Another April 1 has come and gone, and with it the latest batch of 10 april fools jokes that tried to be clever but ended up spectacularly messy. In recent years, a well‑crafted prank can become a PR goldmine, spreading like wildfire across news outlets and social feeds. Yet not every stunt lands smoothly—some explode in the face of their creators, sparking panic, lawsuits, and even job losses. Below we rank the ten most notorious backfires, from planetary hoaxes to corporate missteps.

10 April fools Prank Disasters Ranked

10 The End Of The World

In 1940, William Castellini, a press agent for Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute, caught a spark while listening to a Jack Benny broadcast that mentioned Orson Welles’s infamous “War of the Worlds” broadcast two years earlier. The show’s reference gave Castellini the idea to blend a serious lecture titled “How Will the World End?” with the date April 1, hoping to generate buzz.

He drafted a formal press release on March 31 proclaiming that astronomers at the Institute had confirmed the world would meet its demise at 3:00 PM EST on April 1. The release explicitly warned that this was no joke and even listed a phone number for further inquiries.

Local station KYW ran the release on the air, prompting a flood of frantic calls and letters from terrified residents. Many citizens, believing the warning to be genuine, expressed anger and fear once the truth emerged.

The station later claimed ignorance, shifting blame back to the Franklin Institute. Castellini was promptly dismissed from his post, and the episode remains a cautionary tale about the fine line between publicity and panic.

Whether KYW was genuinely duped or simply used Castellini as a scapegoat has never been settled, but the fallout was unmistakable: a career ruined and a public trust shaken.

9 The Aliens Invade Jafr

Even in the digital age, some people still fall for April 1 tricks, especially in regions where the tradition isn’t deeply rooted. In 2010, the Jordanian town of Jafr was duped by a sensational newspaper story alleging that three‑meter‑tall extraterrestrials had landed in the desert just outside the settlement.

Mayor Mohammed Mleihan reported that the alleged alien arrival caused widespread panic, with parents refusing to send children to school and even contemplating a full evacuation. Military troops were dispatched, only to find no trace of any spacecraft.

Once the hoax was uncovered, Mleihan threatened legal action against the Al Ghad newspaper. The paper issued an apology, insisting the piece was meant for entertainment, not terror. Speculation lingered about why Jafr was chosen, given its history of hosting both U.S. military forces and Al‑Qaeda elements.

8 Eruption Near Boston

Residents of the Greater Boston area know Great Blue Hill as a modest 15‑kilometre‑away hiking spot. On April 1, 1980, WNAC‑TV aired a fabricated bulletin claiming the hill had erupted, spewing ash and lava onto nearby homes.

Reporter Jan Harrison described a dramatic scene, linking the eruption to the recent activity at Mount St. Helens and suggesting a chain‑reaction geological event. The broadcast was spliced with stock footage of flowing lava and even featured fabricated statements from President Jimmy Carter and Governor Edward J. King, lending a veneer of authority.

Only at the segment’s end did Harrison hold up a card reading “April Fool.” By then, many viewers had already tuned out, but the damage was done: panic spread through the towns of Milton and Canton, with scores of residents calling emergency services and some beginning to evacuate.

The station faced severe repercussions. Executive producer Homer Cilley was terminated for failing to exercise sound news judgment, and the broadcast also violated FCC rules by presenting stock footage without proper attribution.

7 Google Drops The Mic

Google has built a reputation for elaborate April 1 jokes, rolling out dozens of temporary features each year. In 2016, however, the company misfired with its “Gmail Mic Drop”—a button that, when pressed, appended a minion‑style mic‑drop GIF to the email and automatically muted the entire thread.

The idea was meant to be a cheeky way to end conversations with flair. Unfortunately, many users accidentally hit the “Send + Mic Drop” button on serious business correspondence, not realizing the feature would silence replies.

Complaints surged as professionals discovered their inboxes frozen after sending a Mic Drop, with the minion GIF serving as an unintended final word. Google quickly pulled the feature within hours, acknowledging the unintended consequences.

6 Topless Stylist Causes Traffic Jam

Barber George Birko in Columbus, Ohio, thought a cheeky sign reading “Topless Stylist on Duty Today” would draw attention on April 1, 1980. Curious patrons flocked to his shop, only to find Birko busy cutting hair while wearing nothing but a tuxedo tie above his belt.

The spectacle attracted such a crowd that police were called to investigate a traffic jam forming outside the shop. Officers ordered the sign’s removal, and the Ohio Barber Licensing Board, tipped off by the vice squad, launched an inspection.

Inspectors found no actual “topless” stylists, deeming Birko’s shirtless state as non‑violative. Though the incident caused a brief legal hassle, Birko’s business doubled that day, proving the prank’s commercial success despite the chaos.

5 The New Voyage Of The Titanic

Beachy Head, a chalk headland on England’s southeast coast, is notorious for its dramatic cliffs and tragic history as a suicide hotspot. In 2001, a local radio DJ announced that a replica of the Titanic would sail past East Sussex, visible from the headland.

