Zoom on Google Earth: 3 Easy Tricks to Get a Closer Look

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Quick shortcuts to zoom in and out on Google Earth

Co-authored by Travis Boylls Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: January 30, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Mobile App
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• Web Browser
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• Desktop App
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• Q&A

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Do you want to roam the world without leaving your home? With Google Earth, you can navigate through the streets of Paris, the deserts of Algeria, or the beaches of Hawaii from your computer, phone, or tablet. Once you navigate to a Google Earth location, you can zoom in for a closer view of the map using the plus and minus icons, keyboard shortcuts, mouse, or touchscreen gestures. You can also enter Street View to navigate streets at ground level. This wikiHow will teach you how to zoom in on Google Earth to get a closer look at any location.

How to Zoom on Google Earth

• If you're using the Google Earth app on Android or iPhone, "reverse-pinch" the screen with two fingers to zoom in, and pinch two fingers together to zoom out.
• On a computer, click the + to zoom in, or the - to zoom out.
• You can also use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl++ (PC) or ⌘ Cmd++ (Mac) to zoom in, and Ctrl+- (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+- (Mac) to zoom out.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Mobile App

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1. 
   1
   Open the Google Earth app and search for a location. Once you've launched the app, tap the Search Google Earth field at the top of the map, type your desired location, and then tap the location in the search results. Just like in Google Maps, Google Earth will bring you to the location you’ve entered.

   • If you don’t have Google Earth on your mobile device, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store on Android, or the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
2. 
   2
   Use the "reverse pinch" and "pinch" gestures to zoom. To zoom in for a closer look, touch the map with two fingers, then drag your fingers apart (like the reverse of a pinch).To zoom out, pinch two fingers together on the screen. The map will immediately adjust as you zoom.

   • These gestures will also work in many other phone and tablet apps, including FaceTime and your camera app.
   • Tap and drag to pan the map left, right, up, or down.
   • You can also rotate the map by placing your fingers on it and rotating them.
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3. 3
   Enter Street View (optional). To enter Street View, zoom in close enough to where you can see the streets, tap the yellow person icon in the lower-right corner, then tap a street highlighted in blue.

   • To navigate the streets at ground level in Street View, tap the arrows on the streets.
   • You can also zoom in and out and rotate the camera in Street View.
   • To exit Street View, tap the back arrow at the bottom of the screen.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Web Browser

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1. 
   1
   Go to earth.google.com in a web browser. You can access Google Earth in your PC or Mac's web browser without downloading an app.

   • We'll cover how to zoom in and out on the Google Earth desktop app later.
2. 
   2
   Search for a location. Type the location you want to view into the "Search Google Earth" box at the top-left corner, then press Enter or Return to navigate there.

   • You can click and drag the map to move it around for a better view.
3. 
   3
   Use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out. You'll see the plus and minus buttons at the bottom-right corner of the map.

   • You can also zoom in on Google Earth using keyboard shortcuts:
     • Zoom in: Ctrl++ (PC) or ⌘ Cmd++ (Mac).
     • Zoom out: Ctrl+- (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+- (Mac)
   • If you're using a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can also place the cursor over the map and scroll up to zoom in, and scroll down to zoom out.
4. 4
   Enter Street View (optional). If you want to enter Street View, zoom in close enough to where you can see the streets, then click the yellow person icon in the lower-right corner. Now, click a location on a street highlighted in blue.

   • You can click the arrows on the street to navigate Street View on a ground level.
   • You can also zoom in and out and rotate the camera in Street View.
   • To exit Street View, click the back arrow in the upper-left corner.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Desktop App

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1. 
   1
   Open the Google Earth Pro app on your computer. Once launched, you will see a 3D rendition of our world.

   • The Google Earth Pro desktop app is freely available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you haven't installed the Google Earth desktop app on your Windows PC or Mac, you can get it from google.com/earth/download.
2. 
   2
   Search for a location. Type the location you want to view into the box at the top-left corner, then click Search.

   • Just like in Google Maps, Google Earth will bring you to the location you’ve entered.
   • You can also zoom in or out while viewing historical maps in Google Earth.
3. 
   3
   Locate the zoom bar. At first glance, you may not see the zoom navigation bar on the right side of the map. However, once you hover your cursor over the area, the vertical zoom bar and additional navigation buttons will appear.

   • If you don’t see the zoom bar on the right, click View in the menu bar at the top, then click Show Navigation and check the box next to Always (or Automatically).
4. 
   4
   Click the + to zoom in, and the - to zoom out. Clicking the + at the top of the vertical zoom bar zooms in for a closer look at the area. Similarly, clicking - at the bottom of the bar zooms out.

   • You can also zoom in using keyboard shortcuts:
     • Zoom in: Ctrl++ (PC) or ⌘ Cmd++ (Mac).
     • Zoom out: Ctrl+- (PC) or ⌘ Cmd+- (Mac)
   • If you're using a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can also place the cursor over the map and scroll up to zoom in, and down to zoom out.
   • You can also click and drag the Zoom bar up or down to zoom in and out.
5. 5
   Enter Street View (optional). If you want to enter Street View, zoom in close enough to where you can see the streets, then click the yellow person icon in the lower-right corner. Now, click a location on a street highlighted in blue.

   • You can click the arrows on the street to navigate Street View on a ground level.
   • You can also zoom in and out and rotate the camera in Street View.
   • To exit Street View, click the back arrow in the upper-left corner.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How do I stop the image from tilting when I zoom in?

  

  Community Answer

  It depends whether or not you're using a tablet/smart phone or a laptop/ computer. If you're using a touch screen device, take your index finger and your thumb and push out with them at the same time. It should zoom in without tilting. If the image does tilt, you can rotate your fingers to rotate the image to the correct position.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
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  Not Helpful 7 Helpful 4
• Question

  Is the location up to date?

  

  Community Answer

  Some of it is. When you explore a location through Google Earth/Maps, it will tell you what month and year the pictures were taken. The oldest pictures (from 2008 and earlier) look blurrier and were usually taken at sunset. Nowadays, Google Earth only takes pictures during the morning and middle of the day.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
• Question

  How can you zoom up really close to read a sign?

  

  Community Answer

  Roll your mouse cursor enough or use the zooming option within Google Earth. In many pictures, the text on signs might be too blurry to read, even with the closest zoom in option.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1

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