How To Add Google Chrome’s Dino-Game Widget To Your Android Home Screen

Adnan Ahmed/SlashGear

Crafted in 2014, the Chrome Dino game has saved several individuals from having mental breakdowns in the event of sudden internet outages. The offline game pops up automatically whenever you try to use Chrome for web browsing without an internet connection and has incredibly simple mechanics — just smash your spacebar to hurdle over the obstacles and enjoy watching the score explode.

It sounds easy and actually is — but only for the first few seconds. As time passes and the numbers in your score keep piling up, your dino runs faster. Pairing an imminent sense of doom with the variety of obstacles, some of which you need to jump for longer and higher, can prove to be quite the challenge. Since your dino’s speed keeps increasing, you must also time your jumps in advance to avoid colliding with any of the cacti or birds in mid-air. 

While the game has always been available on all devices running the Chrome browser, you can now summon the paranoid T-Rex at any time on your Android phone, straight from your home screen.

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To play Chrome’s dinosaur game on your Android device anytime, you need to pin a widget to your home screen. But first, you need to ensure the Google Chrome app on your Android phone or tablet is up to date. You can do so by launching the Play Store, tapping your profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen, and navigating to Manage Apps & Device> Updates Available. Check for Google Chrome updates and tap “Update,” if available.

Once you’ve got Chrome shining with the latest updates, follow these steps to add the dinosaur game to your home screen as a widget:

1. Long press on an empty space on your phone’s home screen and tap on “Widgets.”
2. Scroll down until you find the Chrome section, where you will find available widgets for the browser. Alternatively, you can simply long-press the Google Chrome app icon and select its widgets menu directly.
3. Expand the list, and once you’ve spotted the “Chrome Dino” widget, touch and hold it to add it to your home screen.
4. You should now see the widget on your home screen. Tapping on it will redirect you to Chrome, and you can start playing by tapping on the dinosaur.

Note that the exact menu names and steps may differ from one Android phone to another.

Adnan Ahmed/SlashGear

In case the Chrome Dino widget isn’t available on your Android device, there is still a relatively easy way to play the game on demand. Launch the Chrome app, type the “chrome://dino” flag in the search box, and hit enter. This also applies to other devices, including desktop PCs, laptops, or Chromebooks.

The game also adjusts to your device’s theme, dimming or brightening for a better playing experience. For even quicker access, certain extensions on Chrome allow you to play very closely inspired games with the click of a button. Other browsers, such as Firefox and Edge, have third-party extensions that also bring the offline stress-busting dinosaur to their apps.

Google is renowned for planting hidden easter eggs behind specific search terms. From decorated buttons when looking up famous characters like Sonic and Mario to dedicated callbacks like the Atari Game on Chrome, there’s a lot of exploration to do.