I’m not trying to bullshit you. If you have a Samsung Galaxy—virtually any one of them—then you have a hidden chihuahua on your phone. You would never stumble upon it, which is why you’ve likely never seen nor known about it, but it’s there, lurking, ready to greet you at a moment’s notice.
The chihuahua is a picture, but it isn’t your Galaxy’s Gallery app—it’s in a hidden menu called “diagnostic mode.” These diagnostics aren’t advertised by Samsung in any way and you won’t find them by digging through the Settings app (or even entering developer mode).
How to launch diagnostic mode on your Samsung Galaxy
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To launch diagnostic mode on any Samsung Galaxy device, open the Phone app, then dial *#0*#. No matter what Galaxy you have, you’ll see a simple menu appear with a series of options that allow you to test different functions of your phone. For example, you’ll likely see “RED,” “GREEN,” or “BLUE” at the top of the grid, which test the screen’s ability to display those colors. “RECEIVER” plays a dial tone until you exit the test, and “TOUCH” allows you to test the accuracy of your touch screen.
Your options may differ depending on your Galaxy device, since Samsung makes so many different smartphones. Their Fold and Flip series, for example, likely have options that Samsung’s standard smartphones don’t have. The only Galaxy device I have is on the older side, so I see an option for an “LED” light test that newer phones wouldn’t have.
How to find the hidden chihuahua
But enough explanation—we’re here for the chihuahua. With diagnostic mode open, tap “SENSOR.” Here, you’ll see a jumble of data and buttons, but the one we want is “IMAGE TEST” at the top of the screen. Hit that, and woof: Chihuahua.
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There’s no explanation for its existence. Whose is it? Why is it hidden away on every Samsung phone? If it’s a test image, why is the quality so poor? These are questions that will likely haunt the tech community forever, unless Samsung offers an explanation. I didn’t know about this quirk myself until I stumbled on this TikTok from creator tbvrgg, who showed off the hidden chihuahua on brand-new Galaxies at the store. Whether you pick up a Galaxy today or pull an old one out of your drawer, the chihuahua will be there. It’s always been there.