The ship was said to be built by a company called AFD—an acronym for April Fools’ Day—providing the only clue that the story was a gag. Thousands gathered, expecting to witness the historic vessel.

When the crowd realized they’d been duped, a massive 1.5‑metre crack opened in the cliff face due to the sheer number of people pressing against it. Authorities had to evacuate the area and cordon off the danger zone.

The radio station issued an apology, but the Maritime and Coastguard Agency expressed stern displeasure, noting the heightened risk of landslides and the foggy conditions that day.

4 Super Mario Bomb Scare

Super Mario, the iconic video‑game franchise, is instantly recognizable to gamers but not to everyone. In 2006, five teenage girls in Ravenna, Ohio, placed 17 gold‑wrapped boxes bearing a white question‑mark—reminiscent of Mario’s question blocks—outside key public buildings.

While gamers might have guessed the boxes contained power‑ups, the general public feared they were explosive devices. The local bomb squad was summoned, only to find the containers empty of any dangerous material.

The teenagers later confessed, explaining they had copied the design from an online art‑project site. Police chief Randall McCoy noted that, despite the scare, no other towns reported similar misunderstandings.

3 A Trip Around The World

Offering a free or heavily discounted deal is a classic prank trigger—people love a bargain and get angry when it’s a joke. In 1872, Thomas Cook organized the first escorted round‑the‑world tour. A century later, Times reporter John Carter announced that Thomas Cook would once again run a worldwide trip, this time at the 1872 price of 210 guineas (about $575).

He urged interested travelers to contact “Miss Avril Foley.” Hundreds queued at Thomas Cook branches, unaware the offer was a ruse, and flooded travel agents with angry inquiries.

The Times eventually admitted the hoax and apologized, but the backlash persisted. Carter was initially fired, though he was later reinstated after the controversy died down.

2 The Mouse In The Egg

In 1900, a practical‑joker fiancé in Binghamton, New York, decided to give his nervous bride‑to‑be, 19‑year‑old Edith Walrach, a terrifying surprise. He slipped a live mouse into her boiled egg, sealing the top with plaster of Paris before serving it for breakfast.

When Edith cracked the egg, the mouse darted out, causing her to scream, faint, and suffer three nervous fits throughout the day. A doctor had to intervene, and the incident left her in a critical condition.

The newspaper report never disclosed the couple’s eventual fate, but the prank’s severity was evident: a harmless breakfast turned into a medical emergency.

1 To Honor A Killer

In 1971, Texas Representative Tom Moore tried a risky April Fools’ stunt by drafting a resolution that would honor a Boston man for “unselfishly serving his country, his state, and his community.” The resolution cited the individual’s “noted activities and unconventional techniques involving population control and applied psychology.”

The resolution passed unanimously, only for everyone to realize it was meant to honor Albert DeSalvo—the notorious “Boston Strangler.” DeSalvo had confessed to 13 murders and was serving time for multiple rapes.

Moore withdrew the resolution amid widespread condemnation. Media outlets framed the episode as a lesson on legislative complacency, though the former lawmaker later clarified the prank was intended to expose how legislators often approve measures without reading them.

He had hoped the joke would be a harmless nudge, but the backlash was anything but.

Welcome to our roundup of the top 10 interesting April Fools’ Day stunts that managed to bamboozle millions. From multinational corporations to mischievous tech gurus, these pranks proved that a little creativity can spark worldwide chatter – and a few embarrassed faces.

Why These Are the Top 10 Interesting Pranks

10 The Observer Reported That An Italian Firm Had Created Brexit Emoji, And The BBC Fell For It

The BBC has long been a master of April Fools’ mischief, dating back to a 1957 broadcast that claimed Swiss farms were planting spaghetti. Fast‑forward to 2018, when The Observer turned the tables, publishing a tongue‑in‑cheek story that a tech firm based in Gibraltar, Italy, had launched two Brexit‑themed emojis: a bullish “Brexit Bulldog” for pro‑Leave fans and a “Starry Blue” for Remain supporters.

BBC Breakfast hosts Roger Johnson and Babita Sharma ran with the tale on live television, even expressing enthusiasm for the new icons. Viewers soon called in, pointing out the absurdity, and the BBC realized the prank ten minutes after the initial broadcast. Johnson later congratulated the newspaper on its clever ruse.

Had the presenters spoken Italian, they might have spotted the byline “Scherzo Primavera,” which translates to “Joke of Spring,” revealing the hoax before anyone else did.

9 The European Union Said It Was Switching To Dark Blue Passports

Continuing the Brexit theme, the European Parliament’s UK office posted a playful tweet on April 1, 2018, claiming the EU would abandon its signature burgundy passports in favor of sleek dark‑blue ones, with the change slated for March 2019. The joke echoed the United Kingdom’s own switch from burgundy to dark blue.

While the EU’s passport rule technically mandates a uniform burgundy cover for all member states, Croatia already uses dark blue to avoid confusing its post‑Yugoslav red passports. The spoof highlighted this nuance, prompting amused reactions across the continent.

