Google Easter eggs: 13 amazing tricks you didn’t know the search engine does
NationalWorld has compiled a small list of fun features you have to try out created by Google staff
Google has added at least 2000 tricks and fun games into its products and services, which includes the Google Search bar. These features, messages or cultural references are known as Easter eggs are hidden across a myriad of search terms so when users discover them they are extremely gratifying.
However, Easter eggs are not usually added to popular pages as the tech company does not want to impact usability, but they can sometimes be found in popular searches as listed below. The terms themselves are not case sensitive - so there isn’t a trick on how to find them. All you need to know is what to Google.
NationalWorld has compiled a small list of 13 fun features found in the Google Search bar, ranging from interactive games to fun features that will make your user experience a lot more interesting.
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1. Dog/Cat
If you Google the term ‘dog’ there is a little button with a paw, under the pictures on the right hand side of the page. Click on that button and an animated dog leg will appear to leave a paw on the screen, along with a small woof. This also works for ‘cat’, ‘kittens’ ‘puppy’, ‘canine’ and ‘puppies’.
2. Drop bear
Googling the term ‘drop bear’ will result in a small button on the right, similar to the cat/dog situation, which will result in a koala shadow falling across the webpage. A drop bear is actually a hoax in contemporary Australian folklore which is a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala. The mythical creature’s origin is unknown, and is an inside joke to confuse tourists.
3. Google in 1998
This throwback will change the appearance of your page back to the browser similar to the one Google used for its search engine back to when it first began in 1998. The tech company giant was founded by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, when they were studying at Stanford University.
4. Googly eyes
This fun little feature sees googly eyes slide from the top of the browser page and land neatly on the two ‘O’s in Google. Although not interactive, it’s just a cute feature developers have added for user experience.