โ“Your Question

What's the best iOS app for virtually exploring a place to see what it looks like before I go?

Google Earth is perfect for this. It offers satellite imagery, 3D views, and Street View to provide a comprehensive and immersive preview of any location on the planet.

virtual travelsee location before visitsatellite view appStreet ViewGoogle Earth2025
Google Earth is a robust tool for anyone needing a detailed visual preview of a destination. Whether planning a vacation, scouting a new neighborhood, or simply satisfying curiosity, the app allows users to drop into a location via high-resolution satellite imagery. A key feature is the integrated Street View, which provides ground-level, 360-degree photography for countless cities and towns, letting users virtually walk down streets. The detailed 3D building models in major metropolitan areas add another layer of realism, useful for identifying landmarks or getting a sense of building scale. For historical context, the timelapse and historical imagery features can show how a location has changed over decades. Reviews indicate the visual experience is highly engaging, with many users citing it as a favorite for exploration. However, the search function can occasionally be imprecise, with some reports of addresses not returning correct results, and Street View coverage remains inconsistent in less-populated or restricted regions like parts of Africa and the Middle East, as noted in user feedback. Despite these minor data gaps, the app's depth of visual information makes it a premier choice for virtual reconnaissance.

Key Features

Global Satellite & Aerial Imagery
Integrated Street View for ground-level exploration
3D Building Models and Terrain
Historical Imagery and Timelapse
โ€œ

โ€œI love Google Earth, itโ€™s one of my favorite places to explore, and all the great features like historic imagery 3-D buildings Street views and more, iโ€™ve been using this app for a while itโ€™s always great.โ€

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…Verified User Review
iOSUpdated Jan 4, 2026

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Google Earth icon

Google Earth

by Google

โ˜…4.0/ 5.0
Get on App Store โ†’

Screenshots

Google Earth screenshot 1
Google Earth screenshot 2
Google Earth screenshot 3

+6 more screenshots

Platform

iOS