These online April Fools' pranks will trick your friends and leave you laughing
15 Easy April Fools’ Pranks to Pull on Facebook
Big news
This online April Fools’ prank is an oldie but a goodie. On your Facebook page, post an effusive status: “OMG!!! Congratulations to my bestie [add your friend’s name here] on her engagement/pregnancy/new job!!!” Tailor it to your friend’s interests and stage of life to really make people fall for it. Don’t forget to tag your friend’s account rather than just type the name—that way, it will show up on your pal’s profile. They’ll get swarmed with stunned, congratulatory messages and have to let all of their well-wishers down easily.
Because this is one of the easiest April Fools’ pranks to pull off, you’ll have leftover time to get others in on the gag. Ask a few of your and your victim’s close friends to post a congratulatory comment on your post, or have them make a post of their own. With a few more people involved, the “news” will be more believable.
“Nobody reads anymore!”
This is an easy April Fools’ prank to play on your parents, pals and pretty much anyone you’re connected to on Facebook. First, post this link from NPR, titled “Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore?” Include in your status a generic comment, like “So sad” or “Seriously, what is wrong, people?”
Now it’s time to wait. See, this “story” is actually a prank devised by NPR to poke fun at serial commenters. “We sometimes get the sense that some people are commenting on NPR stories that they haven’t actually read,” the article says. “If you are reading this, please like this post and do not comment on it. Then let’s see what people have to say about this ‘story.’” If you see a friend post this same link, like it and keep the joke going.
You’re everywhere
An incredibly easy but effective April Fools’ prank for Facebook, this is as good as an April Fools’ Day joke. Tag yourself in a whole bunch of your friend’s photos—photos that you’re not in, that is. Tag any untagged people as you; tag their pet as you (that’ll really drive them nuts!); or if they don’t tag themselves in their own photos, tag them as you.
Your friend will be spammed with notifications letting them know you’re tagging yourself in their photos. For some, er, subtle nudging, tag yourself in photos of get-togethers they hosted but didn’t invite you to. It’s all in good fun, of course.
The unguarded profile
For the next batch of easy April Fools’ pranks, you’ll need access to your friend’s profile while they’re already logged in so that you can make some sneaky tweaks. If you work in an office, chances are you can navigate to Facebook on any coworker’s computer and find them already logged in to their account. If they are, now’s your chance to really alter their profile (and probably their opinion of you as a person). The first quick prank you can pull with an unguarded profile: Change your friend’s name and profile picture to reference an inside joke. (Keep it clean and respectful!)
Shalom, mayhem
While logged in as your friend, go to “Language and Region” under Settings and change your friend’s display language to Hebrew or Mandarin—really any language that uses a completely different alphabet than ours, leaving your victim no clues as to how to change it back.
Do I know you?
If you’re able to access a friend’s or family member’s Facebook account, send a friend request to everyone on their “people you may know” page. This feed refreshes endlessly, so keep adding to your heart’s content (just don’t get caught). Your friend will be baffled by the influx of new friends over the next few days.
Merry un-birthday!
Change your friend’s date of birth to April 1 while you’re logged in to their account, confusing them with a tide of erroneous well-wishes. The real butt of this easy April Fools’ prank? All of your friend’s friends, who have no idea when your pal’s real birthday is.
Keep it hidden
This is an easy April Fools’ prank to pull on any social media user who loves racking up the likes—and whose account you have access to. Click “Privacy Settings and Tools,” under “Privacy,” and in the drop-down menu, under “Who can see your future posts,” click “Only me.” None of your friend’s friends will be able to see their new posts. See how long it takes them to notice they’re not getting any likes.
Surprise engagement
This easy April Fools’ prank is your chance to “put a ring on it.” Snap a photo of yourself rocking a friend’s bling or even some fake jewelry, and slyly drop the hint that you’re getting hitched. Now imagine this: Your partner sees the posts and even leaves a comment. It’s a great April Fools’ prank for boyfriends too—he’ll be just as confused as your followers.
An unexpected move
Stir up some excitement by posting a photo of a far-flung country or city. For this online April Fools’ prank, you’ll be dropping the unexpected news of your big move. Then sit back and wait for the comments to roll in: Where did you move … and when? What will you tell them?
I’m pregnant!?
Ready to send shock waves through the internet? For this online April Fools’ prank, snag a picture of a positive pregnancy test and share it as your own, or opt for simply announcing there’s a “bun in the oven.” Either way, get ready for some major reactions!
Celebrity meetup
Got some Photoshop skills? If so, this easy April Fools’ prank is for you. Edit a photo to make it seem like you met your favorite celebrity. It’ll have everyone doing a double-take. This also makes a great April Fools’ prank for kids, especially if there’s a certain celeb they’re dying to meet.
Whet their curiosity
Want to make your Facebook friend incredibly curious? With a practical joke that does double duty as an April Fools’ text prank, you’ll tease your pal with the smallest nugget of news. Here’s how it works: Send a slightly cryptic message to a (good-natured) friend on Facebook. Notes like “Thanks for the flowers and remembering my big day” and “I’m celebrating the big news with those chocolates you sent” hint at something special. When the person has responded (likely in confusion) quickly message again that it was meant for someone else. See how long it takes them to ask about the message before you reveal the joke.
Song lyrics only
Feeling mischievous? Pick a song that could pass for normal conversation and use the lyrics in all your responses when chatting on Facebook Messenger or replying to comments on one of your Facebook posts. It’s a super-easy April Fools’ prank that’s worth trying for the laughs it brings in.
You have 100 notifications
Here’s one of those beautifully annoying yet easy April Fools’ pranks you can knock out during your lunch hour. Go to your victim’s Facebook profile and “like” every single thing they’ve ever posted. That’s it. The next time they log in or check the app, they will find hundreds of notifications waiting. This is especially effective if they get alerts on their phone, which will be bombarded with notifications while you’re pranking them.
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