Like us, Google is a big fan of Easter eggs, though it particularly likes the software rather than chocolate kind – those little hidden surprises tucked away inside apps and services for users to stumble upon.
The search giant has been burying Easter Eggs in its software more consistently than any other tech company for the past 25 years. Whether you're using Google Search, Google Maps, Android, Google Earth or its Assistant, there are dozens of little inside jokes and waiting to be found.
Google turns 25
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This is the part of a series of TechRadar articles marking and celebrating Google's 25th birthday. Read them all here.
But what are its best Easter eggs and how do you find them? We've been out on a digital hunt to track them down, and you'll find all of our favorite ones below. Use the navigation bar to find your way around – there's everything from recent nods to The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us, to some brilliant Street View art in New York.
Not all of the Easter Eggs below are just for mild amusement either – we've also picked out some handy hidden tools that you may not know were tucked away in Google Search, from bubble levels to guitar tuners.
So as we head towards the launch of the Google Pixel 8 and potential surprises that event has in store, here's our pick of the best Google Easter eggs of the past 25 years that you can still find. And no, they don't yet include Google Bard, which says it doesn't have any hidden features – for now, at least...
New Google Easter eggs
Google has been hiding Easter eggs inside Search for a quarter of a century, but we thought we'd start by highlighting some of its most recent nods to films, TV shows and gaming (tap the arrow on the right of each image to scroll through them)...
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1. Gather your Mario coins
Almost exactly 30 years on from the critically-panned original movie, a new The Super Mario Bros. Movie is here – and Google's made a fitting easter egg to celebrate. Type the movie's name into Google search and you'll get a little coin block over on the right-hand size – click it for a charming hit of nostalgia. Try it: type 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' into Google Search
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2. Enter the apocalypse
If you haven't already wandered through the post-apocalytic wastelands with Joel and Ellie inThe Last of Us, then that's something you need to address right away – and Google's easter egg will help get you in the mood. Click on the mushroom that appears at the bottom of the screen when you search for the TV and the cordyceps fungus will take over your screen. Try it:type 'The Last of Us TV' or 'The Last of Us TV show' into the Google Search box. Now click on the mushroom icon at the bottom of your screen.
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3. Use the Force with Baby Yoda
The Mandalorian season 3 has landed on Disney Plus, with the hit TV show following Din Djarin's adventures with Grogu. To mark the occasion Google, made one of its most satisfying Easter eggs so far. Search for 'The Mandalorian', 'Grogu' or 'Baby Yoda' and you'll see the latter appear in the bottom-right of your screen. Click on him to see some destructive spells cast on your search results. Try it: type'The Mandalorian', 'Grogu' or 'Baby Yoda' into Google
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4. Fly a spacecraft into an asteroid
In October 2022, NASA confirmed that its DART Mission (which stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test) had successfully altered an asteroid's path by crashing into it. Aside from blasting out Aerosmith, a good way to honor this selfless act is to type 'NASA Dart mission' into Google and watch the impact play out in front of you. Try it: type 'NASA Dart Mission' into Google Search
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5. Get a bonus game of Wordle
Have you already cracked today's Wordle? You can get a bonus game by typing Wordle into the Google Search bar. Well, kind of – you'll notice that Google's Easter egg has an extra letter and may be relatively easy to guess. Still, it's good to see the search engine is still as addicted to the game as we are. Try it: type Wordle into the Google Search bar.
Classic Google Easter eggs
Not familiar with the staples of Google's Easter egg history? Here are some of its all-time highlights, including a time machine back to 1998 and, our personal favorite, its interactive treat for puppies and cats (tap the arrow on the right of each image to scroll through them)...
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6. Travel back in time
Google was founded almost 25 years ago and if you want to get a taste of its even more minimalist design and experience in 1998, you can do that with a quick search. Type in 'Google in 1998' and the search engine will switch to its original interface, which isn't exactly a radical change considering it's a quarter of a century old. Try it: Type 'Google in 1998' into the Google Search bar.
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7. Do a barrel roll
If you need a reminder of your Star Fox days on the SNES, type 'do a barrel roll' into the Google Search bar. It might not quite be as fun as flying alongside Slippy and Peppy, but your screen will dutifully perform the 360-degree horizontal spin. Try it: Type either 'do a barrel roll' or 'z or r twice' into the Google Search bar.
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8. Get a virtual puppy (or kitten)
Perhaps our favorite of all the Google Easter eggs is what happens when you search for 'puppy' or 'cat'. Head over to the right-hand side of the results page and you'll see a paw icon. Not only does this start a charming interactive animation, you'll also be treated to a varied chorus of barks and meows. Try it: type 'puppy' or 'cat' into Google, then click on the paw icon on the right-hand side of the page.
