--- 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 Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  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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