Step 3. Change Google Earth to "Map" view. Click the "View" drop-down menu, then click "Map" to view streets instead of terrain. Click "Hybrid" to view streets and terrains overlaid. Advertisement. The red symbol in the compass icon is pointing north, while the grey symbol is pointing south. Your blue beam icon will show your current direction of travel. In the example above, the current direction of travel is approximately east, as north is pointing towards the right-hand side. Using the compass icon as a guide, you can then move in the View high-resolution satellite imagery, explore 3D terrain and buildings in hundreds of cities and dive into Street View's 360° perspectives. Launch Earth Create and collaborate from anywhere When you first start up, Google Maps displays a satellite view of North America. You can then zoom in, or pan the camera around to see any location on Earth. You can also type in the address of lxZwMux.