Technology has made lots of things in life easier and pranking just happens to be one of them.Â
If you feel like your friends and family haven't been pranked in awhile, then their time is probably due. We've compiled a list of simple and clever pranks that you can pull on your loved ones using the tech you already have.
These pranks are also pretty harmless in the long run. You're trying to toy with your pals' minds not destroy your friendships.
Phone Pranks
1. Lyric Text Prank
Computer Blue sreens. Computer cant fine Boot Device. Hahaha nice i will download this later and prank someone whilst recording it XD. Screenprank provides creative screen computer pranks for pranking your colleagues, relatives and friends. Our goal is to give entertainment and fun, we. Crack Screen Prank is an screen break prank app that will simulate Crack of the screen in your device. Make fun of your family and friends with the Crack My Screen – Prank Fun application. Get them to think you have a cracked screen or a broken phone. Dec 17, 2009 - If you've never been scared by a pop-up video prank and you scare easily. The room screaming, just to get away from the computer screen.
At one point this prank became a grossly popular meme on YouTube and there are endless examples of how to pull it off. Just be cautious because there also tons of 'Lyric Prank Gone Wrong' videos on YouTube as well.
Basically, you text your prank victim a line from a song, wait for them to respond, and then send the next line.
I was tryna Sing LYRIC TEXT PRANK ON MY crush, but she found it out by the first sentence😂 Tagged my best friend, he teached me this😂 pic.twitter.com/uQh1wL0f37
— Morgz (@akaMorgz) July 8, 2017
It really helps to pick a song that will get an interesting reaction and one you're victim won't recognize.Â
2. Ghost Photo Prank
All this prank involves is downloading an app. It's a great choice for pranking friends who may be a tad superstitious.
Download a version for either  Android or  iOS. These apps allow you too add spooky ghosts to your photos before and after you take them.Â
You can really get creative with this one and terrify your loved ones for Halloween or year round.
3. Phone Crashing Prank
You've got to have fun with this one. If someone doesn't find it funny, you'll just come off as really annoying.Â
The point of Greg Benson's Mediocre Films pranks are to be positive and brighten people's day. So try to channel some of that same energy if you attempt this.
If you're not a popular YouTuber, it's probably better to do this with the people you know.
4. Switch Ringtones
You can create some awkward situations by switching out your prank victim's ringtone to something embarrassing.Â
This could be as philistine as fart noises or, depending on the person, Justin Bieber or Nickelback ringtones could be equally embarrassing.
This video offers some nice inspiration.
Computer Screen Scare Prank Download Video
5. Swap Shortcuts in iOS Dictionary
An unsuspecting mom fell for this classic autocorrect prank. Simply swap out the shortcut for a word that your prank victim uses often for something more outlandish.
Computer Screen Scare Prank Download Full
The daughter switched the phrase 'dirty clothes' in her mom's phone to 'acid' for some pretty hilarious results. The options are limitless with this one.
Here's a video on how to use the Autocorrect function.
6. Colorful Photo Prank
Nextraker shows us how to play some simple pranks on someone if you can grab ahold of their phone for a few minutes.Â
The first one involves taking off the case of your friends phone and placing tape over the camera. After replacing the case, use any color marker to draw over the tape.
When your victim goes to take a photo they won't get exactly what they pictured.
7. Change Contact Name
This easy prank doesn't require anything but the phone itself. It's as simple as changing the name of your friend's contacts.Â
Switching someone's mom's name for the name of their significant other/crush could lead to some funny awkwardness but could also get weird.
A less dangerous example would be to change some of the names in your friend's contact list to their boss' name. This way they get freaked out whenever they think their 'boss' is calling.
8. Notification Prank
The notification prank is just as much of a prank as it is a social experiment.Â
YouTube channel Whatever put on this experiment to see how addicted people are to their phones. The results are pretty telling.
At some point, we've all checked our own phones when that classic notification sound goes off on someone else's device. In the video the prankster walks by people in public places with the notification sound going off on his phone, just to see how many people look at their own.
It's a harmless prank that can also tell you a lot about human behavior.
Computer Pranks
9. Make Your Neighbors Think the NSA Is Watching Them
Make your neighbors paranoid about their online activities by changing your Wifi network name to NSA Surveillance Van #4. Â You may not get to enjoy the results directly of this prank but it's funny idea nonetheless.
10. Make the Space Key Write the Word SPACE
If you know your way around a computer you can create a new AutoHotKey script and put in these two lines of code:
#NoTrayIcon
*Space::Send,SPACE
Whenever your victim presses the space bar it will actually type out the word 'SPACE' instead, resulting in endless frustration. Ha!
11. Create a Shutdown Shortcut that Looks like a Folder
A really clever but simple trick is to create a  shortcut to shutdown.exe on your victim's desktop.
Change the icon of the shortcut to a regular folder and name it something strange. When they click to see what it is they get a dramatic shutdown notice.
HowToGeek recommends that if you're tech-savvy, and just a decent person, to change the shutdown time to a future time. That way your victim only loses their mind; not their work.Â
'Note: on Windows 7 or Vista you’d also need to disable UAC or else they’ll see a prompt.'
12. 'Freeze' their desktop
Another annoying way to mess with your friend's desktop is to screenshot it. Then set the desktop screenshot as their background. Don't forget to hide their icons and folders of course.
Feel like an evil genius as you watch your friend struggle to click on their desktop icons and fail miserably every time.
13. Fake Update Page
Unlike the shutdown shortcut trick mentioned earlier, this alteration to your friend's computer is fake. Go to Fakeupdatepage.net to access a series of pages that look exactly like an update screen.
Fullscreen one of the pages on your friend or coworker's computer and watch their annoyance. It will be so worth it.
14. Blue Screen of Death Screensaver
Now this takes the fake update prank to the next level.Â
The Blue Screen of Death is one of the scariest things that could happen to your computer. That's why scaring someone else with it makes for a hilarious prank.
Of course, there's an app for that. The Blue Screen of Death application is a screensaver that mimics BSOD and it's startup screens so your victim will think something's messed up.
Just download the app and follow the instructions but only do this if you really want to freak someone out, preferably your parents.
15. Mouse Control
This is a great office prank. If you want to mess with a coworker's computer in real life you can simply plug a wireless mouse usb into their computer, leaving their mouse plugged in. Control the wireless mouse from afar as they attempt to use their own.
It'd be preeeeeeeetty satisfying to see your coworker's confused face when they can't keep control of their own mouse, right?Â
16. Inverted Mouse
Instructables describes another simple mouse prank.
If you are using Microsoft Windows go to the control panel and click the section that says 'Mouse.' Select the box that says 'Switch primary and Secondary buttons' and press apply.
Your friend will be so frustrated when the buttons aren't working like their supposed to.
If any of the pranks you choose to do switch things around on your victim's computer, make sure you show them how to switch things back.
Just be careful not to actually screw things up!
Happy pranking!