it to be blurred, open the image in Street View, tap Report a problem, and request the blur. Google warns that this blur is permanent.
And since satellite images aren't live, nobody can track you in real time through these apps.
Frequently asked questions about viewing cities via satellite
Is it possible to view a city via satellite in real time?
Not with street-level detail. The images from Google Earth and Google Maps are photos taken on previous dates. The closest thing to real-time data are weather satellites, such as those from Zoom Earth, which show clouds and storms every 10 minutes.
Is Google Earth free?
Yes. It's free to download from Google Play and the App Store.
Can I see my house via satellite?
Yes. Type your address into the search bar and zoom in. Where Street View is available, you can also see the building facade at street level.
Why is the image of my street outdated?
Because each region receives new photos at different rates. Large cities tend to be updated more frequently than remote areas.
Does it work in every country?
Satellite views cover the entire planet. 3D buildings and Street View depend on the location and are more common in large cities.
Conclusion
Viewing any city in the world by satellite is free and takes only seconds. Google Earth combines top-down views, 3D buildings, Street View, and a measuring tool into a single app, allowing you to explore a destination before your trip, reminisce about your hometown, or simply travel the world.
Install Google Earth and visit the first city on your list today, right from your phone.
