How to Prank Someone over Text

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: March 28, 2023

Want to make your friends laugh? Prank phone calls are a thing of the past—now, it’s all about prank texting. Sending a funny text to your friends is a great way to make everyone chuckle, especially if you can’t see them in person. We’ve listed our favorite texting pranks below so you can trick your friends and become the prankster you’ve always dreamed of being.

1

Pretend to be a bot.

Act like you’re an annoying spam message to annoy a friend. No one likes getting messages from bots! Copy and paste a funny message that sounds like it’s from a bot, then send it to a friend. If you really want to make this one believable, block your number before you send it to them.^{[1]
X
Research source} After a couple of bot messages, you can reveal to your friend that it was you all along.
- “Thanks for joining CAT FACTS! With our new subscription service, we’ll send you hourly updates about cats worldwide. To STOP, reply with STOP. Standard messaging rates may apply.”
- When your friend replies “STOP,” keep the messages coming! “Thank you for continuing CAT FACTS! Did you know that all cats have 4 legs and 1 tail? To opt out of these messages, reply, OPT OUT.”
- “We are glad you are loving CAT FACTS! Cat fact of the day: All cats have fur, except for hairless ones. Reply STOP to STOP.”

2

Sign them up for a text list.

Annoy your friend with spam texts from random numbers. Tons of comedians, celebrities, and even protest events have texting lists that you can sign up for online. Simply put your friend’s number into the signup sheet, then wait for them to tell you about all the annoying messages they’ve been getting.
- To find a text list to sign up for, try searching, “Comedy text list” or “Celebrity texting sign up.”
- Try to wait until your friend complains to you about all the spam messages they’ve been getting before you reveal your scheme.

3

Act like you don’t know who it is.

Make your friend think that you lost their number. Wait until a friend texts you, then say, “Who is this?” When they tell you who it is, keep the joke going with texts like, “Hm, do I know you?”^{[2]
X
Research source} After a few messages back and forth, you can let them in on the joke.
- You could also say, “Sorry, I don’t know anyone named Jake.”
- Or, “What’s your last name? Maybe that will jog my memory.”
- Or, “Are you sure you texted the right person?”

4

Send them song lyrics.

Sending lyrics will slowly confuse your friend until they catch on. Pick a song that you like, like “Hello” by Adele or “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. Then, send the lyrics line by line over text to your friend. If they still haven’t caught on after an entire verse, you can tell them that it was just a joke!^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you were using “Don’t Stop Me Now,” you’d start out by texting, “Tonight I’m gonna have myself a real good time.”
- When your friend responds, keep going with the song. “I feel alive. And the world, I’ll turn it inside out.”
- If you were using “Hello,” you’d start out by saying, “Hello, it’s me.”
- After your friend responds, send them, “I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet.”

5

Make up the definition for an emoji.

Confuse your friend and make them doubt their emoji knowledge. In the middle of a conversation, send your friend a super random emoji out of the blue. When they ask why you sent it, make something up. “Oh, that one means ‘I appreciate your friendship.’” If they push back, act super confused and like it’s common knowledge. Once they believe you, tell them that it was just a prank!
- “This one means that I like you, but only as a friend.”
- “You don’t know that emoji? It means that I’m having a super fun conversation with you.”
- “That’s my favorite emoji! It means, ‘That’s cool, bro.’”
- Pick random emojis like 🗿, 💾, ➰, 🔳, or 🧱.

6

Send a gif of the texting bubble.

Make your friend think you’re typing, even when you’re not. Search up a gif of the gray typing bubble, then send it to your friend. When they check their messages, it will look like you’re crafting a super long, detailed message (even though you’re not!). If your friend freaks out and asks why you’re taking so long, you can tell them that it was just a joke.
- This prank only works if you and your friends both have iOS devices, so don’t use this on anyone with an Android.

7

Start a countdown to nothing.

Build the suspense to confuse your friend all day. Randomly text your friend something like, “10 hours left.” When they ask what it’s for, tell them that they’ll see at the end of the day. Keep counting down every hour until the end of the day, and when they get to the end, reveal the big surprise: nothing!
- “0 hours left. The end!”
- “Time’s up. The countdown was for… Nothing.”
- “Are you ready for the end of the countdown??! Okay, big reveal: the countdown was for me to say…. Hi.”

8

Respond to a fake Facebook ad.

Make your friend think they accidentally put up something for sale. Text your friend and tell them that you saw their ad, and you want to buy whatever they’ve got. When they get confused, tell them that you appreciate them trying to haggle, but you know what it’s worth. After a couple of messages back and forth, tell them that it was just a prank.
- “Saw your ad for the 2 llamas. Would you take $100?”
- “Is your mom’s minivan still for sale? I’d love to take it for a test drive.”
- When your friend gets confused, keep the joke going! “C’mon man, I know you’ve got the llamas. Just name your price.”
- “Wow, I thought we were friends. You’re really not gonna sell me that car?”

9

Send a worrying question, then don’t reply.

Your friend will wonder if you’re okay with this funny prank. Ask them a question that makes them pause, like what to do when a microwave explodes. Then, when they respond, stop answering their texts completely.^{[4]
X
Research source} After a couple minutes, once they’re good and worried, you can let them in on the prank.
- “Can you help me figure out how to use a fire extinguisher?”
- “Let’s say, hypothetically, there was a goat inside my house. What should I do?”
- “If my phone was smoking, should I keep texting people with it? Or no?”

10

Tell them you have important info, then ghost them.

Leave your friend feeling confused (and a little anxious). Text your friend and tell them that you have huge news or something super time-sensitive that they need to hear. When they reply, stop responding altogether.^{[5]
X
Research source} After a few minutes (or a few hours, if you’re feeling really mischievous), tell them that it was just a joke.
- “OMG I forgot to tell you this earlier. I have something super important to show you.”
- “Text me back ASAP! I have something really important to tell you.”
- “Call me right now! This can’t wait.”

11

Change their shortcuts.

If you can access your friend’s phone, try this funny prank. Grab your friend’s iPhone and go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. Replace a common phrase they use with something super silly, like, “Pecan Pie” or “Rub a dub dub.” When they try to text again, they’ll have a super hard time crafting a serious-sounding message. When they mention it to you, you can tell them about the awesome prank you pulled. Try shortcut changes like:
- “Hi” → “I have a crush on you.”
- “Lol” → “Chicken nuggets”
- “Ok” → “Moo”