40 Hilarious and Creative April Fools' Pranks to Trick Your Friends and Family

April Fools’ Day is the perfect opportunity to unleash your inner prankster and pull off some of the funniest, most creative, and harmless pranks on your friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers. Whether you're looking for food pranks, office pranks, tech pranks, or classic practical jokes, this list has you covered! From filling Oreos with toothpaste to switching the language settings on someone’s phone, these hilarious pranks are guaranteed to leave your victims laughing (or slightly annoyed). Get ready to take April 1st to the next level with these ingenious, laugh-out-loud practical jokes that will make this April Fools' Day one to remember. Just be sure to plan your pranks carefully and choose the right target—some people can take a joke better than others! And remember, the best pranks are the ones that are funny, surprising, and completely harmless, so keep the humor lighthearted and enjoy the reactions.


1. Toothpaste Oreos

Carefully remove the cream filling from an Oreo cookie and replace it with white toothpaste. Put the cookies back together and offer them to an unsuspecting victim. Watch their reaction as they take a bite of what they think is a delicious treat, only to experience a minty surprise!

2. The Frozen Cereal Trick

Pour a bowl of cereal with milk the night before April 1st and put it in the freezer. The next morning, serve it as if it’s freshly made. When your victim tries to scoop up a bite, they’ll be confused as to why their spoon won’t go through!

3. Caramel Onion "Apples"

Peel an onion and coat it in caramel just like you would for a caramel apple. Stick a wooden skewer into it and serve it as a sweet treat. The first bite will be a shocking (and not-so-sweet) surprise!

4. Airhorn Under the Chair

Tape an airhorn under a coworker’s office chair so that when they sit down, it blasts loudly. This prank works especially well in quiet offices!

5. Autocorrect Mayhem

Go into your friend’s phone and change their autocorrect settings. For example, make "yes" autocorrect to "I love pickles" or change "no" to "absolutely, without a doubt!" Every time they text, they’ll be completely confused.

6. Plastic-Wrapped Shampoo Bottles

Before someone showers, remove the lid from their shampoo bottle and cover the opening with clear plastic wrap. Screw the lid back on. When they try to pour shampoo, nothing will come out, leaving them baffled in the shower.

7. Blue Screen of Death Prank

Take a screenshot of the "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD) on a Windows computer and set it as the desktop wallpaper. Hide all desktop icons and taskbar. Your victim will think their computer has crashed!

8. Mouse Sensor Blocker

Tape a small piece of paper over the bottom of someone’s computer mouse sensor. When they try to use their mouse, it won’t work, leaving them frustrated and confused until they realize the trick.

9. Fake Poop on the Toilet Seat

Buy a realistic-looking fake poop and place it on the toilet seat or bathroom floor. Your victim will be completely grossed out and probably call for help before realizing it’s fake!

10. Upside-Down Screen Trick

On a Windows computer, press Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow to flip the screen upside down. On a Mac, go to System Preferences > Displays > Rotation and set it to 180 degrees. Watch as your victim tries to figure out what happened!

11. Clear Nail Polish on Soap

Coat a bar of soap with clear nail polish and let it dry. When someone tries to use it, it won’t lather, no matter how hard they try.

12. TV Remote Tape Trick

Cover the sensor of a TV remote with a small piece of tape. No matter how hard someone presses the buttons, the TV won’t respond!

13. Fake Update Screen

Set a fake Windows or Mac update screen as the wallpaper on someone's laptop. They’ll think their device is stuck on an endless update!

14. Color-Changing Milk

Add a few drops of food coloring to a milk carton and shake it well. When someone pours milk into their cereal or coffee, they’ll be shocked by the unexpected color.

15. Keyboard Key Swap

Carefully pop off some keyboard keys and swap them around (like switching “M” and “N”). This will leave your victim confused as they type nonsense.

16. Invisible Tape on Faucet

Place a small piece of clear tape under the faucet. When someone turns it on, water will spray in all directions!