8 Elon Musk Said Tesla Had Gone Bankrupt

Elon Musk joined the April Fools’ festivities with a bold claim that Tesla had filed for bankruptcy despite frantic last‑minute cash‑raising efforts, including a tongue‑in‑cheek “Teslaquila” Easter‑egg sale. The tweet read like a genuine crisis announcement, complete with fabricated financial woes.

A follow‑up post, allegedly from Musk’s account, featured a photo of a slumped Musk beside a Model 3, surrounded by bottles of the fictitious “Teslaquilla” and a handwritten sign that read “Bankwupt.” The image sparked genuine concern among fans, some even asking when the novelty drink would hit shelves.

Musk later clarified on Instagram that the whole episode was a prank, though the creative “Teslaquila” concept lingered, with curious followers still inquiring about its availability.

7 Google Renames Itself Googz In Australia

On April 1, 2018, Gabi Conlon, head of brand for Google Australia & New Zealand, announced via the company blog that the search giant would rebrand itself as “Googz.” The rationale? Australians apparently favored a more colloquial spelling, preferring “Googs” or “Googz” over the traditional name.

Conlon explained that “Googs” lacked cool factor and the extra “s” added unnecessary curvature, making logo design tricky. The new identity would feature a simple “z” swap, turning the familiar “Google” into “Googz.” A mock‑up of the office building’s façade and a line of “Googz” merchandise were included for visual flair.

The post concluded with a playful “April Foolz” disclaimer, confirming the whole thing was a light‑hearted hoax rather than an official rebrand.

6 Courses.com.au Started A Course For Surviving An AI Apocalypse

In a tongue‑in‑cheek response to rising AI anxieties, Courses.com.au unveiled a fictitious “Human Survival Diploma” slated for launch in 2022, warning that robot uprisings would threaten humanity by 2030. The curriculum listed tongue‑in‑cheek modules such as “Scavenging Food (SCAV101),” “Avoiding Detection (AVDE101),” “Identifying Intruders (INRU101),” and “Shelter (SHELT1010).”

The site described each class in vivid detail: “Scavenging Food” taught students to locate edible resources in contaminated soils, while “Avoiding Detection” focused on evading relentless robot patrols. “Identifying Intruders” warned of bots masquerading as humans, and “Shelter” covered protection against acid rain.

Graduates were promised niche job titles – from “Bunker Security Specialist” to “Mushroomer” – with tuition payable in 6.5 bitcoins or a dozen large potatoes, underscoring the satire’s playful absurdity.

5 Disney Buys WWE

The wrestling community was sent into a frenzy when the satirical site Wrestling News Source claimed Disney had acquired World Wrestling Entertainment for $5 billion just before WrestleMania 34. The article quoted WWE chairman Vince McMahon confirming the deal.

Fans flooded Twitter with disbelief, some accusing Disney of monopolizing entertainment, while others lamented the supposed end of WWE’s independent spirit. The hoax was eventually exposed when readers followed a link to a disclaimer page revealing the story’s fictitious nature.

4 Snapchat Released A Filter Mocking Facebook

Amid ongoing rivalry with Facebook, Snapchat launched a one‑day filter on April 1, 2018 that spoofed a typical Facebook post. The mock‑up displayed “Likes” from the user’s mum and a generic “bot,” poking fun at Facebook’s struggles with Russian bot accounts and an aging user base.

The filter’s font mimicked Cyrillic styling, subtly hinting at the bot controversy without naming Russia outright. Available only for April Fools’ Day, the gag highlighted the playful tension between the two platforms.

3 Netflix Said It Had Acquired Seth Rogen

Netflix greeted early‑morning users on April 1, 2018 with a banner announcing the acquisition of comedian Seth Rogen. Clicking the notice led to a faux press release and video where Rogen lamented not reading the fine print that supposedly bound him to the streaming giant.

The announcement quoted a fictitious senior executive, Jareth Chumley, who claimed the deal cost “a bit more than a meal at Chili’s.” The stunt also served as a promotional push for Rogen’s “Hilarity for Charity” fundraiser, streamed later that week to raise Alzheimer’s awareness.

2 EHarmony Started A Service For Dogs

eHarmony announced an ambitious new venture on April 1, 2018: “Furever Love,” a matchmaking platform designed exclusively for canines. The press release cited a fabricated study claiming 94 % of dogs achieved greater happiness when paired with a single partner, measured via tail‑wag frequency and bark analysis.

Owners were invited to create detailed profiles for their pups, outlining personality traits, favorite toys, and preferred walking routes. The service promised to arrange dog‑to‑dog dates, with future plans to expand into feline, rabbit, equine, sea‑lion, and dolphin matchmaking.

The article concluded by revealing the entire initiative as an elaborate April Fools’ prank.

1 LEGO Introduced The Vacu: Sort

LEGO unveiled the “VacuSort” on April 1, 2018, a fictional vacuum cleaner that would automatically collect, dust, and sort scattered bricks by shape and color. The press release promised a 2018 release, claiming the device could revolutionize tidy‑up for families worldwide.

