9 Ways To Use Your Tech For Spooky Halloween Pranks

This Halloween, it’ll all be tricks and no treats for your friends with these high-tech Halloween pranks, including some that make use of gadgets you may already own.

All Tricks, No Treats | 9 High-Tech Halloween Pranks

1. Enable Spooky Scream on Alexa

If you’ve got an Alexa-enabled device in your home, you can enable the Spooky Scream skill, which does just that — scream. You can even ask Alexa to start the audio clip after a certain amount of time has passed, just by saying, “Alexa, ask Spooky Scream to start in x seconds/minutes.” You can even set the scream according to the different clips they have available. Choices include “Scary Scream” and “Screaming Female”.

How can you add this to your roster of Halloween trick ideas? Invite people over, then just before they enter the room, set the timer. When they’re in the room and just before Spooky Scream starts, pretend to leave and watch them from a distance. Take a video of their priceless reactions when Alexa starts screaming.

2. Prank Call Them the Spooky Way

This can potentially be one of the funniest tricks on the list depending on how good of a prankster you are. Prank calls can already be funny to begin with, but you can definitely step up your game on Halloween.

First, borrow someone else’s phone. It doesn’t really matter whose is it as long as the person you’re planning to call won’t have this number saved on their phone. Download a voice-changing app on the phone. Some examples include Voice Changer for Android and Funny Call for iOS. Record a message on the app and change your voice. The more absurd it is, the funnier it will be. Play this message when your friend answers the call, then pretend to know nothing and keep a straight face when your friend asks you about it later on.

3. Convert Your TV Into a “Haunted Mirror”

This Halloween trick requires both tech and a little bit of DIY. You can even set up a hidden camera below the TV to capture that priceless moment when somebody sees a haunted figure looking up at them from the other side.

Grab a photo frame that will fit on top of your TV, then add a two-way mirror film. This will create a mirror-like appearance on the screen when the TV is turned off. Next, find a creepy stock image or footage. You can also create your own if you’re familiar with video editing. Load up the video on your TV. When someone checks themselves out in the “mirror”, hit “play” on the remote and marvel at their spooked reaction. Additionally, you can also find a compatible remote control app that will allow you to control your TV using your phone. It’ll be less suspicious to have your smartphone in your hand than the remote the entire time anyway.

4. Install a Jump Scare App on Your Phone

Remember that controversial ad for the movie The Nun? There’s a reason why netizens complained about it and why it was removed from YouTube, but it used the jump-scare strategy really well. Just imagine how the scare and shock factor multiplies when your perception of what you’re about to watch completely changes into something more sinister.

To create your very own jump-scare prank, all you need to do is download a jump-scare app on your smartphone. Some examples include Scare Your Friends for Android devices and Scary Prank for Apple devices. Watch with glee as a terrifying picture suddenly appears on the screen and scares the living daylights out of your friend.

5. Manufacture “Paranormal Activities” Around Your Smart Home

Make the most of your smart home on Halloween to execute some of your Halloween tricks ideas! If you have a smart light switch that allows you to control your lights using your phone, you can definitely create paranormal activities around without your friend knowing. Just imagine how funny it would be if the light suddenly goes haywire while your friend is in the room.

Additionally, you can essentially play tricks on your friend with just about every appliance or gadget you can control with your phone, such as speakers suddenly playing music out of nowhere. Combine those with the “haunted mirror” idea and you’ve essentially turned your home into a haunted house. You’re welcome.

6. Create a Ghost Drone

If you’ve got a drone, dress it up in a ghost’s costume to scare your friends. For maximum effect, fly the ghost drone at night when your friends least expect it.

Be creative in dressing up the drone, because there are so many ways to take this prank even further. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’d probably want to switch this up to a dementor instead of a ghost.

7. Have a Zombie Banging Down Your Door

If you’re REALLY into Halloween and have a little extra to spare on your budget, you can get this video panel for your door that gives the illusion that a zombie is approaching and banging down your door. The video panel already comes loaded with the high-definition video clip.

it also includes the prop door, which also comes with a prop hand. In the video, once the zombie nurse thrusts her hand with the syringe towards you, the prop hand will pop out of the door and spray you with the liquid inside the syringe.

8. Use a Sphero to Make Traveling Body Parts

If you’ve got a Sphero Mini, you can paint the little guy to look like an eyeball. Invite your friends over for a nice meal, and when the timing’s right, wheel the rolling eyeball to an unassuming guest. You can even control Sphero from the other room because it has a 10-meter Bluetooth range.

Another great idea if you’re crafty is to create a severed hand model. I think you already know the rest of it…yep, use the Sphero to make the head travel around and startle your friends when they least expect it.

9. DIY Ghost Hologram Halloween Pranks

For this prank, you’ll need a projector and some type of invisible screen or mesh to put over a doorway. Be sure to get the type of fabric that will create a balance between not being too visible and letting the projector project clearly on it. For the hologram itself, you can check out this video from Atmos FX, which has been created specifically for this purpose. They even offer different options depending on where you’re planning to project the clip.

You can either hook up your projector to your laptop or to a DVD player. Don’t forget to test your setup before actually pranking your friends because you might have to readjust the fabric and the position of the projector.

In this video, ZE shares a step-by-step guide on how to make a DIY ghost hologram for your window: 

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s definitely one of the best holidays to execute (and document) your funniest pranks of the year. We hope you got some ideas for Halloween pranks in this list. Remember, Halloween only comes once a year so it’s time to go big or go home!

How else are you planning to use tech for your Halloween pranks? Share your spooky ideas with us in the comments section below. 

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