The funniest thing to sign your friend up for is daily cat facts by text from Cat Facts Texts, because it takes 30 seconds with just their phone number, it keeps going, and they can end it any time by replying STOP. But it's not the only good option. Below are ten harmless ideas, ranked, with a mix of free and paid, digital and real-world.
The rule for everything on this list: your friend should end up laughing, not worried, not out of pocket, and not on anyone's mailing list.
What are the funniest things to sign your friends up for?
1. Daily cat facts by text (paid or free, digital)
The classic, and the reason this whole genre exists. It traces back to a 2012 Reddit post, and it still works because the joke is repetition. Your friend gets a welcome text, then real facts start showing up:
Isaac Newton is credited with inventing the cat door.
A domestic cat can outrun Usain Bolt.
Plans start at $2.99 a month for 1 fact a day and go up to $40.50 a month for 15 a day (every option is on the pricing page). There's also a free version: 3 facts, one a day, then it stops on its own. Details in how the free cat facts prank works.
Why it's number one: the texts come from the Cat Facts number, not yours, and we never reveal who signed them up. So you get to play dumb while they interrogate the group chat.
2. A fan club newsletter for something absurd (free, digital)
Start "The Official Fan Club of [Friend]'s Car" (or their houseplant, or their famous chili). Write a short weekly update yourself, by text or email, with "member news" and a "photo of the week." Recruit two friends as members. It's personal, and it ends the moment they say "okay, enough."
3. A trivia night team with a ridiculous name (free, real-world)
Sign your group up for a local trivia night under a team name in their honor, like "Marcus Is Our Captain (He Doesn't Know Yet)," and let the host read it out every round. Keep it affectionate, never a roast they'd hate hearing over a microphone.
4. A symbolic animal adoption in their name (paid, real-world)
Lots of zoos and wildlife charities let you "adopt" an animal in someone's name. Pick the least dignified animal on the list. Tell them their sloth is doing well.
5. A class they would never pick (paid, real-world)
Book two spots in a line dancing, pottery, or beginner tap class and tell them only the date and "wear comfy shoes." Paying for both of you is the key. It's not a prank if they're stuck with the bill.
6. A radio song dedication (free, real-world)
Call or message a local station that takes requests and dedicate something wildly dramatic to them "for no reason at all." Then text them "turn on the radio" and nothing else.
7. A costume fun run as a team (paid, real-world)
Ask them to save a Saturday, register the two of you for a local charity fun run, then reveal the matching costumes. You cover both entry fees. A team name on the results list lives forever.
8. A membership card to a club that doesn't exist (free, real-world)
Print a laminated card welcoming them to "The Society of People Who Say 'Literally' Too Much," with a member number and a list of member benefits (there are none). Mail it, or hand it over at a very formal induction ceremony.
9. A tree planted in their name (paid, real-world)
Plenty of tree-planting charities will plant one in a friend's name. Send them the certificate with a note: "I've named it after you. It's already more mature." Wholesome with a sting.
10. A shared playlist dedicated to them (free, digital)
Make a playlist called "Songs About [Name]," add them as a collaborator, and fill it with songs containing their name, then songs that kind of rhyme with it, then songs with no connection at all.
What should you NOT sign someone up for?
This is where most "sign them up" pranks go wrong. Skip all of these:
- Spam lists and mailing lists. Junk email and marketing texts stop being funny fast and are hard to undo.
- Anything that costs them money. No free trials that bill their card later, no cash-on-delivery orders, no paid services in their name. You pay, always.
- Anything that needs their personal data. Don't hand out their address, birthday, email, or accounts to sign them up for contests, sites, or services. A phone number for a service with a clear opt-out is the limit.
- Fake official messages. Nothing that pretends to be a bank, a delivery company, the police, a school, or their boss. That's not a prank, it's how scams work.
- Dating sites, political lists, or anything embarrassing in public. If it could follow them to a job interview, don't.
- Anyone who has asked you to stop, or a minor's phone without their parents' okay.
Quick test: if the joke only works because they're confused, scared, or paying for it, choose something else. More on this in what makes a prank subscription legit.
How do I sign my friend up for cat facts?
- Go to catfactstexts.com and enter their phone number.
- Pick how many facts a day.
- Pay with PayPal, Venmo, card, or Apple Pay. No app or account needed by anyone.
Texts only arrive between 9 AM and 9 PM in their time zone. Sign up during the day and the first text lands within seconds. For their birthday, $0.99 lets you schedule the first text for a specific day and hour, up to 7 days ahead.
The honest part: your friend can reply STOP at any time, the texts end right away, and it costs them nothing. STOP doesn't cancel your billing, though. Paid plans renew monthly until you cancel on the unsubscribe page (or in PayPal if you paid that way). A month paid with Apple Pay doesn't renew on its own.
Which idea should I pick?
- Zero effort, keeps going? Cat facts.
- Personal? The fan club newsletter or the playlist.
- Doubles as a gift? The animal adoption or the tree.
Or stack them. A friend who gets a sloth certificate and then cat facts will have questions. For more two-person ideas, see pranks to play on your best friend.
Ready to sign your friend up?
Enter their number at catfactstexts.com, pick a plan, and act completely normal.