I like finding secret tricks and hidden features on the internet as much as the next gal, which is why I've spent countless hours of my life trying to discover as many Google product Easter eggs as I can. You might already be familiar with the concept, but in case you're not, an Easter egg when it pertains to media is defined as "an unexpected or undocumented feature in a piece of computer software or on a DVD, included as a joke or a bonus." Basically, they're those little jokes or hidden messages buried beneath the surface of your favorite program or game that give you just a little something else to enhance the experience. And things made by Google, from the search engine to the Chrome browser, are full of them.
For example, if you Google "anagram," the search engine will ask if you meant "nag a ram" — "nag a ram," of course, being an anagram of "anagram." Or, if you Google "zerg rush," your results page will turn into a video game that is impossible to defeat. And that's just scratching the surface — there are a huge number of Easter eggs scattered throughout Google products, and half the fun is digging around and finding them on your own.
But if you're short on time or just want a few Easter eggs to whet your technological appetite, here are 10 of them get you started. Have fun!
1. Type "Do A Barrel Roll"
Go to Google and type in "do a barrel roll." Prepare to be delighted as the webpage does a literal barrel roll.
2. Play Pac Man
Want to play Pac Man on the same webpage you're using to do research for your history project? Just type "Pac Man" or "Google Pac Man" into the search bar and press "play."
3. Pour Some Tea
If you feel like some very brief entertainment type in Google.com/teapot to access this adorable pot and cup of tea. Tap the teapot to watch the tea pour! Apparently, it's a reference to something called the Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol, which in and of itself was a joke. How meta.
4. Play Atari Breakout
Type "Atari Breakout" into the Google search bar, then tap "images" to play a game of Breakout (or as it was called on my mom's 2006 Nokia phone, Brick Breaker). If you defeat the game (which is harder than it looks, by the way), Google will search a random phrase and the game will restart.
5. Google Like It's 1998
Feeling like a throwback Thursday? Type "Google in 1998" into the search bar to be transported back in time to how the search engine looked before the new millennium.
6. Make Your Webpage Lopsided
If you want to know the meaning of the word "askew" or "tilt," be ready to read the definitions on a page that accurately reflects their meanings.
7. Play The Dinosaur Game In Google Chrome
You may already know about this one, but if your internet connection goes out and you're just twiddling your thumbs waiting for it to return, hit space bar. The little dinosaur on the screen will start running, but don't let him hit the cacti! Hit space bar again to make him jump over them. How long can you go without messing up?
8. Have Some Fun With Google Maps
Google Maps has featured a huge number of Easter eggs over the years, from the Pegman getting makeovers into a "Funky Town" person or Link from The Legend of Zelda to the Loch Ness Monster or the TARDIS appearing in specific locations. These Easter eggs are usually only available for a brief amount of time, but keep your eyes peeled — you never know when a new one is going to pop up.
9. Ask The Google Maps App "Are We There Yet?"
Or more specifically, ask it that question four times. The answer is priceless.
10. Find The Android Easter Egg
Fun fact: If you have an Android phone, you'll be able to unearth a fun Easter egg that will change depending on which version of the operating system you're running. You have to get a little fancy to do it — here's a set of instructions for you — but once you work through the steps, you can start having some fun. Earlier versions of the Android Easter egg simply consisted of a piece of art, like a zombie painting in Gingerbread; later versions, however, have gotten more elaborate: Jelly Bean had the "Red Jelly Bean Game," and Lollipop and Android have had a game similar to Flappy Bird.
Images: Mehak Anwar (6), Lucia Peters/Bustle (2)
