How to Do the Charlie Charlie Challenge

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 28, 2022

Setting Up

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Doing the Challenge

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Uploading Results

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Q&A

The Charlie Charlie Challenge has gone viral all over the Internet, particularly on Twitter. There are several theories out there on the origins of Charlie Charlie and the meme. People began "calling on" the Charlie Charlie spirit and posting their results early 2015. Some say he is a Mexican demon and others think he is the victim of a car crash.^{[1]
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Research source} While those origin stories might not be true, the game itself can be a laugh and it has definitely become famous through the internet.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up

1
Gather your supplies. For the Charlie Charlie challenge you’ll need a piece of paper and two pencils. If you want to make your own vine or video meme, you’ll also need a camera.
- You can use the camera in your smartphone or cell phone.
2
Create the board. Position your paper longways or horizontal. Draw a grid on the paper of a simple cross. In other words, divide the paper into four sections or quadrants.
- If you want to make efficient lines, you can use a ruler to make your marks.^{[2]
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3
Fill in the board. Label two of the quadrants with "yes" and two with "no.” It is important to place the yes and no’s in opposite corners. When the pencil moves it can only select yes or no.
4
Balance two pencils. Align two pencils along the grid you created earlier. One pencil should be on top of the other pencil to form a cross along your drawn lines. You will probably need to realign the pencils right before you ask a question.
- Gravity has a major effect on the pencils and ultimately determines the answer of the questions.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Doing the Challenge

1
Understand the pencil’s movement. You don’t physically do anything to the pencil for it to start moving. A combination of gravity, surface level, and awkward pencil placement will inevitably move the pencil to “yes” or “no.” Once the pencil is in place, you should have just enough time to ask a question before the pencil moves.
- If the pencil doesn’t move, then you’ve balanced the pencil perfectly, and the surface you are using is in balance. In this scenario, alter the balance of the top pencil, so the pencil moves.
2
Set up the atmosphere. To make a more exciting video, you might want to dress up the area of where you are performing the challenge. Candles are good props to set an occult feeling. You could also use a white or lace tablecloth.
- You could also plan ahead and shoot the video in the style of the Blair Witch Project. This technique requires a hand held camera (a smartphone's will work fine) and a flashlight. Have all the lights turned out and begin the challenge only using a flashlight for light.
3
Get a camera ready. Generally, people participating in this challenge want to upload their results to Twitter or Vine. If you're going to do that, you'll need to record your challenge. A camera phone should do the trick. You can either record the video yourself or get a pal to film the results for you.
- Before filming the Charlie Charlie Challenge, make sure the pencils are set up in their proper place.
4
Begin recording. Ask "Charlie Charlie, are you there?" and follow up with your question. Use a yes/no question so that "Charlie" can answer you; for example, you might ask, "Charlie Charlie, are you there? Will I pass my English test?" or "Charlie Charlie, are you there? Will Tim ask me out?"^{[4]
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- You can add some drama by creepily singing “Charlie" repeatedly. This will give your video more of a horror film feeling.
5
Wait to see what "Charlie" says. If it works, the top pencil will move to point to one of the answers. Feel free to squeal or scream accordingly. The most popular videos result in the user completely freaking out from the results.
- Once the pencil moves, have the camera operator jump, yell, and move around the room quickly.^{[5]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Uploading Results

1
Share your results. If you're a social media fan, you'll want to upload the video to Vine, post your outcome on Twitter or Facebook, or even share it on YouTube. Use the hashtag #CharlieCharlieChallenge to mark your post as part of the trending challenge.^{[6]
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- The video shouldn’t be longer than 15 seconds. If your video is longer, you may want to trim the content or recreate it.
2
Upload from your phone. The easiest way to upload your results is by using a smartphone. Smartphones have apps that allow you to quickly upload your results. Select your prefered social media platform, and use their app to upload the video.
3
Upload from your computer. Plug your phone into your computer and wait for the computer to detect your device. Your computer should detect the device and show a popup message of options for you to do. The easiest way to isolate the video is by manually going through your phone’s files and selecting the video.
- Once the video is uploaded to your computer, you can post the video onto the internet. Sign into the social media site of your preference and go to the upload section.

Community Q&A

Question

Should I say his name out loud or in my mind?

Cool⚡️KID

Community Answer

It is recommended that you say his name out loud. That makes it more dramatic and scary.
Question

Will the challenge be harmful in any way?

Community Answer

No, it won't be harmful to you.
Question

How do I make Charlie go away?

Community Answer

Replace the pencils again and say "Charlie, Charlie, can we stop?" If the pencil moves to yes say goodbye. If not, make a prayer and drop the pencils loudly. This will scare the demon away.