Parents quickly fell for the announcement, flooding LEGO’s social channels with requests for the product. The company later clarified that the VacuSort was a tongue‑in‑cheek April Fools’ gag, though many admitted they wished it were real.

The 10 high profile April Fools’ jokes have turned the first of March into a playground for mischief makers across the globe. From television stations to billionaire entrepreneurs, these pranks have delighted, bewildered, and sometimes landed their creators in hot water. Below we count down the most memorable capers that have left audiences both laughing and shaking their heads.

10 High Profile April Fools’ Pranks

10 Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

Imagine a world where spaghetti dangles from branches like ripe fruit. In 1957 the BBC pulled off a legendary April Fools’ stunt by presenting a faux‑documentary that claimed Swiss farmers were harvesting “spaghetti trees.” The broadcast featured a serene Alpine family delicately plucking strands of pasta from leafy boughs, then laying the freshly cut noodles out in the sunshine to dry before they were packaged for supermarkets worldwide.

The narrator went on to wax lyrical about years of meticulous research, explaining how each noodle was cultivated to a uniform length and how a sudden frost could ruin the delicate flavor of the crop. He treated the whole affair with the gravitas of a serious agricultural report, even warning that a hard freeze might “impair” the spaghetti’s taste.

Reactions were split. Some viewers were amused by the obvious absurdity, while others, taking the piece at face value, called the BBC to ask where they could buy a spaghetti plant. The segment sparked both irritation among the skeptics and genuine curiosity among the gullible.

9 The Aliens Have Landed

In 1989 the flamboyant founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, decided to give London a close encounter of the mischievous kind. Working with a hot‑air balloon specialist, he commissioned a massive, glowing sphere that looked unmistakably like a UFO. At dawn the craft drifted over the M25, its lights flashing in a rhythm that sent traffic to a halt as drivers craned their necks skyward.

Authorities were quickly alerted: police, the army, and emergency services all scrambled to the scene, fearing an extraterrestrial invasion. The craft eventually touched down in a Surrey field where costumed “aliens” emerged, startling a nearby constable who fled in panic before realizing he’d been duped by a well‑orchestrated April Fools’ gag.

The whole episode caused a media frenzy, with newspapers running headlines about an alien landing, only for the truth to surface hours later. Branson’s prank remains a textbook example of how a little creativity can turn a mundane morning commute into a full‑blown sci‑fi spectacle.

8 Floating An Iceberg From Antarctica

Australian gadget guru Dick Smith took April Fools’ to the harbor in 1978, staging what looked like a colossal iceberg drifting into Sydney’s iconic waters. Early commuters were treated to the sight of a massive white mass gliding past the Opera House, prompting crowds to gather on the quay and radio listeners to tune in for live commentary.

Smith had advertised the stunt as a humanitarian effort to rescue drought‑stricken farmers by delivering a fresh iceberg from Antarctica. In reality, he had fashioned a floating platform from fire‑retardant foam, coated it with shaving‑cream‑like material, and towed it into the harbor. The “iceberg” bobbed majestically until a sudden rain shower “melted” it, revealing the ruse.

The hoax sparked a media whirlwind, with journalists scrambling to capture the bizarre spectacle. When the foam dissolved under the rain, the truth emerged, and Smith’s clever use of everyday materials turned a simple prank into a city‑wide talking point.

7 A Colorful TV Hoax

Back in 1962 Sweden was still living in black‑and‑white, with only a single monochrome channel on the airwaves. On April 1 a mischievous “technician” from the national broadcaster announced a breakthrough: viewers could instantly turn their sets into full‑color by draping a pair of ladies’ stockings over the screen.

The broadcast demonstrated the trick, urging people to slip the sheer hosiery across the picture and then wiggle their heads side‑to‑side to “activate” the color. The presenter filled his explanation with faux‑technical jargon, making the absurd claim sound plausible enough that many viewers scrambled for their lingerie drawers.

While the hoax was harmless fun, it highlighted how little people knew about television technology at the time. Sweden would not actually receive true colour broadcasts until eight years later, making the prank a memorable footnote in the nation’s media history.

6 San Seriffe Islands

Travel‑savvy readers were thrilled in 1977 when the UK’s Guardian ran a glossy supplement touting the exotic San Seriffe archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The seven‑page feature boasted lavish maps, descriptions of “Upper Caisse” and “Lower Caisse,” and even a capital called “Bodoni” ruled by the charismatic General Pica.

Every name in the dossier was, however, a clever nod to printing terminology: “Caisse” (case), “Bodoni” (a typeface), and “Pica” (a unit of measure). The islands themselves were drawn in the shape of a semicolon, a subtle hint that the whole thing was a fabricated prank. Readers flooded the newspaper’s offices with inquiries, only to discover they’d been duped by a witty editorial team.

