Apple Easter Egg: How To Make It Snow In iOS

Snow is almost always better in theory than it is in reality—especially if you’re stuck shoveling it—so Apple has included an easter egg within one of its apps that lets users experience the joy of snow without any of the downsides.

Just in time for the holiday season, Apple has buried a secret command in its Apple Store app that will make it snow while users browse for Apple products to gift to their loved ones—or buy as a gift to themselves.

In order to experience the virtual snow, you’ll first have to download the Apple Store app—not to be confused with the App Store app, where users can purchase and download apps for iOS. The Apple Store app is a standalone application for browsing and buying Apple products, including the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Once the Apple Store app is installed on the iOS device, open it up and click on the magnifying glass icon in the upper right-hand corner. A search bar will appear to search for Apple products or nearby brick and mortar Apple Store locations.

Instead of typing in a product, type the phrase “let it snow” into the search bar. The code doesn’t require the user to hit search, it simply starts dropping digital snowflakes on screen once the phrase has been typed into the search field.

The snow will continue to fall as the user browses the Apple Store app. Shaking the device will act like a gust of wind, blowing the snow around and creating a the effect of a chilly winter day without the actual cold.

It’s worth noting that the snow will only appear while the Apple Store app is open and doesn't appear throughout the rest of iOS, which is a bit of a bummer as the effect is a nice way to get into the holiday spirit.

Any time an iPhone or iPad owner is crazing a little snow, they can open up the Apple Store app and the snow will continue to fall for as long as the app is open.