Think it's fun to squeeze your Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL? Well, Google has got just the thing.
As an Easter egg for its new flagship phones, the Mountain View company hid a mini game that involves the Active Edge and some bubbles or balloons to pop.
Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL Easter Egg
Unearthed by the fine folks over at XDA Developers, the secret mini game in the Pixel 2 is accessible via the Active Edge settings menu.
To open it, you only have to repeatedly tap on the "Squeeze sensitivity" option until it pops up.
Hit up the video below to get a closer look (credit goes to Mishaal Rahman of XDA Developers and junior member InFlames03):
Bubble Mini Game
As everyone probably just saw, the mini game is all about popping bubbles or balloons by squeezing the Pixel 2.
The objective is simple: All you have to do is to keep on bursting the bubbles or balloons that are floating from the bottom of the screen to the top over and over. It doesn't seem to have an end either, except when you lose, which is when you no longer have enough space to accommodate any more of the objects.
Sure, it may not be much, but it's Google's way of showing that there's some enjoyment to be had from giving your phone a good squeeze or two.
The Code
When it was sifting through the Settings application of the Pixel 2 XL on Android 8.1 Oreo, XDA Developers ran into an activity named "AssistGestureBubbleActivity." Needless to say, that's more than enough to arouse anyone's curiosity.
Next, the news outlet encountered the related layout file for the aforementioned activity. Interestingly, it contained the words "game_view" and "play_view" — an indication that it's indeed an Easter egg hidden somewhere in the Pixel 2.
Lastly, a recognized contributor over at XDA Developers Quinny899 managed to uncover the key in accessing the mini bubble game, finding out that tapping multiple times on "Squeeze sensitivity" will trigger it.
Wrap-up
From the look of things, Google just knows how to add a touch of whimsy to its smartphones, and this time around, it's in the form of a mini game that encourages users to squeeze their Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and puts the Active Edge into the spotlight.
For those who want a closer look at the magic behind the squeeze function, iFixit tore down the larger Pixel 2 recently, giving a glimpse of the strain gauges that makes it all possible. It's also worth mentioning that Active Edge is remappable too, and that's definitely good news in anyone's book.
