Skip to main content

Where’s Waldo? He’s hiding out in Google Maps for the next few days

Google Maps Where's Waldo Game April Fools
Albert Khoury/Digital Trends

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.

Eric Brackett
Former Digital Trends Contributor
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more