5 ‘Nessie’ Found Dead

In 1972 a sensational story broke that the legendary Loch Nessie had been discovered dead. Newspapers worldwide ran headlines claiming a team of Yorkshire zoo scientists had stumbled upon the creature’s corpse during a research expedition.

The “body” was, in fact, a large bull elephant seal that had died weeks earlier at the zoo. A mischievous keeper shaved the seal’s whiskers, padded its mouth, and froze the animal before secretly transporting it to Loch Ness, where it was “found” by his colleagues.

The prank spiraled out of control when police intervened, chasing the research team’s truck to retrieve the faux monster. The incident generated far more publicity than the prankster had imagined, cementing the hoax as one of the most elaborate April Fools’ deceptions ever recorded.

4 Left‑Handed Whopper

Left‑handed folks have long complained about everyday tools that favor right‑handed users—scissors, can openers, even pens. In 1998 Burger King decided to “help” by announcing a brand‑new Left‑Handed Whopper, claiming the condiments were repositioned on the opposite side of the bun for easier eating.

The fast‑food giant ran a full‑page newspaper ad showing the familiar burger with ketchup and mustard swapped to the left side. The joke was so convincing that countless customers marched into restaurants demanding the new version, prompting bewildered staff to explain that it was merely an April Fools’ gag.

3 Flying Penguins

In 2008 the BBC once again pulled a fast‑one, this time with a spectacular video of Adelie penguins taking to the skies. Purportedly filmed on King George’s Island, the footage showed the tuxedoed birds soaring above the Antarctic ice, their wings beating in perfect synchrony.

Presenters claimed that the relentless cold had forced the birds to evolve, granting them the ability to fly northward to enjoy warmer climates during the winter months. The clip, replete with convincing visual effects, fooled countless internet users who failed to spot the digital manipulation.

British tabloids ran the story as fact before the BBC finally confessed that the “flying penguins” were a clever April Fools’ video, leaving viewers both amazed and amused at the ingenuity of the stunt.

2 Smellovision

Back in 1965 the BBC aired a tongue‑in‑cheek segment featuring a supposed breakthrough called “Smellovision.” A university professor claimed he had engineered a device that could transmit aromas—like fresh coffee beans or sizzling onions—directly to viewers’ living rooms via their television sets.

The demonstration suggested that by placing the fragrant items into a special machine, the TV would release the scent into the air, allowing audiences to literally “taste” the broadcast. Though wildly implausible, many viewers called the station to report that they could indeed smell the coffee and onions emanating from their screens.

The prank highlighted the public’s limited understanding of broadcast technology at the time, and it remains a classic example of how a plausible‑sounding claim can capture the imagination of a mass audience.

1 Bringing Back The Woolly Mammoth

In 1984 the MIT Technology Review ran a sensational feature titled “Retrobreeding the Woolly Mammoth,” claiming Soviet scientists had succeeded in resurrecting the extinct beast. The article detailed how frozen mammoth DNA had been spliced with elephant cells, producing viable embryos that were then gestated by surrogate elephant mothers.

The piece went into exhaustive detail about the research facilities, the projected timelines for re‑introducing the species into the wild, and the potential ecological impacts. Several major news outlets reproduced the story without questioning its authenticity, treating the revival as a genuine scientific breakthrough.

Later, it emerged that the entire report was an elaborate April Fools’ hoax, a “mammoth” fact‑check error that fooled even seasoned journalists. The prank served as a cautionary tale about the importance of verification in an era hungry for sensational breakthroughs.

Another April Fools’ Day has come and gone. Like every other year, we saw people and corporations come up with elaborate April Fools’ pranks. Some were so well‑thought out that many actually fell for them. This roundup of 10 interesting april pranks showcases the most memorable hoaxes of 2019.

10 Interesting April Pranks Overview

1 OnePlus Electric Car

OnePlus is a Chinese phone maker trying to break into the US phone market. So it’s no surprise that they joined the April Fools’ Day fun.

On March 29, OnePlus announced it was working on an electric car it called the Warp Car. It said the automobile could travel all day with just 20 minutes of charging. It was also 3-D printed, and users could print the whole car or just make parts with their 3-D printer.

OnePlus added that the car lacks any internal or external lights. Instead, users will switch on their phone’s flashlight and put it inside the phone holder, where several tunnels and mirrors will reflect the light inside and outside the vehicle.

OnePlus added that the steering can be replaced with a smartphone, and users will only need to swipe to control their car. The steering wheel also has a button that allows the driver to take selfies on the move.

OnePlus did not release full pictures of the car, just black, silhouette‑like images that only showed its supposed curves. Some readers realized it was a prank after OnePlus recommended that the car only be used by people between 168 centimeters (5’6″) and 173 centimeters (5’8″) tall. It said the limitation was caused by the “positioning of the pedals.”

2 Mobile BoothE

On April 1, T‑Mobile published a blog post to introduce the T‑Mobile BoothE, a soundproof phone booth exclusive to T‑Mobile users. The phone booth allows users make calls in private and in total quiet. It also has charging facilities complete with charging cords for people wanting to juice up their batteries.

