Oh no! Google Maps no! Please don't cancel 45° imagery!

[Dylan Leblanc]

Google says they will be removing the oblique 45° imagery from the Google Maps API, which is the map system used here on the website. I head about this a few months ago, and just received this email from them today. They suggest using Google Maps 3D if you need oblique imagery, but it's a lot more expensive, is difficult to use, and just not as simple and elegant as the current 45° imagery which works perfectly for the needs of the maps here on the website.

I will write them to suggest they use pre-rendered 45° views from the 3D Maps data to continue providing oblique imagery in the standard Google Maps API.

Here's the email I received from Google:

Hello Google Maps Platform customer,

We are writing to remind you of changes regarding the 45° Imagery in the Maps JavaScript API.

What you need to know

45° Imagery provides an aerial view of the world, where objects are viewed with an angle, giving an additional perspective (in certain locations only). Example with 45° Imagery on the left vs. top-down imagery on the right:



Key changes:
As of version 3.65, to be released in May 2026, Maps JavaScript API satellite and hybrid map types no longer automatically switch to 45° Imagery at higher zoom levels. Where 45° Imagery is available, the map shows the top-down satellite view even as the user zooms in. The SetTilt() method will also no longer be effective to display 45° Imagery.

This imagery is already in maintenance mode and no longer being refreshed.

These changes apply only to the satellite and hybrid map types. Base road maps and 3D maps will not be affected.

Potential impact:
Customers and applications relying on 45° Imagery for their use-cases need to switch to using alternatives, for instance 3D maps.

What you need to do

Action Required:
Ensure that you have switched to alternatives and ceased to rely on 45° Imagery before version 3.64 is discontinued, starting February 2027.

Timelines:

• May 2026: Release of Maps JavaScript API version 3.65, with 45° Imagery support removed.
• February 2027: Version 3.64 will no longer be available. 45° Imagery will no longer be available on any available Maps JavaScript API version.

Impacted projects:

The projects listed below use a higher than average rate or amount of 45° Imagery:
https://skyscraperpage.com

[Quilmeño89]

It's a very good viewing mode, although in my country it's only available in a few places and the images are more than 10 years old.

[mrnyc]

that is not good news -- and i cannot see why they are pulling back from at least leaving the existing versions up for a while longer even though they will grow outdated.

[Skytrunk]

Damn, that sucks. I use it frequently, though the imagery is outdated.

Originally Posted by Dylan Leblanc

I will write them to suggest they use pre-rendered 45° views from the 3D Maps data to continue providing oblique imagery in the standard Google Maps API.

That's a nice idea and it doesn't hurt to try, but we better keep expectations low

[koops65]

That sux.

[Dylan Leblanc]

Here's Google's response

Status: Won't Fix (Infeasible).
Hi there,

While this is an interesting idea and we value your use-case and commitment to using the API, the deprecation has been planned and announced for a year and the (pre-rendered) 3D tiles look different enough compared to actual imagery that it would be an awkward mix.

The best suggestion we can give you is to customize the 3D map controls for the camera to suit your use-case and offer a great navigation. With 3D Maps animation also becomes easy, which would also be valuable to your use-case.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best we can do is continue using the older Google Maps version 3.64 until next year when the 45 degree views are removed.

[Dylan Leblanc]

I noticed the Google Maps updated to version 3.65 and the 45 degree view was gone. So I bumped the maps used on the website here back down to version 3.64 so we can still use the 45 degree view until it's no longer available in February 2027.

[koops65]

Thanks Dylan. What plans do you have for after February?

[Dylan Leblanc]

We'll just have to say goodbye to the 45 degree view next February.

Google's recommendation is to use their 3D Maps platform, but it's substantially more expensive than the regular maps which are used here on the website. As it is now, the ads displayed on the map pages don't even cover the cost of using Google Maps, so I don't really want to start paying even more for 3D Maps.