For those who are afraid of flying, Google has introduced something that will either help alleviate your worries or exacerbate them further. Along with adding a variety of new features to Google Maps throughout 2026, Google has taken something from the Google Earth app and added it to the desktop navigation experience for everyone to enjoy. Best of all, the game is completely free as long as you know where to look.
Announced in a June 12 tweet on X, Google is now making its Flight Simulator feature available to more users. The move stems from the company’s goal to add more content from its Google Earth app to the web experience, including elevation profiles, additional data layers, and new import types. Google’s Flight Simulator was originally just an Easter egg that users could find for a little fun, but now you can access the feature with just a few clicks in a web browser.
While the new desktop experience likely won’t replace the flight simulation games users already enjoy, gaming can still be a fun way to explore all the map information available in Google Earth, including 3D renderings of buildings and our planet. While it doesn’t offer much more than the ability to move around Google Earth in a new way, at least you don’t need to memorize all the TSA rules that changed this year to take advantage of it.
How to use Google Flight Simulator
Google Flight Simulator has been available in the Google Earth app since 2007, and almost 20 years later, the little flight feature is now available in web browsers. Getting started with simulation is pretty simple, although there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, it’s only available on desktop, sorry, for Android and iPhone users. It also relies on simplified flight physics, meaning you’ll only have a casual experience, and those with low bandwidth may have issues loading certain items.
Here are the steps:
-
Access Google Earth on your computer.
-
Tap Explore Earth next to the search bar.
-
Select Tools at the top in the menu bar.
-
Choose Flight Simulator.
Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move the plane up or down, or tilt it left or right. Use the page up and page down buttons to adjust the thrust, or use the on-screen controls. You can also click anywhere in the simulation with your mouse to switch between keyboard and mouse-guided controls. If you crash, click “You crashed!” Restart” to try again.
Looking at the comments on the post on X, users are excited that the feature is now available, although many have issues with its shaky controls. While it can be easy to find yourself endlessly spinning in the ground, it’s still a fun way to waste time. At the very least, it’s certainly less obnoxious than Google’s 6-7 Easter egg that disrupts your web searches.
