Google Maps just got a huge Street View upgrade — and you can now travel back in time

News
By published

New locations appearing as well

Google Street view car
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Google Earth is getting an interesting new feature where you'll soon be able to "travel back in time." 

The new feature, announced in a Google blog post along with Street View updates, allows you to view historical satellite and aerial images on Google Earth. Google claims that some pictures go as far back as 80 years. 

It's a way to see how areas have changed over time or how natural and man-made events quickly altered the geography of a place. An example Google showed was the Lake Oroville reservoir in northern California. After years of droughts, it was at the lowest it had ever been. However, an unprecedented series of rains that hit the state in 2023 filled the reservoir to maximum capacity. 

GIF of the San Francisco Wharf from 1938to 2024

(Image credit: Google)

In Street View, Google updates imagery in 80 countries with new images from places like Australia, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Uruguay and more. 

Google says this is possible thanks to a new, more portable Street View camera introduced in 2022. "As our planet changes, this updated imagery helps keep the map fresh for people everywhere," Google says in their post.

The update includes Street View in four countries that have never had it: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia, Liechtenstein and Paraguay. 

If you're like me and enjoy exploring places like Street View, these updates and countries will be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Street View imagery taken from the bridge overlooking Diamond Beach in southeast Iceland, where icebergs float in the water.

(Image credit: Google)

Finally, Google announced that they are working on sharpening satellite images in Maps, which will allow you to see "a brighter, more vibrant globe." 

Part of this included utilizing AI-powered cloud removal technology trained to remove things like clouds, cloud shadows, haze and mist. Google claims that this model is trained to retain real-world weather patterns and keep them visible on the maps, like "ice, snow, and mountain shadows."

More from Tom's Guide

Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.