Editing Google Maps (section)

=== 2016–2018 ===

On June 27, 2016, Google rolled out new satellite imagery worldwide sourced from [[Landsat 8]], comprising over 700 trillion pixels of new data.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/google-maps-gets-a-satellite-makeover-mosaic-700-trillion/488939/|title=Google's Satellite Map Gets a 700-Trillion-Pixel Makeover|last=Meyer|first=Robinson|date=June 27, 2016|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=June 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627185634/http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/06/google-maps-gets-a-satellite-makeover-mosaic-700-trillion/488939/|archive-date=June 27, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2016, Google Maps acquired mapping analytics startup Urban Engines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/16/urban-engines-2/|title=Google Maps picks up mapping analytics and visualization startup Urban Engines|last=Heater|first=Brian|website=TechCrunch|date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917141751/https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/16/urban-engines-2/|archive-date=September 17, 2016|url-status=live|access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>

In 2016, the Government of South Korea offered Google conditional access to the country's geographic database – access that already allows indigenous Korean mapping providers high-detail maps. Google declined the offer, as it was unwilling to accept restrictions on reducing the quality around locations the South Korean Government felt were sensitive (see [[restrictions on geographic data in South Korea]]).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://asiatimes.com/article/one-thing-north-korea-south-doesnt-google-maps/|date=26 February 2018|title=One thing North Korea has that the South doesn't: Google Maps|newspaper=[[Asia Times]]|first1=Keshia|last1=Badalge|first2=Cullen|last2=Fairchild|access-date=March 4, 2021|archive-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125084242/https://asiatimes.com/2018/02/one-thing-north-korea-south-doesnt-google-maps/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On October 16, 2017, Google Maps was updated with accessible imagery of several planets and moons such as [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], and [[Venus]], as well as direct access to imagery of the [[Moon]] and [[Mars]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blog.google/products/maps/space-out-planets-google-maps/|title=Space out with planets in Google Maps|last=Marquardt|first=Stafford|date=October 16, 2017|website=Blog.Google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016165713/https://www.blog.google/products/maps/space-out-planets-google-maps/|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/16/google-maps-now-lets-you-explore-your-local-planets-and-moons-too/|title=Google Maps now lets you explore your local planets and moons|last=Lardinois|first=Frederic|date=October 16, 2017|website=TechCrunch|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016165303/https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/16/google-maps-now-lets-you-explore-your-local-planets-and-moons-too/|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live|access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref>

In May 2018, Google announced major changes to the API structure starting June 11, 2018. This change consolidated the 18 different endpoints into three services and merged the basic and premium plans into one pay-as-you-go plan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/02/google-maps-platform-arrives-with-pay-as-you-go-billing-free-support-and-cloud-requirement-starting-june-11/|title=Google Maps Platform arrives with pay-as-you-go billing, free support, and Cloud requirement starting June 11|last=Protalinski|first=Emil|date=May 2, 2018|website=VentureBeat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204074556/https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/02/google-maps-platform-arrives-with-pay-as-you-go-billing-free-support-and-cloud-requirement-starting-june-11/|archive-date=December 4, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=April 3, 2019}}</ref> This meant a 1400% price raise for users on the basic plan, with only six weeks of notice. This caused a harsh reaction within the developers community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geoawesomeness.com/developers-up-in-arms-over-google-maps-api-insane-price-hike/|title=Developers up in arms over Google Maps API 'insane' price hike|last1=Singh|first1=Ishveena|date=May 3, 2018|website=Geoawesomeness|access-date=August 7, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808231829/https://geoawesomeness.com/developers-up-in-arms-over-google-maps-api-insane-price-hike/|url-status=live}}</ref> In June, Google postponed the change date to July 16, 2018.

In August 2018, Google Maps designed its overall view (when zoomed out completely) into a [[Three-dimensional space|3D]] globe dropping the [[Mercator projection]] that projected the planet onto a flat surface.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/5/17653122/google-maps-update-mercator-projection-earth-isnt-flat|title=Google Maps now depicts the Earth as a globe|work=The Verge|access-date=2018-08-06|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111181608/https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/5/17653122/google-maps-update-mercator-projection-earth-isnt-flat|url-status=live}}</ref>