So, do you know about how to “do a barrel roll x200”, so let me tell you it’s a fun Google Easter egg which makes your search results page go spinning around.
When you type it into Google, your screen does a complete 360-degree spin.
It’s one of the hidden treats Google engineers made to make searching more entertaining.
The standard barrel roll makes your screen flip once, but “do a barrel roll x200” kicks things up about 199 notches.
There are many variations too – x10, x100, x1000… like any number you can think of.
When people talk about this trick, they’re referring to how many consecutive rotations they want their screen to perform.
Some variations work directly on Google while others need other websites to happen.
Here in this post, we’re diving into how to “do a barrel roll x200”.
I’ll show you what it means, walk you through how to do it step-by-step, see some common issues if it’s not working for you, and share some fun facts about it.
What Do You Understand By “Do A Barrel Roll X200”?
A barrel roll is an aerobatic maneuver where it makes a complete rotation around its longitudinal axis while following a helical path.
On the internet, it’s a cool spinning animation that happens on your screen.
The “X200” part means you want the rotation to happen 200 times in succession but let me tell you it doesn’t happen 200 times.
When you type “do a barrel roll” into Google and click search, your screen only spins ONCE.
The original Google Easter egg wasn’t designed to do multiple rotations.
This started back in 1997 with the Nintendo game Star Fox 64, where a character named Peppy Hare tells the player to “do a barrel roll” as a defensive maneuver.
According to PC Magazine, this became an internet meme around 2011 when Google adopted it as one of their Easter eggs.
The impact of this simple animation trick is impressive. It’s become one of Google’s most famous Easter eggs and has inspired websites dedicated to recreating the effect with multiple spins.
Many people have searched for it, shared it, and created tutorials about it.
How To Do A Barrel Roll: Step-By-Step Method
Let’s get spinning. There are many different ways to experience the barrel roll effect, depending on whether you want a single roll or the full x200 experience.
Here’s how to get your screen flipping in without any hurdle.
Use Google
The classic method works for a single barrel roll:
- Open your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari work best)
- Go to Google.com
- Type “do a barrel roll” in the search box
- Hit Enter or click Search
- Watch your screen complete one full 360° rotation
According to The Verge, this Easter egg has been part of Google since November 2011.
The standard Google search only performs one rotation, not 200.
For multiple rotations, you’ll need to try one of the other methods below.
Use Elgoog
Elgoog that’s “Google” spelled backward, is a mirror site that recreates Google Easter eggs with some extra features:
- Visit elgoog.im/doabarrelroll in your browser
- The page looks like Google but with enhanced Easter egg capabilities
- Type “do a barrel roll x200” in the search box
- Press Enter
- Hold on tight as your screen spins 200 times
According to tech blog How-To Geek, Elgoog isn’t affiliated with Google but specializes in recreating and expanding Google’s hidden features.
Their barrel roll simulator lets you specify how many rotations you want.
Consider Barrel Roll Websites
There are dedicated websites built for many barrel rolls:
- Visit sites like do-a-barrel-roll.github.io
- Some sites have buttons or dropdown menus to select rotation count
- Choose x200 or type in “200” if prompted
- Click “Roll” or similar button
- Enjoy the effect
Web developer forums note that these sites use CSS transforms and JavaScript to create the rotating effect.
The GitHub-hosted implementations are popular because they allow for customization of rotation speed and count.
Why “Do a Barrel Roll” Might Not Work?
Sometimes your barrel rolling can crash or may not work like it was supposed to do.
There are many reasons why your screen refuses to rotate when you type the do a barrel roll.
So, let’s go and see what can be the issues that your system is facing.
Outdated Browser
If you’re running Internet Explorer 8 or something equally ancient, you may be out of luck.
According to Mozilla Developer Network, old browsers don’t support the CSS transforms needed for the barrel roll effect.
You’ll need a modern browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari that’s been updated in the last few years.
Disabled JavaScript
The barrel roll animation relies on JavaScript to work.
If you’ve disabled JavaScript in your browser settings or if you’re using a JavaScript blocker extension, the animation won’t take place.
Tech support forums suggest checking your browser settings and enabling JavaScript for Google.com if you want to see the spin.
Interference of Browser Extensions
Some browser extensions, especially designed for privacy or ad-blocking, may interfere with Google’s Easter eggs.
Security software blogs recommend temporarily disabling extensions if you’re having trouble seeing the animation.
Animation Disabled
Some devices have settings to reduce motion or animations for accessibility reasons.
These settings can prevent the barrel roll from working. Apple support documentation notes that if you have “Reduce Motion” enabled on macOS or iOS, many web animations won’t display.
Network Issues
Sometimes simple connection problems can prevent the Easter egg from loading properly.
Google’s animation needs to load before it can execute. Tech sites recommend checking your connection if the trick isn’t working.
Google Removed or Disabled Trick
Occasionally, Google makes changes to their Easter eggs or temporarily disables them.
According to several tech news sites, while the single barrel roll has remained stable since 2011, Google occasionally tweaks how their Easter eggs function, which could affect performance.
Conclusion
The “do a barrel roll x200” trick is one of the fun internet things that never gets old.
While Google’s official version only spins once, the internet has taken this simple Easter egg and taken it up to 200 or 1000 or however many times you want your screen to flip.
Whether you’re showing off this trick to friends, using it to entertain kids for a few minutes, or indulging in some nostalgic Star Fox 64 memories, the barrel roll remains one of the most popular Google Easter eggs.
But it doesn’t help you find information or improve your productivity but sometimes we all need spinning animation for some fun.
So, try “do a barrel roll x200” using one of the methods I’ve shared.
And remember, there are many Google Easter eggs that still need to be discovered.
