Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Mobile
  4. Web
  5. News

Bye-bye productivity: Google lets you play Solitaire, Tic-Tac-Toe with just a search

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bored? Need something to keep you occupied? Google’s got your back with an easy way to play Solitaire and Tic-Tac-Toe via search on desktop and the Google app.

That’s right, you don’t need to download an ad-ridden variant on the Play Store or the App Store — just search “Solitaire” or “Tic-Tac-Toe” on Google and you’ll be able to play the game directly from the search results.

Recommended Videos

“When you search for ‘Solitaire’ on Google, the familiar patience game may test yours,” Google’s Stephen Cognetta writes in a blog post. “If you’re looking for something a bit simpler, Tic-Tac-Toe is your best bet. In this game of naughts and crosses, you can select your level of difficulty or even go head to head against a friend. Xs and Os to the winner (hugs and kisses, that is!).”

Google has long been providing neat tricks and entertaining results in search — it’s Doodles are one such example, which recently featured the official Doodle Fruit Games during the summer Olympics season in Rio. There are plenty of other things you can do in search, like ask Google to “flip a coin” or ask what sound a certain animal makes.

You can start the games directly in the search results, and for Solitaire, you can choose a difficulty level — easy or hard. For Tic-Tac-Toe, you’re going up against a computer that can be quite tricky to beat — just make sure you pay attention, but you might end up always ending in a draw.

The games won’t turn up if you’re offline, but if you start them and then happen to lose connection, you’ll still be able to play. Say goodbye to productivity.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
The HONOR Robot Phone feels like the first phone I’d actually buy for its weirdest feature
I wanted a better workflow. HONOR built a robot.
HONOR Robot Phone Hands On First Impressions Review

When I was at Computex earlier this year, I shot a lot of Reels using my DJI Osmo. And don't get me wrong: that little camera is excellent. The stabilization is great, the video quality is good, and it is exactly the kind of thing you want when you're running around a trade show trying to make content. But then came the annoying part: transferring all that footage to my phone or laptop, moving it to the cloud, and finally getting it onto the platform I actually wanted to use. At some point, I remember thinking, "Why are there so many steps?"

Apparently, HONOR had the same thought. The difference is that while I just complained about it, HONOR went ahead and built a phone around the idea. The HONOR Robot Phone is, admittedly, doing a lot. It's a flagship Android phone, a miniature motorized camera gimbal, a robotic arm, and an AI playground all rolled into one. But after actually using it at IFA Berlin this year, I found myself caring far less about the novelty and far more about the camera. Because, honestly, this thing is really good.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is an unabashedly bougie reader, but gosh, I can’t put it down
I am NOT telling you to spend $1,900 on it for reading books. And yet, here I am, surpassing my reading goals at an addictively quick pace.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

On an ordinary day, if you ask me what's the best e-reader device out there, my answer would most probably be one of Amazon's Kindle readers. I will most likely ask about your budget and your preferences before doling out a few recommendations. 

If you tell me that the Kindle is too restrictive, I would point you in the direction of a Boox slate, which comes in multiple sizes across a wide price bracket. In case you are inclined towards a phone-like reader device, the Boox Palma 2 or the DuRoBo Krono would be my suggested picks. And if you're chasing something light, tiny, and open, the XTEINK X4 would be my go-to choice.

Read more
Three reasons I’m still hesitant to order the iPhone Duo
Apple’s first foldable had me reaching for my credit card, but a few days of thinking changed my mind.
iPhone Duo on table unfolded

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and Shine” event, and my jaw dropped. To be fair, I had a pretty good idea about the phone’s hardware, but the software polish and little nice touches Apple added everywhere made me instantly pull out my credit card. 

From the opening animation to the almost creaseless nano-texture display to the under-display camera to the IP68 water and dust resistance, Apple has certainly delivered with its first try at a foldable phone. 

Read more