Although Google’s search results no longer contain the popular Thanos snap Easter egg, it can still be found online if you know where to look.
Google has released a number of Easter eggs and hidden treats over the years, including an Avengers-themed Thanos Easter egg hidden within Google Search. Easter eggs are nothing new in movies, and one in Avengers: Endgame paid tribute to another version of Captain America, Roscoe Simons. Although Google has now stopped offering the Thanos Snap Easter egg, that doesn’t mean it still cannot be found online.
Google often likes to include Easter eggs in its Android mobile system as well as its various products and services, such as Google Search. In fact, whenever a major movie is released or an anniversary is reached, Google tends to join in the celebrations with a themed Easter egg. This was the case when The Wizard Of Oz celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2019, and it was also what happened just before the latest Avengers installment was about to hit movie theaters.
Avengers: Endgame was officially released on April 26, 2019, and shortly before that date, Google added an Avengers: Infinity War-themed Easter egg to Search. The hidden treat added a touch of Avengers magic to the experience, and in a very Thanos way. The user would simply search Google for certain keywords like ‘Thanos,’ ‘Thanos glove,’ or ‘Infinity Gauntlet’ and then click on an image of the Infinity Gauntlet to activate the hidden treat. Google often leaves Easter eggs in Search for long periods of time. For example, a Pac-Man-themed egg released in 2010 to mark the 30th anniversary is still available today. In the case of Thanos, however, the Easter egg was removed from Google Search at some point in 2020.
How To Find The Thanos Google Search Easter Egg
Although Google has since removed the Thanos snap Easter egg, it is still technically available online for those that want to experience it. ‘elgooG‘ started life as a mirrored version of Google Search designed to offer horizontally-flipped results. However, the website also creates and restores past Easter eggs as well. After visiting the dedicated Thanos Snap page, the Easter egg works the same as it did before — albeit without the need to perform any searches. Instead, the user just needs to look in the knowledge panel —the small information box Google uses to provide a quick overview of a place, person, or fictional supervillain— for the small image of the Infinity Gauntlet. Clicking on the image will activate the Thanos Easter egg.
Once clicked, the Infinity Gauntlet’s fingers will also click, à la Thanos Snap. At this point, some of the search results will begin to disappear. This will continue for a few seconds and as the user scrolls down the page they’ll notice significant portions of the search results have completely vanished. Similar to Google’s original Thanos Snap Easter egg, the process can be entirely reversed by clicking the Infinity Gauntlet image once again.
Why Google Removed The Thanos Easter Egg
It’s great that users can still access the Thanos snap Easter egg from the elgooG website, but why was it removed from Google Search in the first place? While certain Google Easter eggs have been around for years, others are temporary and only last for a few months. This usually happens with time-sensitive Easter eggs. For example, searching ‘Askew’ on Google Search still tilts the page and makes it crooked. Others, like the Thanos snap Easter egg, are no longer.
As mentioned above, this is just one example of Google hiding an Easter egg in Google Search. In honor of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, Google added a Bat-Signal trick to its Search page in February 2022. If you search for something like ‘Bruce Wayne’ or ‘Gotham City,’ Google Search shows the Bat-Signal moving across the screen — along with Batman zipping into action. There are also Easter eggs for StarCraft‘s Zerg characters, Sonic, and more.
Other Google Easter Eggs You Can Still Access
While the Thanos snap Easter egg is no longer available directly in Google search, there are others you can still access. One of the best Easter eggs that keeps on giving is the ‘Cha Cha Slide’, which was introduced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular song in 2020. Typing ‘Cha Cha Slide‘ in search will display a microphone icon. Clicking on it will make the screen dance along to the song’s lyrics, with repeated clicks showing even more dance moves that mimic the corresponding lyrics. It’s one of the most interactive Easter Eggs out there, and is best enjoyed with the volume turned up.
For when you’re really bored, the ‘Fidget Spinner’ Easter egg can provide some mindless distraction. Type ‘fidget spinner‘ in Google search, and you’ll be greeted by a virtual fidget spinner. Hit the ‘Spin’ button to make it start spinning, and click anywhere on the spinner to make it stop. If a spinning wheel is more your jam, click on the ‘Number‘ toggle to turn it into a numbered wheel. You can also customize how many numbers you want to be displayed on the wheel using the dropdown menu.
Another oldie but a goldie is the Super Mario Bros. Easter egg. Type ‘Super Mario Brothers‘ into search, and you’ll see a coin block with a ‘?’ symbol in the knowledge panel on the right-hand side of the search results. Click on it to hear the familiar coin tone and get 200 points. That’s not all, as clicking on the coin block 100 times will generate the iconic 1-Up sound. There are clearly tons of Easter eggs still accessible in Google Search, provided you know where to look.
