July 20, 2024, 2:17 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Although Google continues to develop its search engine, including through AI, it also retains some classic features and games. TECHBOOK has compiled some special search terms. Try entering them into Google Search!
It’s well known that Google’s developers use the search engine as a creative playground. Most users are familiar with Google Doodles, which appear in Google Search for specific events. However, the search engine hides many more details and fun features that can only be activated with the right search term. TECHBOOK shows you the best tools, games, and tricks in Google Search.
Classic Games in Google Search
In an era of epic video games and countless mobile games that can be played both online and offline, there’s no shortage of entertainment. But sometimes, you just long for a classic: “Snake,” “Pac-Man,” “Tic Tac Toe,” or “Minesweeper.” Google seems to have a soft spot for games from another era, as you can access and play these games directly in Google Search with the right search term.
- “Snake”: The classic from the Nokia era, right in your browser.
- “PAC-MAN”: This “PAC-MAN” minigame has only one level, but it’s in Google style.
- “Tic Tac Toe”: The boredom-buster “Three in a Row” can also be played in the browser.
- “Minesweeper”: Many remember “Minesweeper” from Windows PCs. Google offers the game with easy, medium, and hard difficulty levels.
- “Solitaire”: Another Windows classic available for free in the browser–easy and hard.
But it’s not just games you can find through Google Search. These fun features also help pass the time:
- “Fun Facts”: This entry spits out random funny and interesting facts–but only in English.
- “Earth Day Quiz”: Find out which animal you are for Earth Day.
- “Dreidel”: A Jewish children’s game with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top), usually played for candy.
- “Google Doodles”: The search opens a random Google Doodle from the archive.
- “Animal Sounds”: Play various animal sounds, such as for penguin, rhino, horse, and scorpion.
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Tools in Google Search
But it’s not just games you can easily access through Google Search. Practical functions that you occasionally need in everyday life can also be found here. Especially in cases where you would normally need a small tool like a die, a tuning fork, or a metronome, Google replaces these if you know the right search terms.
- “Flip a Coin”: Can’t decide between two things? Flip a coin in Google Search to get heads or tails.
- “Roll a Die“: Roll a die to get a random number. The number of sides ranges from 4 to 20. You can also add any number to the rolled number.
- “Google Tuner”: A handy tool for tuning instruments. Access to the laptop’s microphone is necessary.
- “Color Picker”: Choose any color to get its HEX code, which you can use in drawing programs.
- “Spinner”: A wheel of fortune like at the fair, which shows a random number after spinning. The wheel size can be set between 2 and 20 numbers.
- “Fidget”: A fidget spinner that can either spin on its own or be spun manually.
- “Calculator”: The calculator can perform basic arithmetic, trigonometric functions, roots, and more. But it has another trick up its sleeve. If you click on the Pi symbol (π) without a previous entry, a memory game begins where you have to remember the decimal places of Pi that Google shows.
- “Google Metronome”: A metronome adjustable from 40 to 218 beats per minute.
- “One-Minute Breathing Exercise”: A meditative breathing exercise for relaxation.
- “Bubble Level” (only on smartphones): A functioning level appears in the search.
More Google Tricks
In addition to all the entertaining and practical features, Google Search also has some applications that are just for fun or surprise.
- “Askew”: The Google Search tilts slightly to the side.
- “Do a Barrel Roll”: The entire Google Search flips over once.
- “DVD Screensaver”: The classic screensaver from old DVD players, where the DVD logo bounces between the screen edges.
- “Googly Eyes”: The Google logo gets googly eyes.
- “Sonic the Hedgehog Game”: Sonic appears on the right in the browser in a waiting position. If you click on him, he curls up. After 25 clicks, Super Sonic appears instead.
- “Google Logo History”: Shows a presentation of how the Google logo has changed over the years.
Google often hides so-called Easter eggs–hidden surprises–in the search for a limited time. However, the website “elgoog.im” (“Google” spelled backward) archives these. So if you can’t get enough of the little gimmicks, you’ll find plenty of material there.