T‑Mobile added that the booths also have a trademarked screen that can be connected to the phone. The screen can be used for browsing or video calling. It also has pictures of different locations that can be used as backgrounds for selfies.

The prank was promoted by John Legere, the CEO of T‑Mobile US, who tweeted that T‑Mobile will be rolling out sample booths soon. He added that AT&T and Verizon customers could try the sample booths even though it was supposed to be exclusive to T‑Mobile users.

Many people fell for the elaborate prank. It was so successful that T‑Mobile later mentioned it would also release the Mobile EditionE, a mobile portable version that could be worn over the head.

3 Adobe Smell Allows Users To Smell Your Logo

Adobe joined the April Fools’ Day bandwagon this year when it revealed that users of Adobe Capture could use the app to capture scents that could be added to logos. Just imagine smelling McDonald’s fries when you see the McDonald’s logo on your phone.

In a blog post published on April 1, Adobe claimed it had uploaded thousands of scents on the Adobe Capture app, using its Adobe Scent‑sei technology. Users could mix these scents to create a unique smell for their logo.

Users willing to create a new scent are required to open the Adobe Capture app and click on Smells. Then they take a picture of the product containing the scent. They adjust a slider to control the intensity of the smell and click on the capture button when they were satisfied.

The app creates the smell by finding or mixing, if necessary, the scents preloaded by Adobe. Users can preview the scent by smelling their phone’s charging port. Adobe added that the scent could then be used in apps that supported scents.

4 Google’s Screen Cleaner Update

Google had lots of April Fools’ Day pranks lined up for us this year. On April 1, it announced its plan to release an update called Screen Cleaner to its file manager app, Files by Google. The Screen Cleaner would allow users clean the physical screen of their phone with just the click of a button.

Google claimed the Screen Cleaner works by creating “haptic micromovement pulses” to displace grease, smudges, and dirt on phone screens. Thereafter, the app creates a magnetic field around the phone to prevent dust from gathering on its surface. It also has a pleasurable smell.

5 Ant Financial’s Fraud‑Busting Phone

Ant Financial is an affiliate of the Chinese Alibaba Group. It handles payments for the group and used to be called Alipay. It joined the April Fools’ Day fad this year when it announced the launching of the “Fraud‑Busting intelli‑Phone” (FBi‑Phone). The initialism is clearly a pun on the FBI.

Ant Financial said the FBi‑Phone allows users to identify scammers and counterfeit products. It claimed the phone could detect counterfeit products, including cooking oil, wine, and Swiss watches, using its infrared and smell sensors.

It also claimed that the phone could identify human and robot scammers using artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, cognitive computing, pattern recognition, and several other unnamed technologies. If the caller is a robot, a female Ant Financial robot will engage the offending robot in conversation while calling the police.

To remove doubts that the announcement was an April Fools’ Day prank, Ant Financial mentioned that it had created a real product while other companies were coming up with elaborate pranks for April Fools’ Day. However, it subtly indicated that it was a joke when it mentioned that the phone would be available for sale “someday.”

6 Google Maps Snake Game

Google added a Snake game to Google Maps for April Fools’ Day this year. Interestingly, it can actually be played. The game is available on the Google Maps app or on a standalone website Google set up for that purpose.

Players are required to navigate a snake through popular cities like London, Sydney, and Tokyo, without running outside the map. They can also pick up passengers to earn more points. The game has been available since the end of March, and Google says it will be available for a week.

7 LEGO Find My Brick App

The LEGO Group is one company that has been creating April Fools’ pranks people wish were real. Last year, we mentioned that they claimed to have created the VacuSort, a vacuum cleaner that picks up LEGO bricks scattered on the floor. Many people fell for the prank but later asked LEGO to really create the vacuum when they realized it was a hoax.

This year, LEGO said it had created a Find My Brick app that allows users to find LEGO bricks by color. Users must open the app, click on any color of brick they want to find, and aim their phone’s camera at a pile of LEGO bricks. The app highlights every brick of the selected color in the pile.

People fell for the app, just as they did with VacuSort. Yet again, they asked the LEGO Group to create the app for real when it was revealed to be a hoax. An augmented reality (AR) engineer even offered to help build the app.

8 Google Tulip Allows People Talk To Their Plants

On April Fools’ Day, Google revealed it would be adding a program it calls Google Tulip to Google Assistant. The new program would allow users talk to their plants, especially tulips, through the Google Assistant. The program also allows humans to understand whatever their tulips are saying. Google said Google Tulip was jointly developed by its engineers and a team from Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands.

Google claimed to have created the program after observing that tulips listened to human conversations and talked to other tulips and even humans. Google said the tulip plants often asked humans for sunlight and water. However, humans do not hear because we do not understand the tulips’ language, which Google calls Tulipish.

9 Roku Pet Remote

Roku also pulled an elaborate April Fools’ Day prank. Like Tinder, it also published a blog post three days before April 1.

