View a map over time

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.
  - This feature isn’t available if you’re using the Map basemap. To enable this feature, change your basemap to Satellite.
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 .
  - 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.

Related resources