Apps
Google Earth
Viewed places are stored locally so Google Earth can reopen imagery faster without re-downloading every satellite tile, terrain chunk, and related image pyramid data from Google's servers. That disk cache can accumulate outdated map tiles, partially downloaded imagery fragments, and stale terrain data after app updates, interrupted downloads, or changes to the underlying imagery set. Kudu removes Google Earth Pro and Google Earth cache files only, leaving saved places, projects, sign-in details, preferences, and other personal data untouched.
Why clean Google Earth?
- Outdated satellite imagery tiles can keep an old version of an area on screen, so you see mismatched ground photos or labels until Google Earth fetches fresh data
- Partially written terrain or image cache files after a crash can cause gray squares, blurry patches, or sections of the globe that never finish sharpening
- Corrupted local tile data can make zooming and panning repeatedly reload the same area, with visible flicker and long waits before detail appears
- A very large cache can waste gigabytes of disk space on places you no longer revisit, especially after long sessions exploring many cities and 3D regions
- Stale cached elevation and imagery chunks can produce seams between adjacent areas, making hills, coastlines, or 3D buildings look misaligned until the cache is rebuilt
- Interrupted downloads can leave Google Earth reusing bad local data, which shows up as black tiles, checkerboard gaps, or regions that stay low resolution
- After imagery updates on Google's side, the local cache may keep serving obsolete tiles, so recent construction, road changes, or seasonal imagery do not appear when expected
What gets cleaned
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%LocalAppData%/Google/GoogleEarth/Cache |
macOS
~/Library/Caches/com.google.GoogleEarthPro |
~/Library/Caches/com.google.GoogleEarth |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Google Earth
Related cleaners
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