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Google Maps dumps its flat view of the Earth for a fully 3D globe

Published Aug 3rd, 2018 9:01PM EDT
Google Maps 3D Globe Mode
Image: Google Maps

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Google has been on a roll with new features for its Maps service this week, from matching users to restaurants that they might like to adding battery percentage to location sharing. Rather than settle for two though, Google decided to end the week with one last surprise (which might irritate some flat-earthers).

As of today, Google Maps will now change its perspective from a flat view of the planet to 3D Globe Mode (as Google calls it), giving you a more accurate view of Earth. On the previous flat map, Greenland looked to be about the same size as Africa, but now everything should be to appropriate scale when fully zoomed out.

It’s a relatively minor change compared to the new features that launched earlier this week, but it’s one that will eliminate the need for adjusting a 3D object to a 2D display. It’s also proof that the Maps team is not part of the flat-earther movement, which was never really a concern, but is still nice to know. For now, 3D Globe Mode is only available on desktop, so head over to maps.google.com and start zooming out to see the change.

Jacob Siegal
Jacob Siegal Associate Editor

Jacob Siegal is Associate Editor at BGR, having joined the news team in 2013. He has over a decade of professional writing and editing experience, and helps to lead our technology and entertainment product launch and movie release coverage.