Blurry areas in satellite mode

Paul Arago 20 Reputation points

Hi,

We are experiencing an issue with the Azure Maps component. In satellite mode, some areas appear blurry. Here are the latitude and longitude coordinates: 52.3071597756755, 4.75241620962864 (Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam). Around this area, you can see that some parts are blurry.

We tried changing the zoom level, clearing the cache, and using different browsers. The problem is also present in the Azure Maps samples provided in your documentation.

We checked Google Maps, and these areas are visible there. Do you know why this is happening?

Thank you in advance,

Have a good day,

Paul Arago.

  1. Paul Arago 20 Reputation points

    Here are the coordinates: (52.3071597756755, 4.75241620962864)

    Zoom level: 14 (all zoom levels are problematic)

    Region of the account : West Europe

    Date/Time : (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

    Here is a screenshot of the blurry areas.

    👁 blurry_areas

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Answer accepted by question author

Anshika Varshney 13,405 Reputation points • Microsoft External Staff • Moderator

Hey @Paul Arago

You're seeing in satellite mode isn't a browser bug or cache issue it's due to limitations in the imagery coverage and tile resolution that Azure Maps (which uses Bing Maps tiles) currently provides for that location.

Why it's blurry

  • Azure Maps satellite tiles come from multiple imagery providers who only publish high-resolution imagery for certain areas. If a location wasn't captured in ultra-high resolution, you'll see soft or blocky tiles even when you zoom in[reddit]
  • Unlike Google Maps, which stitches together multiple commercial providers for better coverage, Azure Maps uses a fixed tile pyramid (256×256 px raster tiles for satellite imagery up to zoom 22). If the source tiles for your area at zoom 14+ aren't high-res, it appears blurry[reddit]
  • In some cases, targeted blurring is intentionally applied at the request of government or airport authorities for security/privacy reasons. Microsoft/Bing typically complies with these requests more directly than some other providers[answers.microsoft]

How Azure Maps tiling works

Azure Maps uses the Spherical Mercator projection and divides the world into a grid of tiles at each zoom level. Higher zoom levels simply subdivide existing tiles—they don't magically add more detail if the source imagery isn't there.[reddit]

You can find full details here: Zoom levels and tile grid

Workarounds & next steps

Submit feedback directly to Bing Maps: Go to Bing.com/maps, navigate to the location, and use the feedback button to request higher-resolution imagery for that region[learn.microsoft]

Request blur removal (if applicable): If this is intentional blurring for privacy/security, you can submit a request at Bing Maps by clicking "Report a privacy issue" if you have authorization[answers.microsoft]

Add custom tile layers: If you need sharper imagery for development, consider overlaying custom tile layers from a different provider (e.g., a WMTS service) that has high-res aerial imagery for that area[learn.microsoft]

Switch map styles temporarily: Use the Azure Maps road or hybrid style for better labeling around that area while waiting for imagery updates[reddit]

Once the underlying imagery provider publishes better tiles for your region, you'll see much crisper satellite views.

Hope this clarifies why Google might look sharper there, but Azure Maps doesn't!

If this answers your query, please do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful.

Thankyou!

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1 additional answer

  1. IoTGirl 3,961 Reputation points • Microsoft Employee • Moderator

    Hi Paul,

    This is a targeted blurring that was requested by the Government or Airport authority. While Google may not have respected their request, Microsoft likely has a direct relationship with the government entity that requested the blurring.

    You can give feedback directly to Bing on this at Bing.com/maps as Azure Maps uses Bing tiles. Also, if you have alternative imagery, you can overlay replacement imagery if you wish.

    Sincerely,

    IoTGirl

    (Azure Maps Team Member)

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