Google Time Capsule: How To See The Most Searched For Trends Of The Last 25 Years
In the age of fast-paced technological advancement, Google has managed to carve out a solid foothold and keep its status as the most-used search engine available to date. For 25 years, it has amassed a massive user base (that's still consistently growing) through its slate of products that provide people with almost every single tool they'd need to maintain a functioning online life. Of all these services, what is perhaps the most essential and most successful is Google Search.
To celebrate a quarter century of providing the internet with answers to all kinds of questions, Google has released a YouTube video highlighting the most searched figures and moments since the company began accumulating search trends data. On top of that, Google has also created several fun tools users can utilize to gain insight into what has been in the internet zeitgeist for the past two decades. These services should work whether you check it out on your computer or through your mobile device.
Explore Google Trends' year-end summary
Any Google user who wants to find out what's relevant in certain parts of the world can always check out Google Trends. Search results are tracked in real-time, and the data is then further used to measure interest in a certain subject in a particular region during a particular time. If Google was a vehicle, think of Google Trends as a way to check under Google Search's virtual hood.
If you've never used Google Trends before, now is the perfect time to tinker around with it because there's now a quick and easy way to see what topics have been relevant in the past year. Here's how to get to it:
- On a computer or mobile device, open a web browser.
- Go to http://trends.google.com.
- Hit the hamburger icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Head to Year in Search.
You should see a comprehensive summary of the trending topics people have looked up in troves via Google Search. Next to "See what was trending in 2023" is a dropdown that lets you pick which country or region you'd like to see. Once you choose one, the lists should update accordingly.
Topics are arranged according to categories like News, People, Books, Memes, and lots more. You may see the top three or five entries per topic depending on the device you're using to access Year in Search. To expand the roundup, click or tap on the "Show More" link below your desired topic. If you're using a mobile device to explore a particular entry in-depth, simply tap on the entry and hit Explore. On a computer, hover over the entry, hit the three-dot icon next to it, and click Explore. You can also choose "Search It" to Google the topic yourself.
Check out people's interests plotted on a U.S. map
If you're interested in what topics were most searched for across 210 regions in the United States, you can explore an interactive map by checking out Google's Local Lists, which the company releases every year. Here's how to get there:
- On a computer or mobile device, open a web browser.
- Go to https://about.google/stories/local-year-in-search-2023.
- Enter a zip code or city and select the correct area from the generated results.
Alternatively, you can also click or tap on the colorful markers on the map corresponding to a specific U.S. area. Hitting the link should bring you to a page that summarizes the top trends in that particular region.
While this tool is also powered by Google Trends, it's a more entertaining way of previewing what certain towns and cities like to search for online. Each area will be ranked for a certain top trending search, which you can also check out by clicking on the link provided. There's also a section that highlights a particular topic search unique to the chosen area, giving you a quirky perspective on the people who live there and their Google habits.
Take Google's Trends Time Capsule quiz
The most interesting tool Google has released to commemorate its 25 years in the online search business is a Google Trends-powered interactive time capsule that summarizes the most searched-for topics across 12 trendy categories, such as video games, movies, athletes, television shows, and dog breeds. Here's how to try it:
- On a computer or mobile device, open a web browser.
- Go to http://goo.gle/trendstimecapsule.
- Hit the "What was the most searched" dropdown.
- Select which category you'd like to explore.
This should bring you to the category's section that tabulates Google Search results for the last couple of decades, with the five most searched-for topics from 1999 to 2023 highlighted. Tap on a topic to see its trajectory across the years, and swipe right, scroll, or use controls to see more of the timeline. Each category also features a fun fact about one of the entries that trivia lovers may enjoy.
Jam Kotenko/SlashGear
Once you're done having fun exploring the featured Google Search categories, hit the "Take the quiz!" button at the top of the page. After you answer a few questions about your favorite things, you should see which year your time capsule is from. Screenshot your results, encourage your friends to take the quiz, and compare outcomes. Do note that questions often change, so you might get different results when you choose to retake it.