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The 11 best, worst, and weirdest Android Easter eggs of all time
From Nyandroid to zombies, here's our favorite — and least favorite — of Google's hidden secrets
It's just about that time again. After months of buildup, we're likely just weeks — if not days — away from the official launch of Android 14. New Android versions are exciting for plenty of reasons, from new features to the official statues Google places on its campus, but one of our favorite elements has to be the annual Easter egg. I mean, this year's space-themed exploration game is pretty incredible, even if I have no idea what I'm doing while I play it.
Android 14’s Easter egg puts you in a space capsule for an endless voyage
It’s no Space Impact but hey, you can nerd out all over your spacecraft stats
The fourth Android 14 beta landed yesterday mainly to clean up any remaining bugs as it nears its stable release. But along with a long list of fixes, there is a little surprise hiding in this beta update that many Android devotees eagerly wait for every year — the Easter egg. Android 14’s new space-themed game is a big departure from Android 13’s Easter egg and will keep you occupied as you hunt for a nearby star.
Every year on March 10, the internet comes together to celebrate the single most iconic character in video game history. Shigeru Miyamoto’s Jumpman, or Super Mario as he later came to be known, has provided countless hours of joy for any kid who ever owned a Nintendo, so we justifiably identify with the pipe-warping hero. This year, Google has something in store for Mario fans who search for their favorite characters in the game series.
Google's latest Easter egg invites Baby Yoda to trash your Search results
Grogu check this one out right now
Google's sprawling presence in our mobile tech lives can sometimes make it easy to lose sight of the company's core search business. That would be a mistake, though, and even something as foundational as Google Search is constantly evolving and reinventing itself — look no further than the start of this new AI chapter with the introduction of Bard. One thing that keeps us coming back is when Google implements its latest Easter egg to try out, whether that's having Search "do a barrel roll," or just making a cultural reference. Today we're checking out a new one featuring everyone's favorite Baby Yoda, Grogu.
Android 13's Easter egg has more emoji than a text from your Gen Z relatives
Today's Beta 3.3 release includes Google's annual secret
Google released Android 13 Beta 3.3 (that's a lot of threes) this afternoon, bringing a whole slate of bug fixes to frustrated beta testers who have struggled over the last couple of weeks. While we'll have to wait for the upcoming Beta 4 release next month, today's launch does include one famed tradition for any new software update: the Android Easter egg. While this one might not feel as exciting as it has in years past, anyone running Beta 3.3 can give it a try today.
Google’s got a long history of hiding fun and quirky Easter eggs behind some of its searches. Looking up results on “askew,” for instance, will tilt the results page off-kilter, or searching for “do a barrel roll” will make the page spin 360°. Google also delivers more timely Easter eggs for events and holidays like the World Cup or Christmas. Now its latest one celebrates Black History Month.
Android 12 follows up on its last Easter egg with a new Paint Chip widget
Turns out Material You is perfect for would-be designers
If you thought Android 12's Easter egg felt lacking compared to the offerings from years past, you probably weren't alone. While the fancy Material You clock was fun enough on its own, it seemed like it was missing some special touch to compete with Google's previous hidden secrets. With the latest release candidate, Google added a little something extra to its Easter egg, though you'll need to know where to look to find it.
With the latest Android 12 beta, we're one step closer to the finalized stable build shipping sometime this fall. Along with reaching a new milestone, today's update also includes one of the most important traditions in our annual smartphone refresh: the Easter egg. After an early preview appeared in Beta 3, you can finally try it out for yourself.
Google brings out the fireworks to mark the end of Euro 2020 and the Copa America
Italy and Argentina celebrated in latest Google Easter egg
This weekend saw the completion of two major sporting events and Google decided to celebrate the winners in typical Easter egg fashion. Euro 2020 and the Copa America are two of the biggest soccer (or, actual football) tournaments and were won by two of the most successful footballing nations, Italy and Argentina, respectively. If you search either competition name in Google right now, you'll be treated to fireworks in the colors of the victors.
