Google Easter Eggs: Cool Hidden Tricks

Yes, Google has dozens of cool hidden easter eggs tucked into its search engine, Maps, and other apps—everything from a working calculator to a full game of Pac-Man. You can trigger most of them right now by typing a specific phrase into Google Search or by clicking and dragging in Google Maps. Below is a rundown of the most famous ones, how they work, and a few you can try in under a minute.

What Exactly Is a Google Easter Egg?

An easter egg is a hidden feature, message, or game that a company puts inside its product for users to discover. Google has been adding them since the early 2000s, often to celebrate anniversaries, famous scientists, or pop culture. They are not advertised, so finding one feels like a small reward. Some are simple text tricks, while others are fully playable mini-games.

The Most Famous Search Easter Eggs

• Do a barrel roll – Type this phrase and the whole search results page spins 360 degrees.
• Zerg rush – Type this and little red “Zerg” letters start eating your search results. You can click them to shoot them down.
• Askew – The entire page tilts slightly to the right.
• Atari Breakout – Search “atari breakout” and the image results turn into a playable brick-breaker game.
• Pac-Man – Type “pac-man” and a playable version of the classic arcade game appears on the results page. You can even turn on a second player with the “Insert Coin” button.
• Google Gravity – Type “google gravity” and the page elements fall to the bottom of the screen. You can drag them around with your mouse.

How Do These Easter Eggs Work?

Most of them are simple JavaScript that Google loads when you type a specific query. The search engine detects the keyword and injects a script that modifies the page. For example, “do a barrel roll” adds a CSS animation that rotates the entire page. Games like Pac-Man and Atari Breakout are built with HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript, so they run in any modern browser without plugins. The code is not secret—you can view the page source and see the script—but it is only triggered by the exact phrase.

Easter Eggs in Google Maps and Other Apps

Google Maps has a few hidden gems too. If you open the app and tap the blue location dot, you get a “Your location” card. Tap it again and a small menu appears. Choose “Search nearby” and then type “Where am I?”—you’ll see a message like “You are here, as far as we can tell.” Another classic: drag the Pegman (the yellow street-view figure) onto a road, then drop it on a location. If you drop it on a famous landmark, you sometimes get a special animation. In Google Earth, you can fly a plane if you press Ctrl+Alt+A (Windows) or Cmd+Option+A (Mac) and then click the plane icon.

How to Find New Easter Eggs

Google does not announce most easter eggs, so the best way to find them is to try common phrases or follow online lists. Some popular ones that still work as of 2024:

• “Google in 1998” – Shows a retro version of the homepage with a “10 Year” logo.
• “Flip a coin” – Flips a virtual coin.
• “Roll a dice” – Rolls a virtual die.
• “Spinner” – Gives you a virtual spinning wheel.
• “Tilt” – Tilts the page like “askew” but more.

Common Problems and Fixes

Sometimes an easter egg does not work. The most common reason is that you’re using an older browser that doesn’t support the required JavaScript or HTML5. Try updating your browser or using a different one. Another issue: if you have a browser extension that blocks scripts (like an ad blocker), it may prevent the easter egg from loading. Disable extensions temporarily and try again. Also, some easter eggs are region-specific or only work on the .com domain. If you’re using a localized Google domain (like google.de), try switching to google.com.

Are There Any Risks?

No, these easter eggs are harmless. They do not collect data, install software, or affect your search history. They are purely visual or interactive. The only “risk” is that you might lose a few minutes playing Pac-Man when you should be working. Google has never used easter eggs to spread malware or track users—they are just a fun side effect of the company’s culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Google easter eggs work on mobile?

Most do, but not all. The search easter eggs like “do a barrel roll” and “askew” work on mobile browsers because they are CSS-based. Games like Pac-Man and Atari Breakout also work on touchscreens, but they are easier to play with a keyboard. Some, like Google Gravity, require a mouse to drag elements, so they are less useful on a phone.

Are there easter eggs in Gmail or YouTube?

Yes, but they are rarer. Gmail had a “custom theme” easter egg that let you change the background to a pirate theme, but it was removed. YouTube has a few: if you type “do the Harlem shake” in the search bar, the page shakes. Also, if you watch a video and press the up arrow while it’s playing, a small “easter egg” appears that shows a bouncing DVD logo.

Why does Google hide these?

It’s a way to reward curious users and show the company’s playful side. They also serve as a subtle way to demonstrate new web technologies. For example, the Atari Breakout easter egg showed off HTML5’s canvas capabilities when it was first released.

Can I create my own Google easter egg?

No, you cannot add easter eggs to Google’s official products. But you can create your own on your website using JavaScript or CSS. There are tutorials online that show you how to make a page spin or add a hidden game.

Do easter eggs ever get removed?

Yes, Google occasionally removes easter eggs when they update the interface. For example, the “Google in 1998” easter egg was only available during the 10th anniversary, but it still works if you type the phrase. Others, like the “Google Gravity” easter egg, have been broken by changes to the search page layout.

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in t | Number of times to try | times | 1 | 1 | 10
out result | Fun factor | out of 10 | min(10, t * 3) | 0