In celebration of April Fools, Google has brought Waldo and his iconic, red-and-white sweater to Google Maps on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers.
Starting today, whenever you open Google Maps on any of the above platforms, you’ll find Waldo waving at you. Waldo will share his location with you too, so you can search for him in various locales using Google Maps. You can start your hunt by asking Google Assistant, “Hey Google, Where’s Waldo?”
The game itself is basically a digital version of the classic children’s books. Players can use Google Maps to search for Waldo in various locations across the world. Players will need to make use of the various viewing features within Google Maps to find where Waldo is hiding among well-known spots.
Google fans know that this is far from the first time the search giant has created something like this. The company is well known for inserting little games and Easter eggs into its services (here are our favorites). Some of the more well-known ones include Chrome’s dinosaur-run game to help you kill time when your internet is down, or a missile command game embedded within YouTube. The iconic video game character Pac-Man, as well as his better half Ms. Pac-Man, have also appeared in Google Maps around this time over the past couple of years.
Those who are still upset over never receiving their owl to Hogwarts can even get a small taste of what it is like to be a wizard by way of Google Assistant. If you’re on an Android phone, simply tell Google Assistant “Lumos” and watch as the phone’s flashlight turns on. To turn it off again, simply say “nox.” Those who want some peace and quiet can even silence their phones via the command “Silencio.” Sure, it’s not quite as good as attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it’s still pretty fun.
While the Hogwarts spells appear to be a permanent addition to Google Assistant, Waldo will not be hanging around for very long. As part of a celebration for April Fools, Waldo will only be here for a few days. Waldo and friends will be hiding in Google Maps from March 31 to April 4. After that, you’ll have to go back to looking for him the old-fashioned way.