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9. Browse the Doodles
Fancy leafing through the archive of Google Doodles? These animations take the place of the Google logo on special occasions, but they live on in a special corner of the search engine where you can play games or watch educational videos on everything from bubble tea to the birth of hip-hop 'break'. Try it: Search for 'Google Doodles' in Google Search.
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10. Embrace DVD nostalgia
If you're old enough to remember DVD players, then you might fondly recall their logos bouncing around the screen during screensaver mode. Well, in a nod to your youth, Google has built the feature into its search engine, with its logo instead bobbing around the screen. But will it ever hit the corner? Try it:Search for 'DVD screensaver' or 'DVD bouncing logo'.
Google Search Easter egg tools
Google's Easter eggs aren't just about games and nerdy in-jokes – some of them are actually pretty handy tools that you can call on when you need them. Here are some of the useful ones that are hidden in Google Search (tap the arrow on the right of each image to scroll through them)...
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11. Bubble level
Looking to put up some shelves and lost your spirit level? You can find an emergency one buried in Google Search, as long as you're using a phone or a device with an accelerometer. Sure, there's one already built into your iPhone, but it's easier than using a standalone app on Android. Try it: On a smartphone, type 'bubble level' into Google Search. Tap it to activate the tool.
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12. Tune your guitar
There are more guitar tuner apps around than there are podcasts on Spotify, but if you need a quick tune-up then Google's built-in tool could be just the ticket. It's a pretty basic affair so you might need some extra help for alternate tunings, but the Tuner is also one of Google Search's lesser-known tools. Need help with your rhythm? Just type in 'Metronome' instead. Try it: Type 'Google Tuner' into Google Search on a smartphone, and tap the microphone icon to allow mic access.
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13. Fidget spinner
Fidget spinners may have hit their cultural peak about five years ago, but a virtual one still lives on in Google Search. Perhaps more usefully, the hidden tool also has a 'Number' switch that turns it into a customizable 'spin the wheel' to help you make tricky decisions or settle who's doing the washing up. Try it: Type 'Fidget Spinner' into Google Search. Tap the switch in the top-right to turn it into a number wheel.
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14. Take a breather
Need to pause from all your Google searching for a quick breather? The search engine actually has a little one-minute breathing exercise to help. A simple, mesmerizing circle will guide your breathing back into a more relaxed state, leaving you refreshed and ready to hunt for more Google Easter eggs. Try it: Type breathing exercise into Google Search
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15. Color picker
Whether you're looking for some home decor inspiration or just really need to know the hex value of that particular shade of purple, Google's color picker is a handy tool to have on standby. Searching for 'color picker' or 'Google color picker' will bring it up beneath the Google search box, which makes it quicker and easier than reaching for a Chrome extension. Try it:Search for 'color picker' or 'Google color picker' in the Google Search box.
Google Search Easter egg games
Google Search may not quite be able to run Crysis or Hogwarts Legacyinside its search engine, but there are quite a few hidden games for those who have a couple of minutes to spare while waiting for a meeting.
Many of them were originally among the best Google Doodles, and while some of those have been retired these ones are all still available to pla (tap the arrow on the right of each image to scroll through them)...
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16. Coding for Carrots
This charming little Google Doodle game teaches you the basics of coding and was built in collaboration with MIT Scratch in 2017. Created to celebrate 50 years of kid-friendly coding, it focuses on the Logo coding language and asks you to guide a rabbit around a little blocky islands collecting carrots. Try it:Google 'Google Doodles' and choose 'Coding' from the menu, or head directly to the game.
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17. Pac-Man
This seminal arcade game, which dates back to 1980, needs little introduction. Google celebrated Pac-Man's 30th anniversary in 2010 with this Doodle game, which you can still play in the search engine – time to start munching on those power pellets. Try it: Search for 'Pac-Man' in Google's search box.
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18. Snake
Yes, mobile gaming has moved on a bit from the days when your only commuting option was Snake, but it's still good to check in with the ridiculously simple and addictive Nokia staple now and again. The high score to match is 256 points – no pressure. Try it: Type 'snake game' into the Google search box.
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19. Jerry Lawson's birthday
This familiar game with Snake-like addictiveness was made to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Gerald “Jerry” Lawson. The influential founder of modern gaming developed the first home video game system with interchangeable cartridges. Just use your cursor keys to move the platform around – and don't get discouraged when it burns you with 'try again, turkey!' messages. Try it: Type 'Google Doodles' into search and choose 'Jerry Lawson' from the menu.
