--- title: April Fools Day: Google Unveils Google Gnome description: Google's April Fools' Day pranks include Google Gnome and Google Maps Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man canonical: https://time.com/4721199/google-april-fools-day-pranks-jokes/ author: Olivia B. Waxman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-03-31T19:00:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:42:27.614Z og:title: Google Just Unveiled 'Google Gnome.' It's an April Fools' Gag og:description: The "Smart Yard" complement to Google Home og:url: https://time.com/4721199/google-april-fools-day-pranks-jokes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda16d164fb64b59c/6988c0c9fb4eaceb61891554/google-gnome.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2844 og:image:height: 1600 og:image:alt: google-gnome og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Google Just Unveiled 'Google Gnome.' It's an April Fools' Gag twitter:description: The "Smart Yard" complement to Google Home twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda16d164fb64b59c/6988c0c9fb4eaceb61891554/google-gnome.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Google Just Unveiled 'Google Gnome.' It's an April Fools' Gag > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=4571ade7-5f7b-41ac-abcf-8e566773c01c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Mar 31, 2017 7:00 PM UTC  Don Holtz Photography  by [Olivia B. Waxman](https://time.com/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Mar 31, 2017 7:00 PM UTC Google pretended Friday to unveil a product called “Google Gnome.” But don’t be a fool, it’s an [April Fools](http://time.com/4718246/april-fools-day-funniest-viral-pranks/)‘ prank. “Google Gnome is here to give every home in America the seamless, voice-activated Connected Yard Experience we all so desperately need,” the company said in a statement. While Google Home can handle indoor tasks, “Google Gnome” is designed handle outdoor tasks, like turning on the hose, controlling the lawn mower, and explaining which flowers are safe to eat and which ones are poisonous. You can see the “commercial” for Google Gnome below. It is the latest April Fools’ Day gag from the search company, which also unveiled a feature in Google Maps that allows users to play [_Ms. Pac-Man_](http://time.com/4721103/april-fools-day-google-maps-ms-pac-man/) in any area with plenty of roads for the colorful characters to charge down. Google is also known for surprising users all year round with various “Easter Eggs,” from the answers that appear when users search for [“fun facts” ](http://new.time.com/4021355/google-easter-egg/)to tools geared towards fans of the hit 2015 movie [_Star Wars: The Force Awakens._](http://new.time.com/4124159/google-star-wars-easter-eggs/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4721199/google-april-fools-day-pranks-jokes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4721199/google-april-fools-day-pranks-jokes/"},"headline":"Google Just Unveiled 'Google Gnome.' 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