Millions in awe over little-known detail in Google Chrome's no-internet dinosaur

Millions of Google Chrome users were shocked to discover the T-Rex that appears on screen when you lose internet connection is actually an interactive game.

A woman shared a viral TikTok video, which has been viewed by 9.6 million people, showing the new features of the browser game, known officially as Dinosaur Game.

While some were interested to learn about the upgrades, for many it was the first time they were discovering the little T-Rex was a game to begin with.

It turns out a huge number of Chrome users thought the dinosaur that comes up when your internet drops off was just a static image.

They had never pressed the image or hit the space key, which activates an endless running game in which the player makes the dino jump over obstacles.

'Not me turning off my Wi-Fi just to check if the dino game is real,' one woman commented on the video.

'There's a dinosaur game? How did I not know this?' another asked.

Plenty of Chrome veterans were stunned to learn there were other browser users who hadn't discovered Dinosaur Game, which was first introduced in 2014.

The simple game was designed for users to pass the time while their Wi-Fi is down. 

'What rock are you living under?' one TikToker said, while another commented: 'Play it, it's a rite of passage.'

The original version of the game features a pixelated T-Rex running through a desert landscape and jumping over obstacles to get a high score.

The popular retro-inspired game was banned in some schools because it was such a distraction.

'I actually really love the little dino game, I get excited when the internet craps out for a minute,' one person said.

Those who knew about the game were pleased to discover it had quietly undergone a surprising upgrade.  

'Did anyone realise this went through a major f***ing update? Like what?' the TikToker who posted the video said. 

In the clip, she plays the game as normal with the T-Rex leaping over cacti to earn points. 

But as she advances to a higher level, Chrome Dino eats a pink donut and then enters a modern world.

T-Rex changes into a yellow-coat-clad, coffee-cup-carrying dinosaur as he advances further into the game.

'OMG... now I'm like a coffee person,' the woman said. 

The desert landscape turns into a city skyline and T-Rex starts jumping over filing cabinets, desks and office chairs instead of cacti. 

Fans of the Dinosaur Game were loving the new city setting.   

'The corporate got him, too,' one man said.

'This damn economy,' another joked.