The best long-running prank to play on your best friend is signing them up for daily cat facts by text with Cat Facts Texts: it takes 30 seconds with just their number, the texts come from the Cat Facts number instead of yours, and they can end it any time by replying STOP. Below are a dozen more harmless best friend pranks, some in person and some you can pull off entirely from your phone.
Your best friend is the one person you can prank properly, because you know exactly what will make them laugh. That's also why the line matters. The goal is a story you both tell for years, not a fight.
What's the best long-running prank for a best friend?
Cat facts, because it doesn't end after one laugh. You enter their number, pick how many facts a day, and they get a welcome text followed by real, slightly ridiculous facts:
A group of cats is called a clowder.
Cats can produce nearly a hundred different sounds. Dogs manage about ten.
The texts come from the Cat Facts number, not yours, and we never reveal who signed them up. So when they text you "did you do this??" you get to say "do what?" with a straight face.
Plans start at $2.99 a month for 1 fact a day, up to $40.50 a month for 15 a day (see all plans). Want to test the waters? The free option sends 3 facts, one a day, then stops on its own.
Two timing notes. Texts only arrive between 9 AM and 9 PM in their time zone, so nobody gets a fact at midnight. And for $0.99 you can schedule the first fact for a specific day and hour, up to 7 days ahead. Starting it on their birthday morning is a strong move.
What pranks can you do from your phone?
These are the best friend pranks over text. No props, no planning, just your thumbs.
- The one-word story. Tell them about your extremely boring morning one word per text. "So." "I." "Went." "To." "The." Make the ending as anticlimactic as possible.
- The "is this you?" series. Once a day, send a photo of a random cat with no context except "is this you?" Never explain. Bonus if you start the same week their cat facts do.
- The nature documentary voice memo. Send a voice note narrating their morning like a wildlife film. "Here we observe the best friend, emerging from its den, in search of iced coffee."
- Escalating formality. Make each text more formal than the last until you're signing off with "Warmest regards, your associate."
- The group chat rename. Rename the friend group chat in their honor every day for a week. "Sam's Birthday Committee" in July is a nice touch.
- One-emoji day. Answer everything they send with the same single emoji, all day, no matter what. The duck emoji is a strong choice.
More ideas in funny texts to send your friends and group chat pranks.
What are some funny in-person pranks to do on your BFF?
- Your face, everywhere. Swap the photos in their frames for pictures of you. Print a few at home. Wait for them to notice the last one.
- The regift. Wrap something they already own, like their favorite mug, and hand it over as a "just because" present. Watch the confusion turn into outrage.
- The slow move. Move one object in their room an inch a day. A lamp works well. It takes a week to notice and about two seconds to figure out it was you.
- The airport welcome. Pick them up from anywhere (the train, the gym, their own front door) holding a big printed sign with their name on it, like a chauffeur at arrivals. Bonus points for a balloon.
- Movie quotes only. Spend a full hangout answering only in movie quotes. It's harder than it sounds, and funnier the more they play along.
- The portrait from memory. Draw them from memory, badly, put it in a nice frame, and present it with total sincerity. Insist it goes on the wall.
How do I prank my best friend without being mean?
Good BFF pranks have a few things in common:
- They're about something affectionate. Their car, their coffee order, their obsession with a show. Not their insecurities.
- They cost your friend nothing. You pay for anything that costs money.
- They have an easy off switch. Every cat facts message lets them reply STOP, the texts end right away, and it costs them nothing.
- They never feel scary. No fake emergencies, no texts pretending to be a bank, a delivery company, or the police, nothing involving food allergies or real danger.
- They stop when asked. If your friend says "okay, I'm done," you're done.
One honest note for you as the buyer: STOP ends the texts but doesn't cancel billing. Paid plans renew monthly until you cancel on the unsubscribe page (or in PayPal if you paid there). A month paid with Apple Pay doesn't renew on its own.
Will my best friend know it was me?
Not from the texts. We never tell them who signed them up. But best friends are suspicious by nature, so you'll probably be suspect number one. If they figure it out, they may come for revenge, which is where harmless revenge pranks come in.
Some people confess after a day. Some hold out for a month. "I would never" works surprisingly well when you say it while laughing.
Which best friend prank should I start with?
- Long-distance best friend? Cat facts and the phone pranks above. They work from anywhere.
- Same city? The regift or the frame swap.
- Their birthday is coming? Schedule cat facts to start that morning, then hand them a real present.
For a bigger list of things to sign them up for, see funny things to sign your friends up for.
Ready to prank your best friend?
Enter their number at catfactstexts.com, pick how many facts a day, and wait for the "WHO DID THIS" text.