The impact to thousands of companies across industries will be huge: Google Earth Pro for desktop is being discontinued, and some users are furious

Date:
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:27:18 +0000

Description:
The desktop version of Google Earth Pro is being discontinued, with users pointed towards the web and mobile editions.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google is discontinuing the desktop version of Google Earth Pro The web and mobile versions of the app will continue to be available You have until June 25 2027 to download the desktop edition When it comes to abandoning and discontinuing its own products, Google doesnt have a particularly stellar record. So many projects have been given the boot by the tech giant that there's even a Killed by Google website that collects all 300-plus of them.

Now, we can add Google Earth Pro to the list and the announcement has caused consternation among Google fans. An official post on the Google Earth support forums declared that While you can continue using the legacy Google Earth Pro desktop app, it will no longer be available for new downloads beginning on June 25, 2027. Users are being pointed towards the mobile and web versions of the app for the best Google Earth experience. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

Provided youve downloaded it, youll be able to continue using the desktop version of Google Earth Pro beyond June 25. If you want to bring your saved places and projects from the desktop app to the web or mobile, youll need to follow Googles instructions .

Google didnt say exactly why it was discontinuing Google Earth Pro on
desktop, only that Were continuing to make Google Earth on web and mobile the best place for people to get helpful geospatial insights. But theres no doubt that the decision to add yet another product to the Google graveyard will not go down well with many users. You may like Google pushes free G Suite Legacy users to upgrade to business plans Fitbit users are furious about being
forced to switch to Google Health Google is making Gemini CLI users switch to its new Antigravity 2.0 - so what will it mean for you? Going, going, gone (Image credit: Google) As you might expect, social media has seen scores of Google users complaining about the move. Underneath Googles forum post, for example, one anonymous user said: Google Earth web is functionally useless
for any kind of serious project. The max number of 250,000 vertices is ridiculous. It severely limits the amount of existing datasets I'm using on the desktop version. The [user interface] is intrusive and crowds the map, forcing the user to constantly move around and zoom in and out to see
anything significant.

That feeling was mirrored by sdot-p on Reddit, who lamented that The impact
to thousands of companies across industries will be huge. Earth Pro is integrated in workflows at a scale that cant be changed without ridiculous amounts of effort. And even then the company is likely to be in a worse position than prior. Youre talking about impact to contractors, surveyors, utilities, municipalities, archeologists etc. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Other users were more prosaic. They accidentally made something that created too much value they couldn't monetize, quipped MTGuy406 on Reddit, reflecting a longstanding sentiment that Google is quick to abandon projects that dont make enough of an impact to its bottom line, no matter how beloved they might be.

I also have a soft spot for Google Earth Pro, having first used it many years ago to download North Korea Uncovered, a Google Earth project that aimed to map and label almost every building and location of interest inside the secretive state. Whether or not that will work anywhere near as well on the web isn't cleara, given the user interface and experience criticisms of the non-desktop version of Google Earth.

If youve been tempted to download Google Earth Pro on your desktop but
haven't got around to doing it, now is the time to make your move. Youll find the download on Googles website make sure you grab it before its too late. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/the-impact-to-thousands-of-companies-acros s-industries-will-be-huge-google-earth-pro-for-desktop-is-being-discontinued-a nd-some-users-are-furious


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