Google Earth Pro is headed for the graveyard, and fans aren't happy about it

There are plenty of great Google apps now biting the dust in the graveyard, and another juggernaut will join the league soon (partially, at least). Google Earth Pro, which millions of users use for geospatial exploration and have likely used at least once to view their house from satellite imagery, will soon no longer be available as a desktop app.

Google has announced it will end support for Earth Pro on desktop on June 25, 2027, leaving behind web and mobile apps as the only ways to access 3D replicas of Earth, the Moon, Mars, and parts of outer space. A Google Community manager recently broke the news on a support page, while the desktop apps have also started informing users about the impending death.

This messaging is accompanied by step-by-step instructions for virtual globe-trotters to migrate their favorite places and other preferences from Google Earth Pro. These saved places can then be imported into the web version or the mobile apps.

While enthusiasts who use satellite imagery for fun may not be as fettered by the move, professionals who work with GIS workflows don’t sound too happy. According to one commenter on Reddit, the web version struggles to “consistently display attribute data.” Another community member says, “The max number of 250,000 vertices [on the web] is ridiculous. It severely limits the amount of existing datasets.” Meanwhile, numerous others sound upset with the decision.

Others seem to agree that the one-year timeline gives users enough time to make changes to their processes — or switch to another GIS service for comparable or better features. If you download the app, you’ll likely be able to continue using it, though there won’t be any new updates after the final date. Although Windows users need not worry, Mac users might lose access to the desktop app when Apple discontinues support for Rosetta-emulated apps (those meant for Intel Macs) with the release of macOS 28 next year. This is because Google doesn’t offer an app version specific to M-series chips.

Meanwhile, Google is trying to add more features to make the desktop version more convincing. Among them are AI-powered data layers that make geospatial analysis easier, a more realistic bird’s-eye view than the desktop app, and even a flight simulator that was previously limited to the desktop apps.