Sometimes, what seems like the simplest task can turn out to be a real brain-teaser. Life is full of these little surprises, and while they can be frustrating, they also provide a wonderful opportunity for some mental exercise. Take, for instance, this puzzle making rounds on WhatsApp – it challenges you to do something that seems laughably easy: count the squares. It might seem less daunting than some tricky math riddles and logic puzzles, but it’ll definitely make you think!

WhatsApp is a popular chat app that lets users make calls, video calls, and send text messages. During the pandemic, people relied on WhatsApp and other social media apps to stay connected. Naturally, it became a hotspot for sharing all sorts of internet fun, including puzzles and brain-teasers. One puzzle, in particular, gained a lot of attention early in the pandemic lockdown. Let’s see if you can solve it!

The challenge is to accurately count the number of squares in this grid. To help jog your memory from middle school geometry, a square is a shape with four equal sides. So, a four-sided shape with different-sized sides doesn’t count.

Initially, it seems easy, but remember to account for squares that overlap, squares within squares, big squares, and tiny squares. It’s trickier than you might think (just like that viral duck riddle). If hidden words are more your speed, try tackling these rebus puzzles and math puzzles.

How Many Squares Do You See?

Ready for the answer?

All in all, there are 40 squares hiding in plain sight here. Didn’t spot that many? Take a look at the image below to see them all highlighted, or give it another go. Remember, while the big square is made up of 16 medium-sized squares, you can also make squares with groups of four and nine medium squares each.