On March 29, Roku introduced a new product it called the Roku Press Paws Remote for dogs. Roku said it created the product after a study revealed that users sometimes left their televisions on to entertain their dogs while they were away.

However, the dogs often got bored with watching whatever their owners forced them to watch. They could not switch channels because they cannot use the human remote. So Roku came up with a special dog remote with paw‑shaped buttons. It has shortcut buttons that switch to preprogrammed channels like Animal Planet.

Roku also claimed the remote has a Bark Assistant Technology that allows dogs to pause, play, or mute the television. A third feature was a built‑in Sub‑WOOf­er that produces high‑frequency sounds for the dog. Roku mentioned the remote would go on sale on April 1, 2019, for “$€£19.99.”

10 Tinder Height Verification

April Fools’ Day jokes issued before April 1 are often more difficult to detect, so it’s little wonder that so many people fell for Tinder’s height verification hoax.

On March 29, Tinder published a blog post in which it informed users about its plan to introduce a Height Verification Badge (HVB) to end what it called “height fishing.” It said male users often claimed they were taller than they really were. The HVB would stop that.

Tinder said male users would input their height into the app and take a picture of themselves standing beside a commercial building. Then Tinder would use some undisclosed method to verify their real height. Users get the height verification badge if they are telling the truth.

Tinder said the update was targeted at people shorter than 183 centimeters (6′), since they were the most likely to overreport their height. It added that only 14.5 percent of American men are over 183 centimeters, so it expected an 80‑percent reduction in the number of users claiming to be over 183 centimeters.

Several male users condemned the badge. One man even requested for a weight verification badge to identify women who used old pictures and lied about their weights. Another man tweeted that the badge was an attack on men and unacceptable. This continued until April Fools’ Day, when Tinder revealed the whole thing was a prank.

It is surprising that a lot of users fell for the prank, even though the blog post ended with, “Tinder’s HVB is coming soon to a phone near you.” This was probably because the post was published three days before April Fools’ Day. Tinder also went all out for the prank and even created a video tutorial explaining how the new height verification tool worked.

April Fool’s Day gives even the most sober folks a chance to let loose, and over the decades the world has seen some truly outrageous tricks. Below you’ll find the top 15 april hoaxes that managed to baffle, amuse, and sometimes even outrage the public.

Top 15 April Hoaxes Overview

From bra‑induced broadcast interference to a fake spaghetti harvest, each of these schemes proves that a little imagination can cause a lot of commotion.

15 The Case of the Interfering Brassieres

In 1982 the Daily Mail ran a story claiming that a local factory had unintentionally released 10,000 “rogue bras” that caused a bizarre public nuisance. The wires inside these undergarments were supposedly made from a copper alloy originally designed for fire alarms. When that copper met nylon and body heat, it generated static electricity that interfered with nearby television and radio signals. The tale even prompted British Telecom’s chief engineer to demand that all female lab staff report the type of bra they were wearing.

14 The Eruption of Mount Edgecumbe

In 1974, residents of Sitka, Alaska, were startled when the dormant volcano Mount Edgecumbe suddenly belched thick black smoke. Crowds rushed to the streets, fearing an imminent eruption. The mystery was solved when a local mischief‑maker, Porky Bickar, admitted he had air‑lifted hundreds of old tires into the crater and set them alight, creating the illusion of volcanic activity. Legend says that after Mount St. Helens erupted six years later, a Sitka citizen wrote to Bickar, “This time you’ve gone too far!”

13 The Predictions of Isaac Bickerstaff

In February 1708, a previously unknown London astrologer called Isaac Bickerstaff published an almanac forecasting the death by fever of rival astrologer John Partridge on March 29. Partridge denied the prediction, but on March 30 Bickerstaff released a pamphlet declaring the prophecy fulfilled. The following day, a sexton startled Partridge awake, asking if any funeral orders were pending. As Partridge walked the streets, people stared as if he were a ghost, insisting he resembled someone already deceased. The ruse, later revealed to be the work of satirist Jonathan Swift under the pseudonym Bickerstaff, forced Partridge to abandon his almanac publications.

12 Kremvax

In 1984, during the early days of Usenet, a message circulated claiming that the Soviet Union was joining the network. Purportedly sent from Konstantin Chernenko (email: [email protected]), it explained the USSR wanted an “open discussion forum” with Americans and Europeans. The announcement sparked a flood of responses. Two weeks later, Piet Beertema of the Netherlands confessed the post was a prank, making it the first documented internet hoax. When Moscow finally linked to the internet six years later, it adopted the domain name “kremvax” in homage to the joke.

11 UFO Lands in London

On March 31, 1989, thousands of motorists on a highway outside London looked up to see a glowing saucer descending. Spectators pulled over to watch as the craft touched down in a field, prompting locals to dial the police, fearing an alien invasion. When officers arrived, a brave constable approached the saucer with his truncheon, only for a small silver‑suited figure to pop out, causing the officer to flee. The “UFO” turned out to be a hot‑air balloon crafted by Richard Branson of Virgin Records. Intended for an April 1 landing in Hyde Park, a sudden wind shift forced an early, unintended touchdown.

