Google Earth’s web version now ships with a built-in flight simulator, and anyone with a browser can use it. Google pushed the mode live on June 12, 2026, marking the first time the feature has been available outside the professional desktop application that has carried it since 2007.
The mode lets users pick an aircraft, set a starting point on the planet, and fly through Google Earth’s 3D imagery using a keyboard or a joystick. Google has labelled the feature experimental and is upfront that it’s built for casual exploration, not for high-fidelity flight training.
How to Launch the Flight Simulator
The flight simulator sits inside the Google Earth web app, four clicks from the home screen. Users open Google Earth on their computer, click Explore Earth at the top of the page, open the Tools menu in the top bar, and select Flight simulator from the dropdown list. The whole sequence runs in a browser, with no download, no installation, and no extra sign-in required. A standalone FAQ page on the same site walks new pilots through the basics before takeoff.
The official flight simulator documentation makes two structural points clear. The feature is web-only, with the developer page noting that the flight simulator is available only on Google Earth on web. The physics are simplified by design. The mode also streams 3D buildings and high-resolution imagery dynamically, a setup that can produce temporary loading delays on slow connections or at extreme speeds. The page also labels the entire feature as experimental, a tag Google is upfront about.
A separate developer page entry lists the mode under a heading called “Fly around the world (Experimental).” The same page hosts the keyboard controls reference and the list of known issues. Pilots who want to fly without surprises are pointed at the developer documentation before they take off.
What Pilots Get in the Cockpit
The simulator offers two aircraft and a choice of starting points. The beginner option is the SR22, which the help center’s flight simulator guide describes as the way to learn how to fly. The advanced option is the F-16, recommended for pilots who want to climb straight up and keep going. Pilots can take off from their current Google Earth view or pick a specific airport from a drop-down list. To switch aircraft, start location, or controller type, the help documentation notes that users have to exit the simulator and re-enter from the Tools menu.
The cockpit runs on keyboard, mouse, or a connected joystick. Page Up and Page Down adjust thrust; the arrow keys handle pitch and roll, with up climbing, down diving, and the left and right arrows banking the aircraft. Mouse users toggle into mouse-guided flight by clicking inside the simulation. A joystick can be enabled from the controls menu under “Joystick support.” The developer page lists seven default keyboard actions for the web version.
Small course corrections work best, the help documentation says, and pilots can use Alt plus the arrow keys for slow turns or Ctrl plus the arrow keys for quick turns when they want to look around mid-flight. The simulator pauses with the spacebar and resumes with the same key. A click on the back arrow in the upper-left corner or the Ctrl + Alt + a shortcut on Windows and Cmd + Option + a on a Mac returns pilots to the standard map.
| Action | Keyboard control |
|---|---|
| Increase thrust | Page Up or click the on-screen indicator |
| Decrease thrust | Page Down or click the on-screen indicator |
| Pitch down (dive) | Down arrow |
| Pitch up (climb) | Up arrow |
| Roll left (bank) | Left arrow |
| Roll right (bank) | Right arrow |
| Toggle mouse controls | Click inside the simulation |
Casual Exploration, by Design
The new mode is not Microsoft Flight Simulator, and Google is clear about why. The flight sim is meant for casual exploration over the same satellite and 3D imagery base that the rest of Google Earth uses, not for certified aviation practice. There are no missions, no achievements, and no progression system to track. If the aircraft makes direct impact with terrain, the simulation pauses and a “You crashed! Restart” button restores the plane at a safe, playable altitude and coordinates.
The flight simulator is designed for casual exploration rather than high-fidelity aerodynamic training.
The official flight simulator documentation carries that line. The same page lists two specific known issues. Flying near ground level in regions below sea level, with Badwater Basin in California as the named example, can produce occasional flashing or clipping. Standard map shortcut keys, including historical imagery toggles, are deactivated during flight to avoid conflicting with the cockpit controls.
Engadget, which covered the launch, framed the experimental status plainly: “you might have some wonky moments with the flight simulator.” The platform itself is the surface; the simulator runs on top of Google Earth’s existing map view.
Two Years of Features Reaching the Web
The flight simulator is the most visible piece of a longer migration. In 2024, Google Earth added historical recreations of select times and places, letting users step back into older versions of specific locations and see how a given street or skyline looked decades ago. The following year, the platform added more of what one outlet called “clever curios” on top of the same imagery base. Together, the 2024 and 2025 updates shifted Google Earth from a present-day map into a multi-layered time machine of sorts, accessible from the same browser tab. The flight simulator, which had been a desktop-only curiosity for years, was the missing piece of that migration. The trend line points the same way: more pro features, more browser.
A post from the Google Earth account on the day of the launch made the migration explicit. The post read: “We’ve recently added many our most powerful professional desktop features to web. Elevation profiles, new import types, but there’s always been one other feature you’ve been asking us to add to the web version of Google Earth, just for fun…”
That post is a checklist in narrative form. Elevation profiles were the first to ship. New import types followed, and the flight simulator is the third in this year’s lineup. Each item is a feature that used to require the desktop pro app. CNET’s coverage of the launch noted that the flight simulator has lived in that desktop app since 2007, making this release its first appearance in the website version.
The result is a Google Earth that no longer needs a download to feel complete. A user can pull up a browser, drop a pin anywhere on the planet, watch a 3D city stream in, and take off inside the same session. That is what changes with the flight simulator on the web. The migration of elevation profiles, new import types, and the flight simulator from desktop to browser compresses what used to require a pro install into a single page load. For a product that has been on the web for years but felt like a stripped-down version of its desktop sibling, this release narrows the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Google Earth flight simulator free?
Yes. The flight simulator is part of Google Earth on the web and is available to all users at no cost. No subscription, add-on, or account upgrade is required beyond the standard Google Earth access.
Can I use a joystick or flight stick with it?
Yes. The help center’s flight simulator guide lists joystick support as an option that can be enabled from the controls menu before takeoff. Keyboard and mouse controls work without any extra hardware.
Does the flight simulator work on phones or tablets?
The developer documentation lists the flight simulator as a feature of Google Earth on the web only. The mobile apps for Android and iOS do not include the mode.
How is it different from Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Microsoft Flight Simulator is built around high-fidelity flight dynamics, certified aircraft, and real-world flight procedures. Google Earth’s flight simulator uses simplified physics over Google Earth’s satellite and 3D imagery, with no missions or achievements.
How long has the flight simulator been in Google Earth?
The flight simulator has been a feature of the Google Earth desktop application since 2007, according to CNET’s coverage of the launch. The 2026 release is the first time the mode has been available in the web version.