17. Fake Bug Sticker on Lights

Stick a small silhouette of a bug on the inside of a lampshade. When someone turns on the light, they’ll see a giant shadow of an insect and probably freak out!

18. Fake Cracked Phone Screen

Use a fake cracked screen wallpaper on someone’s phone. They’ll panic, thinking their screen is shattered.

19. Rubber Band on the Spray Nozzle

Wrap a rubber band around the kitchen sink spray nozzle while it’s in the “on” position. When someone turns on the faucet, they’ll get sprayed with water.

20. Fake Broken Glass Sticker

Purchase a fake cracked glass sticker and place it on someone’s phone, laptop screen, or even a window. When they see it, they’ll panic, thinking they’ve just broken something expensive!

21. Reverse Keyboard Layout

Change someone’s keyboard language settings so that typing produces different letters than expected.

22. Fake "Broken" Remote Control

Swap out the batteries in a remote control with dead ones and watch as someone repeatedly presses buttons with no response.

23. Jelly in a Soap Dispenser

Replace the liquid soap in a dispenser with Jell-O or jelly. When someone tries to use it, nothing will come out properly.

24. Water in the Bed Trick

Place a small plastic cup filled with water under someone’s blanket near their feet. When they slide into bed, they’ll get an unexpected wet surprise.

25. Voice-Changing Virtual Assistant

If your friend uses Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa, change the voice to another language or accent and see how long it takes for them to notice.

26. Unopenable Jar

Superglue the lid of a jar shut and then ask someone to open it for you. Watch them struggle while you act completely clueless.

27. Google Translate Confusion

Set someone’s Google search language to something random, like Icelandic or Thai, making their searches unreadable.

28. Fake Screenshot Prank

Take a screenshot of someone’s home screen, move all their apps into a new folder, and set the screenshot as their wallpaper. It’ll look like their apps aren’t working!

29. Shock Pen or Shock Gum

Hand someone a "free pen" or a piece of gum from a pack that delivers a harmless electric shock when they try to use it. Their reaction will be priceless as they jump in surprise!

30. Sticky Note Explosion

Cover an entire car, office, or bedroom in sticky notes. The victim will have a fun (and annoying) time peeling them all off.

31. Fake Loading Cursor

Download a fake "loading" animation as a desktop cursor so it always looks like their computer is lagging.

32. Chocolate-Covered Broccoli

Dip small broccoli pieces in chocolate and pass them off as chocolate-covered treats. The first bite will be pure confusion!

33. Salt in the Sugar Bowl

Swap sugar with salt for a surprise in coffee or tea.

34. Sound-Activated Screaming Ghost

Get a motion-activated or sound-activated screaming ghost or creepy doll. Place it somewhere unexpected, like in a closet or under the bed, and wait for your victim to get the scare of their life.

35. Google Home or Alexa "Ghost" Trick

Schedule a smart speaker to say creepy phrases at random times.

36. Frozen Water Bottle Prank

Give someone a water bottle with a frozen block of ice inside so they can't drink anything.

37. No Sound on Videos

Plug in a wireless Bluetooth speaker and randomly play sounds while your friend watches videos.

38. No-Tear Toilet Paper

Buy a roll of prank no-tear toilet paper, which looks completely normal but refuses to rip no matter how hard someone tries. Swap it with the real toilet paper in the bathroom and enjoy watching your victim struggle in frustration as they realize they’re stuck in a very inconvenient situation! 

39. The "Broken" TV Prank

Use YouTube to play a "TV static" video and pretend the TV is broken.

40. The Endless Loading Symbol

Set someone's phone wallpaper to a loading circle to make them think their device is stuck.


April Fools’ Day is all about laughs, surprises, and good-natured fun. Whether you go for classic food pranks or high-tech tricks, make sure to keep it lighthearted and harmless. A great prank is one that leaves everyone laughing, including the victim! So, pick your favorites from this list and get ready to make April 1st the funniest day of the year!