Google is making it easier for you to measure just about anything on Earth.
The tech giant on Monday announced a new feature for Google Earth that will allow you to measure the distance between any two points on the planet. The new tool can also measure areas, like the size of the park near your home or any number of stadiums around the world. In a blog post, Google Earth Product Manager Gopal Shah called the measurement feature “one of the most requested” among users.
But before you get too excited, there is a caveat. Google said that the feature will be rolled out on the Chrome browser version of Google Earth on Monday and on Android devices this week. If you’re using Google Earth on iPhone or iPad, however, you’ll need to wait until some point in the future. For now, Google is only saying the feature will get to iOS devices “soon.”
Once it’s available on your device of choice, you’ll see a ruler icon. Simply click it and choose two points anywhere on Earth to measure distance. You can use the same tool to measure the total area of a particular location. In some examples, Google showed how the service could measure the total area of states. It can also be used to see how big parks and other areas are.
Google Earth’s update is rolling out now.
