Google Earth ٤+

So I had and deleted one and a half year ago because I didn’t rlly think I would need it. So earlier yesterday ( today’s yesterday) I was getting bored and so I got this app again and I had to get the older version. So idk if that is related to this but.. every time I try to “ walk “ in the streets it lets me go little ways but then it stops working and takes me to my home screen :(
Is it related to old version of google earth or maybe because I don’t have latest version of iPad? Could it be because my iPad is like five years old or is it just something that needs a bug fix update? Or can you not fix? I totally understand if you cannot fix though because I know you all work hard reading reviews and trying to fix any problems anyone has. Thx for all your hard work guys! Me appreciates it.

Sincerely, INFO UNAVAILABLE

I’d like to start by saying I haven’t used Google Earth in my classroom for awhile. But now I need it and I’m having to relearn where everything is hidden/renamed. This app used to be so easy to navigate and I could easily direct my kids to the places I wanted them to explore. Now, I’ve amassed a sheet of web links offering help - quite the waste of time when it could/should be in one place. (What happened to the downloadable pdf Guide? If it’s out there, I haven’t found it yet.)

Near as I can tell, Random Search has become I’m Feeling Lucky. Really? Why is that necessary? Cutesy titles are not helpful, especially when teaching 2nd-language learners. I’m guessing that Editor’s Picks is now Voyager. The transition between computer (Toolbar at the top) and tablet (iPad, in my case - finding Toolbar equivalent is not an easy task) should be uniform in appearance and function. Aside from using grid lines and reading latitude/longitude locations from there, what happened to the gps locations that used to be at the bottom of the page? They’re still there on the home location. And on the tablet, how do you relaunch Earth short of closing it down and starting over? And if you’re logged in, it opens to the screen you left. 🤷‍♀️

This update makes absolutely no sense and is a perfect example for app developers of what NOT to do - don’t dramatically change an app that worked great for years unless the changes clearly benefit users! These changes are not improvements! Why make a huge “Your projects” tab that takes up screen real estate without even giving us the option to completely hide it? My guess is that most mobile Google Earth users don’t even use projects regularly… I certainly don’t. Now I have this annoying UI element constantly taking up a ton of space where it can accidentally get tapped.

The slideshow for viewing photos is a complete downgrade because you can no longer zoom in on the pictures! The layers tab is cluttered. Searching now feels clunky. And what happened to the Voyager section where you could view different interactive pre-made stories like sea level rise, deforestation, etc?!

There are a couple new features I appreciate, but they could’ve easily been incorporated without changing the UI completely! I’m happy they gave more control over custom layers, made Timelapse easy to use, and made a toggle to show areas with 3D coverage. However, these things don’t compensate for the nonsensical UI/UX changes. Do better Google!