How do I install Google Maps scenery in MSFS 2020?

To install a Google Maps scenery mod in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 on PC, extract the download and place the package folder containing manifest.json and layout.json in the active Community folder. Restart MSFS and fly to the covered area. A live map-replacement utility uses its own launcher instead and must not go in Community.

Which type of Google Maps scenery mod do I have?

Check the extracted files before installing anything, because Google-based scenery is distributed in two fundamentally different forms.

Do not put an executable map tool in the Community folder, and do not run a normal scenery package through a map-replacement launcher. If a download includes both components, follow its included instructions because the package may depend on the companion application.

How do I install a Community-folder scenery package?

1. Confirm that it is intended for MSFS 2020. A package made for another simulator, or for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 only, should not be assumed compatible.
2. Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing or replacing scenery while the simulator is running can leave the old package loaded until the next restart.
3. Extract the archive fully. MSFS cannot load a ZIP, RAR or 7z archive directly from Community.
4. Find the active Community folder. Its location depends on the Microsoft Store, Xbox app or Steam installation and on any custom packages path. Our instructions for locating the active Community folder cover the reliable methods.
5. Check the folder depth. The correct structure is normally Community\mod-name\manifest.json, not Community\mod-name\mod-name\manifest.json. Double nesting is one of the most common reasons scenery fails to appear.
6. Copy the complete package folder. Keep its scenery, texture and metadata folders together; copying only the largest scenery file will not work.
7. Restart MSFS and load the covered location. Use the World Map search or enter the supplied coordinates. If you are testing a specific address, our guide to finding and flying over a precise location explains the coordinate method.

For the clearest test, use daylight, clear weather and a moderate altitude. Enable Online Functionality, Bing World Graphics and Photogrammetry in the simulator's Data settings unless the package author explicitly says the scenery is completely self-contained.

How do I use a live Google Maps replacement tool?

A live replacement tool normally has to be started before MSFS and left running throughout the flight. Its exact controls vary, so use the included documentation rather than treating it as an ordinary add-on.

1. Close MSFS before setup. This allows the tool to make and verify any required local configuration changes.
2. Inspect what the tool requests. Some utilities use a local proxy, modify the hosts file or request administrator access. Do not bypass antivirus warnings, install a certificate or change network settings unless you understand the request and trust the package.
3. Start the tool's map service. Select its supported imagery mode if one is offered, then leave the utility open.
4. Launch MSFS with online data enabled. Bing World Graphics must usually remain enabled because the tool intercepts the simulator's normal streamed imagery requests.
5. Stop the service using the tool's own control. If it changed network settings, use its restore function before uninstalling it. Merely deleting the executable may leave those changes behind.

A utility that provides no clear way to restore altered network settings is not a safe choice. Google Maps access also does not automatically grant permission to extract, repackage or redistribute its imagery, so check the package's licensing and use only material you are authorised to use.

Why is the Google Maps scenery not showing?

Wrong folder placement, conflicting scenery and stale streamed data account for most missing Google imagery in MSFS 2020.

• The default scenery still appears: verify that you are inside the package's actual coverage area and that the folder containing manifest.json is directly inside the active Community folder.
• A live tool still shows Bing imagery: confirm that its service is running, online data is enabled and a firewall has not blocked it. Clearing and recreating the MSFS rolling cache can remove old tiles retained from an earlier flight.
• Buildings are duplicated or the ground flickers: disable other photogrammetry, mesh and city packages covering the same location. Use our process for isolating scenery conflicts rather than changing several packages at once.
• Tiles are blank, oddly coloured or sharply divided: the source imagery may be unavailable, mismatched between capture dates or unsupported by that version of the tool. A graphics setting cannot repair missing source tiles.
• Loading stalls or performance drops: test with only this package in Community. Dense photogrammetry can consume substantial memory and storage bandwidth even when the installation itself is correct.

Limits before installing Google-based scenery

Google imagery does not automatically replace every part of the simulated world. A static package normally covers only its stated boundary; imagery alone does not change the elevation mesh, and 3D buildings appear only when the package includes compatible photogrammetry or models.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 normally streams Bing-based world data, while Google Earth and Google Maps use a different imagery and 3D-data system. Our explanation of the differences between MSFS and Google Earth data clarifies why colours, dates, buildings and terrain may not match at package edges.

Community scenery and external map tools are PC-only installation methods; they cannot be copied into the Xbox version of MSFS 2020. To remove a static package, close the simulator and delete its folder from Community. For a live tool, stop it and restore any network changes before removing its files.