If you check in on Google’s cute frog mascot that accompanies search results for weather in the Google app on Android, you might see that the froggy is wearing a mask, as first observed by some Reddit users over the weekend (via 9to5Google).
The froggy is still doing things it did before wearing a mask, such as hanging up clothes, walking through a field, or riding a bike, but now it might also be wearing one of many different masks, as found by Verge staffers and seen in screenshots on Reddit and 9to5Google.
You might not be seeing the mask on the froggy just yet, though — the frog wasn’t wearing one for some users on Reddit this weekend. We’ve asked Google if this is rolling out to all Android users.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a mask in public settings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and putting a mask on the frog seems to be an effort by Google to help encourage people to wear masks while outside. (There is no evidence that frogs can spread COVID-19, at least that I’m aware of, so I’m guessing these images are targeted toward humans.)
If you search for something COVID-19-related on Google, you’ll see an “SOS Alert,” which shows news articles, information about the coronavirus, where you can get tested, and more. The company has also teamed up with Apple on an exposure notification system to help inform people when they may have been exposed to someone with the coronavirus.
