Everyone enjoys a good prank, unless they are the victim. It’s time to improve your pranking abilities so you can both prevent being pranked by others and ensure you are always on top of your game.
Now, you can go for simple, easy pranks and still get a good chuckle. However, we feel like it is time to up the ante and put a nice spin on some of the classic pranks.
Below are 15 hilarious geek pranks to try today. From changing their lock screen to being much more devious, we have a prank to really drive the massage of your genius home.
Keep reading to find out how you can truly confuse and surprise your victims with pranks. Some may never relate them back to you.
1. Design A Shutdown Key That Looks Like A Regular File Folder
Create a shortcut to shutdown.exe on the desktop, then modify the icon to a regular folder so that when someone double-clicks the folder to see what it might contain, they receive a pleasant system shutdown notification instead.
This one is quite easy to implement. They won’t lose any work if you move the shutdown time to a very distant point in the future, but mostly they will gain the full advantage of your nerdy abilities.
2.Change the Keyboard Layout
If your computer skills aren’t as good as you’d like them to be then this simple, mischievous prank is perfect.
Regular keyboards are designed on the layout of QWERTY. You can easily switch the layout to DVORAK and have them confused when everything goes wrong as the type.
Steps:
Enter the Control Panel.
Region and Language.
Keyboards.
Change Keyboards.
Select the Add button and ass DVORAK layout.
Use the drop down menu to set DVORAK as default layout.
3. Switch The Trackpad or Mouse Wheel Scrolling
The first thing we touch when turning on our computers is generally the mouse or trackpad to get the screen going. This simple prank is brilliant.
You can modify this setting directly in the Control Panel -> Mouse dialog if they happen to have a laptop with a Synaptics touchpad.
If your target uses a mouse then all that is needed is a simple AutoHotKey script to switch their scrolling direction.
This trick is perfect if you want to keep your victim confused for quite some time. Pair it with changing the keyboard layout and your target may need some help to figure things out.
4. Assign Task Scheduler Tasks for Random Times
No one can keep their cool when a new tab continues to open every few minutes. Even the most determined of geeks are sure to admit defeat.
All you have to do is access their computer, go into the Task Scheduler and create a new task, run it through the wizard and select which website you want to continue opening. Input the site name into the arguments box and set the task to repeat every few minutes.
This is sure to have your target losing their mind for a good few minutes before they figure it out.
5. Keep The Mouse Busy
Nothing is more frustrating than when your computer simply won’t load quickly. Make the mouse appear to be loading continuously with this glorious prank.
Go into the Control Panel, select Mouse, then Pointers, and change the regular pointer to a busy or loading one.
Your victim will be subjected to waiting until the mouse is finally ‘free’. You can even change the size of the pointer to really confuse your target.
6. Add Common Typos To AutoComplete
As you type your computer will pick up on common mistakes and typos you make. You can easily add funny typos or words to AutoComplete to really mess with your victim.
The aim is to enter a custom correction into AutoCorrect so that anything the user types is changed to something else.
Want to give them a hint to the prankster? Make your words something only the two of your understand.
7. Take Control
If the other person has a desktop computer, it usually works out better because you can hide the wireless mouse or keyboard receiver behind the computer and occasionally write an extra letter or move the mouse slightly.
If you play it well, you can amuse yourself for a very long period of time. The amazing thing is that practically anyone should be able to use this, even those who always lock their computers.
If your victim uses a wireless mouse simply replace it with an identical one and have all the fun in the world. Click on random apps, close their tabs and make things extremely difficult for them.
8.Create A Reminder
A simple prank that may take some time for your victime to notice is to insert a message into their computer’s clock.
Change the AM or PM symbols to anything you choose by going to the Control Panel -> Region and Language -> Additional Settings -> Time.
Very few people know how to change their clock back to normal making it the perfect prank.
9. Make Space With The Space Key
Here’s a funny practical joke: Every time the victim presses the spacebar, make their computer truly type the word “SPACE.” It couldn’t be easier, yet they’ll be bewildered trying to figure out what the heck is going on.
This prank is especially delicious if your victim is a programmer. They are soon to be extra confused as they cannot get the result they want. Although they may figure out what’s going on sooner than others.
10. Make The Folders Move
This is an old school classic. Every old school computer geek is sure to have completed this prank at some point in their time.
Move the folders on the computer home screen and watch as your target is frazzled and opens the wrong apps and folders.
Make it even better by moving the folders, taking a screenshot, and setting it as the wallpaper. Remember to let the bottom taskbar hide before taking the screenshot.
Your target will be extra confused when their folders are in different places and simply will not open.
11. Fake An Update
Everyone detests aimlessly gazing at a software update screen, particularly throughout the day. You can use Update Faker to create a practical joke out of that circumstance. Simply watch for the opportunity to use your friend’s computer when it is unattended.
The browser tab will change into an update screen whenever you press “play” on Update Faker. Update Faker even displays a progress meter, and if the recipient taps Enter, the dreaded blue screen will load.
12. Play The Hacker
You don’t have to have access to your friends computer physically or be an incredible hacker in order to fool your friends.
Geektyper will allow you to change your victims screen to a selection of backgrounds where you can then type in your messages. If your victim can see you, make sure to look busy as you mess with their screen and cause a bit of mayhem.
You can even access their folder icons to reveal more windows and confuse them even more.
13.The Never Loading Website
You undoubtedly constantly share video links and memes with your friends. However, how about sending them a website that never loads the next time?
A few advertisements, similar to those on any other website, and a progress bar that reads “Loading the site” are all that the user will see when they access the Photricity website in their browser. The software will simply replace the bar with a circular motion as it fills up.
No matter how fast their connection, Photricity will continuously display the loading message until they get tired of it and close the tab.
Perfect to make your victim stop and think for a moment.
14. Spam Their Phone
Spam messages whether through email or text messages are irritating to anyone. Spam your target cell phone for less than a dollar.
Be in control and schedule a load of spam messages to be sent to your friends phone. All you need is your friend’s phone number and access to BlowUpThePhone.
Perfect if you feel like someone needs to lift their head from the screen every once in a while.
15. Chatting With Celebs
Perhaps the easiest way to scare your friends is with FlexTime. You may mimic FaceTime conversations or video chats with celebrities on FlexTime.
This will make it look like you are having a real-life FaceTime conversation with your favorite celebrities. From Kim K to Robert Downey Jr.
Since FlexTime has also incorporated the audio for the stories, you may share these by either capturing a screenshot or screen-recording the web app.
FlexTime has you covered for everything but the prank, for which you will need to devise a story about how you managed to phone a famous person.
Final Thoughts
With everything happening on a desktop computer, laptop, or cell phone it has never been easier to prank your friends.
Change their wallpaper to having a conversation with a real celebrity, you can really shock your friends and family.
Get creative and try out one of these 15 hilarious pranks on your next victim!
Hi, my name is Alexa Pratt and I am a self-certified joker. The class clown of my friends, if you will. I have a passion for jokes, pranks, memes, and anything that I can get a laugh out of.
If you’re a fan of comedy, or just in desperate need of a good laugh-till-you-pee, you’re in the right place. In a world that can be so dark at times, humor will get us through. Enjoy!