Google's latest Search Easter egg lets you relive a classic moment from The Office
Pam claims she saw it one day when she was alone in the conference room. Okay.
Gather 'round children. I'll tell you a tale of a forgotten time, before the first tweet was tweeted, before the first yeet was yeeted. Back when people still went to movie theaters, then waited an eternity — sometimes four or five months! — before they could watch that movie in the comfort of their own homes, basked in the glow of a 32-inch CRT television.
Google wants you to use the Assistant as yet another messaging app
Big new capabilities for the Broadcast feature, and other Assistant updates
Google I/O is inching closer, but Google is already on an announcement spree. After teasing some launcher improvements coming to tablets and giving us a first glimpse at its response to Apple's Privacy Labels, the company is now getting ready to share some Assistant updates. For one, Assistant Broadcasts can now reach family members even when they're not home, but there's much more than just that.
Google's newest Easter egg lets your browser take Martian flight
Watch as the aircraft hovers around your browser
After years of preparation and planning, NASA made history in space today. Early this morning, the Ingenuity helicopter managed to take flight in the thin atmosphere of Mars, with more tests planned for throughout this week. Google never lets a notable world event pass by without some kind of recognition, and with that same creative spirit, a brand-new Easter egg celebrating the accomplishment is now live.
Google's Suez Canal Easter egg will surely float your boat
The infamous vessel is now sailing free 🚢 🚢 🚢
For the past week, people have been flooded with news — and more importantly, memes— about the Ever Given container ship that got stranded in the Suez Canal. It’s been the butt of all jokes lately, and there’s no stopping them even after the vessel was freed yesterday. Google, too, wants to join the fun in the way it knows the best — with a search-related Easter egg.
We appreciate an Easter egg every now and then, but what if the egg hatched, became necrotic, and then amputated a limb? If you're a fan of "The Walking Dead" airing on AMC and are watching it through YouTube TV, you should probably pick up on this nice little touch.
Google has a jovial side to it, and we've learned that over the years after discovering various Easter eggs in its apps and services. Google Assistant is no different, and it's time and again found a way to lighten up our mood. Recently, it partnered with Cadbury to bring a Do Nothing mode that was rather fun interacting with. Today I learned that Google Assistant can also go Super Saiyan.
Google Assistant has come a long way from its early days of answering simple questions about the weather. Unfortunately, it's got some way to go before it can be described as a competent singer, and I don't want you to take my word for it. Go ask it to sing you a New Year song and you'll see what I mean.
Google particularly enjoys sneaking Easter eggs in its products— we recently spotted a Hot Air Balloon game in the Google Play Store, for example. While some of them are easy to discover, others need specific circumstances to be triggered. One such Easter egg is hidden within Android's Smart Reply feature t saves you from being rick-rolled.
Hot Air Balloon offline mini-game Easter egg for the Google Play Store spotted in the wild
Don't hit the spikes
Earlier in the year, noted feature-finder Jane Wong and Alessandro Paluzzi both dug up a hot air balloon Easter egg mini-game in-development for the Google Play Store app. Like the ubiquitous Chrome dino minigame, this was set to appear when you have internet connection difficulties while using the Play Store. And based on recent reports, it's starting to roll out a little more widely.
Google has a history of making fun easter Easter eggs across its sites, services, and apps, and today's is a wave of 90s-era nostalgia. With a simple query in Google Search and a tap on the fresh license plate, you can celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with period-appropriate results.
Google Search celebrates Holi with a colorful Easter egg
Letting you splash the entire page with paint
Celebrations for the festival of colors, Holi, are on in the Indian subcontinent, with Google also partaking in its own way. The company’s digital take on the festivity includes an Easter egg on its search results screen that lets you splash the entire page with paint. After you’re done creating a multicolored mess like a kid (which is actually fun), an option will help you clean the screen and carry on with your dull day as if nothing happened.