Despite some people believing that Google Earth is a continuously updated program that allows you to spy on your neighbor, the truth is that there is a good chance Google Earth, in your area, hasn’t been updated in some time. To better understand the degree in which Google Earth is updated, it is important to understand the two dynamics that make Google Earth function properly.

To begin with, Google Earth uses satellites to take images of the entire country. It is because of this that as you zoom in, you can begin seeing streets and the very blurry images that make up your house. However, if you zoom in as much as possible, the house still appears blurry. This is because the satellite is still the only image available. However, in higher populated areas, there are houses that look crystal clear. The reason for this is because Google is a business: they want to target the highest number of people.

How Often is Google Earth Updated?

The answer to this question is: where are all the people? According to Google, most of the imagery that is seen on Google Earth is between 1 and 3 three years old. The reason for this is because it would be too expensive to continuously hire pilots to fly over areas and take pictures. Therefore, Google spent the initial funding to get the original imagery and then allows it to settle for some time.

The ultimate answer is importance. It can be assumed that nearly every region has been updated at least once in the five years Google Earth has been out, but there are other areas that have, most likely, been updated many more times. The reason for this is because of the importance. Google is in the business of making money. So, if an area is important, chances are, it’ll have been updated more continuously.

Overall, Google Earth is updated every time a new release comes out. Whatever new images that have been taken are included in the new release of the software. As a whole, though, it takes between one and three years for the entire Earth to have been redone because Google relies on third party companies to take the very close, in depth aerial photographs.