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20. Minesweeper
Another classic that'll be second-nature to anyone who had a Windows PC in the 90s, Minesweeper is built into Google Search for those who need a quick blast of its screen-clearing satisfaction. If you're new the game (the aim is to clear the board without detonating any of the mines), there's fortunately also a difficulty setting, too. Try it: Do a Google search for 'Minesweeper'.
Google Maps Easter eggs
To get into the true spirit of Easter egg hunting, there's no better place than Google Maps, Street View and Google Earth – here are our favorite secrets that are hidden away in those mapping services...
21. Visit the International Space Station
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Back in 2017, the astronaut and flight engineer Thomas Pesquet popped up to the International Space Station and shot some special photos for Google Street View. Naturally, there wasn't quite enough room for the usual Street View car or apparatus up there, so NASA had to help design a gravity-free method of collecting the imagery using DSLR cameras and equipment that was already on the ISS.
These were stitched together back on earth – and fortunately you can still visit the virtual space station today to get a sense of what it's like to peek out from The Cupola (the small observation module on the ISS). Try it:head to the International Space Station on Google Street View
22. Experience surreal Street View art
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Over the years, Google Street View has been 'hacked' (or at least co-opted) by many artists to make online pieces that are hidden away as Easter eggs for people to find. One of the most memorable recent ones was created by a mysterious group called the 'Loosi Ninjas'.
They discovered that the Brookyln Navy Yard was one of the few public spaces in New York that has never been visited by Google's Street View Car. So they made their own stop-motion animation, which took Reddit by storm, that takes you on a journey following a man in a white jumpsuit through some surreal scenes that include paper airplanes, umbrellas, beach balls and fragments of sky. For the full behind-the-scenes story, head to this interview on Moving Image Artists. Try it:Head here on Google Maps to start the adventure, or type 'Brooklyn Navy Yard' into Google Maps and drop the Street View Pegman anywhere in that area.
23. 'No ice cream for you'
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The Google Maps Navigation assistant might sound robotic and unerringly polite, but it is possible to make them break character and reveal their inner sass. When you're in navigation mode, try tapping the microphone and saying "are we there yet?".
Your first response will be the usual polite reminder about how much further you have to go. But try three more times and the Navigation voice will snap and say "If you ask me again, we won't stop for ice cream." That's us told.
24. Have a poke around the TARDIS
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A blue police box has been standing outside London's Earls Court underground station for over 25 years, and ten years ago Doctor Who fans were happy to discover that in Google Street View it offers a portal the the heart of the TARDIS. You can have a good look around its control room by clicking on the Street View arrow that appears when your cursor is directly over (or on front of) its doors. Try it: Head to the Earls Court Police Box in Google Street View, hover your cursor over the box and click the arrow that appears.
25. Pegman Easter eggs
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Google Maps' 'Pegman', the little character in the bottom right-hand corner who helps you open Street View, usually just looks like an orange rag doll. But in a few special locations, you'll seem him change into a fitting icon instead.
For example, around Scotland's Loch Ness, Pegman will turn into a little green 'Nessie' with a tartan hat, to honor the famous Loch Ness Monster. Other examples include Pegman turning into an astronaut around the Kennedy Space Center, or a UFO when you type in 'Area 51'. Try it: Type 'Loch Ness' or 'Area 51' into Google Maps, and drag Pegman from the bottom right-hand corner into the map.
Android Easter eggs
26. Android 14 Easter egg
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Google has always been fond of placing Easter eggs into its Android operating system – and it's followed up the cat-theme ones from Android 13 with a new space-themed on in Android 14.
The process is a little involved, but bear with us. If you have a phone that's running Android 14, head over to the Settings app, then scroll down to About Phone and tap that. Now find and press the Android Version option. Tap the number 14 a few times until the settings app closes, and you'll see the Android 14 logo.
Tap and hold this logo and you should see the logo shaking like a rocket during take-off, with stars zooming by in the background. This is just the start – after the logo's lift-off, a space exploration game starts, letting you control a ship by tapping on the screen and dragging it in different directions.
Mark is TechRadar's Senior news editor. Having worked in tech journalism for a ludicrous 17 years, Mark is now attempting to break the world record for the number of camera bags hoarded by one person. He was previously Cameras Editor at both TechRadar and Trusted Reviews, Acting editor on Stuff.tv, as well as Features editor and Reviews editor on Stuff magazine. As a freelancer, he's contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, FourFourTwo and Arena. And in a former life, he also won The Daily Telegraph's Young Sportswriter of the Year. But that was before he discovered the strange joys of getting up at 4am for a photo shoot in London's Square Mile.
