Can You Rotate Google Maps on Desktop? [Quick Guide]

Can you rotate Google Maps on the desktop? Yes, you can rotate Google Maps on your desktop using the satellite view, but the default mode has no such option. It’s useful for getting a different view of a location or aligning the map with a specific direction of travel. 

While Google Maps on mobile devices easily supports rotation, many desktop users wonder if they can achieve the same flexibility. 

I’ll show you how to do it below!

How To Rotate Google Maps on Desktop

Here are two methods you can try:

Using Satellite View

1. Go to Google Maps and tap the layers button on the bottom left of your screen.

2. Tap More, then select Satellite.

3. Tick the Globe view box, and a compass will appear on the right side of your screen.

4. Tap on the arrows on the compass to rotate the map.

That’s it! You can better view your map by rotating it to any angle.

Sometimes, you can select the satellite view and tick the globe view box, but you won’t see the compass on the right side of the screen. In that case, you’ll need to enable hardware acceleration.

Here’s what to do:

1. Tap on the three dots in the top right corner of your screen.

2. Scroll down and tap Settings.

3. Click System.

4. Enable “Use graphics acceleration when available.”

The compass icon should appear now and Google Maps should work as expected.

Using an Android Emulator

You can install an Android emulator like Bluestacks on your desktop and then download the mobile version. This allows you to access features that might not be available on the desktop version, such as rotating the map on the default view. However, you must sign in with your Google Account to access the Play Store through Bluestacks.

Still, you might be unable to replicate the touchscreen commands perfectly with a mouse. This can make navigation and other touch-based interactions a bit trickier.

So, can you rotate Google Maps on your desktop? Luckily, yes. You can use the satellite view and turn on hardware acceleration if you don’t see the compass. Another option is to get an Android emulator, but it might be tricky to navigate with a mouse.

Keep in mind that this service has its share of issues, and we already wrote what to do if Google Maps location is wrong on your PC, so you might want to check it out.

Alternatively, you can check out other, similar services or Windows Maps for more rotation options. You can also change the language and enable dark mode.