10 Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity

In 1976, British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2 that at precisely 9:47 AM a rare celestial event would occur: Pluto would slip behind Jupiter, creating a temporary gravitational alignment that would lessen Earth’s pull. He urged listeners to jump at that exact moment, promising a sensation of floating. When the time arrived, BBC2 received hundreds of calls from people claiming they felt weightlessness, with one woman reporting that she and eleven friends rose from their chairs and floated around the room.

9 Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers

In April 1995, Discover Magazine featured a story by Dr. Aprile Pazzo announcing the discovery of a new Antarctic species: the hot‑headed naked ice borer. These creatures possessed bony plates on their heads fed by a dense network of blood vessels, allowing them to heat up and bore through ice at high speed. The hot heads melted ice beneath penguins, causing the birds to sink into slush where the borers would devour them. Pazzo hypothesized that the mysterious disappearance of explorer Philippe Poisson in 1837 might have been the work of these predators. The article generated more reader mail than any other Discover piece.

8 The Left‑Handed Whopper

In 1998, Burger King ran a full‑page USA Today ad announcing a “Left‑Handed Whopper” specially crafted for the 32 million left‑handed Americans. The sandwich supposedly contained the same ingredients as the classic Whopper, but all condiments were rotated 180 degrees for left‑handed diners. The next day, Burger King revealed the promotion was a prank, yet thousands of customers still visited restaurants requesting the nonexistent sandwich, while others humorously asked for a “right‑handed” version.

7 Alabama Changes the Value of Pi

The April 1998 issue of the New Mexicans for Science and Reason newsletter carried an article claiming the Alabama legislature had voted to alter the mathematical constant pi from 3.14159 to a “Biblical” value of 3.0. The story spread rapidly via email, prompting the Alabama legislature to receive countless calls from bewildered citizens protesting the supposed change. The piece, written by physicist Mark Boslough, was intended as a satire of attempts to legislate science education.

6 Nixon for President

In 1992, NPR’s Talk of the Nation announced that former President Richard Nixon was re‑entering the political arena with the slogan, “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” The broadcast featured audio clips of Nixon delivering a campaign speech. Listeners flooded the show with shocked calls, only to learn later that the announcement was a hoax, with comedian Rich Little providing the impersonated voice.

5 San Serriffe

In 1977, The Guardian published a seven‑page supplement celebrating the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a fictitious republic in the Indian Ocean composed of semi‑colon‑shaped islands. Articles described its geography and culture, naming its two main islands Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse, its capital Bodoni, and its leader General Pica. Readers called the paper all day for more information, unaware that every name referenced printer’s terminology. The hoax is credited with igniting a wave of April Fool’s pranks in British tabloids.

4 The Taco Liberty Bell

In 1996, Taco Bell announced it had purchased the Liberty Bell from the federal government and renamed it the “Taco Liberty Bell.” Outraged citizens flooded the National Historic Park in Philadelphia with angry calls. Hours later, Taco Bell revealed the stunt was a joke. The incident spawned a memorable quip from White House press secretary Mike McCurry, who joked that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold, now called the “Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial.”

3 Instant Color TV

In 1962 Sweden broadcast only a single black‑and‑white channel. Technical expert Kjell Stensson appeared on the news claiming a new method allowed viewers to instantly convert their sets to color by draping a nylon stocking over the screen. He demonstrated the technique, and hundreds of thousands of Swedes were fooled. Actual color transmissions did not begin until April 1, 1970.

2 Sidd Finch

In the April 1985 edition of Sports Illustrated, a story introduced Sidd Finch, a rookie pitcher for the Mets who allegedly could hurl a baseball at 168 mph—65 mph faster than any recorded throw. Supposedly, Finch had never played organized baseball, having mastered the “art of the pitch” in a Tibetan monastery under the guidance of the poet‑saint Lama Milaraspa. Fans flooded the magazine with requests for more information, only to discover that Finch was a fictional creation of writer George Plimpton.

1 The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

In 1957, the BBC’s Panorama program reported that a mild winter and the eradication of the dreaded spaghetti weevil had yielded a bumper spaghetti crop in Switzerland. The broadcast featured footage of peasants climbing trees to harvest strands of spaghetti. Viewers called in en masse, asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees. The BBC’s tongue‑in‑cheek response was to advise them to “place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

April Fool’s Day has been observed in one form or another for hundreds of years. Some of the tricks and jokes played on the day are simple and harmless, while others can be oddly elaborate and mean spirited. In modern times, you can count on newspapers, businesses and websites to run fake stories every April Fool’s Day, making everyone a little paranoid about what can and can’t be believed that day.

As it happens, every so often, one of those pranks or jokes really strikes a chord with people. Then the joke is less that it was played at all and more that people got really excited by the possibility of it being true, which has led to more than one joke finding its way into the real world.

This is an encore of one of our previous lists, as presented by our YouTube host Simon Whistler. Read the full list!