Today is April Fool’s Day! To celebrate this occasion filled with light-hearted pranks, clever hoaxes, and playful jokes, we’ve decided to step away from the usual discussions about important software updates and urgent security alerts and have some fun!
In this post, we’ll dive into some of the most entertaining and creative April Fool’s pranks pulled on us by popular tech companies over the past two decades. Let’s get started!
While we enjoy this playful break, don’t forget to stay tuned for important updates throughout the year. Regularly check out the News section of our website!
1. The never-disappointing Google April’s Fool pranks
Google's April Fools' pranks are always eagerly awaited, showcasing the company's creativity and subtle sense of humour. Some memorable pranks include:
· Gmail Paper (2007): The service was promoted with a well-crafted website and promotional video. It promised to print emails on paper and deliver them to your home via traditional postal service as a "green" alternative for reducing carbon footprint.
· Gmail Tap (2012): Google rolled out a fictional typing method known as Gmail Tap, which uses only two buttons—dot and dash—adding a humorous twist referencing Morse code.
· Google Nose (2013): One of their most famous pranks was Google Nose, a fictitious site service that claimed to allow users to search for scents online. The prank’s attention to detail and creativity earned it the top spot on many April Fool’s lists.
· Google Maps: Pac-Man (2015): Google transformed its popular map service into a playable Pac-Man game, allowing users to play the classic arcade game anywhere in the world, making street corners and landmarks their gaming arena.
· Google’s Screen Cleaner (2019): This fictitious Android feature claimed to clean phone screens from physical dirt and stains with a haptic micro-movement generator. The phone then vibrated to build a non-stick shield and would leave a “fresh pineapple scent” after cleaning.
2. Microsoft clever pranks on April Fool’s
· The Office “Web-based” Frisbee (2010): Microsoft introduced a fictional web-based Frisbee product. The concept was utterly ridiculous, and the humour came from the absurdity of transforming a physical object into a complicated software solution. The accompanying marketing video showcased silly use cases that sparked laughter and disbelief.
· The Translator for Cats (2015): This playful prank unveiled an app that supposedly translated cat language into human speech. Infographics featuring amusing statistics and charts highlighted the often-baffling behaviour of our feline companions.
· ‘Ctrl+Alt+Delete’ Reboot (2016): In a funny yet sentimental tribute to computer enthusiasts, Microsoft poked fun at the famous keyboard shortcut for restarting computers. The new feature, "Ctrl+Alt+Delete Remastered," had to improve the reboot process. The update was primarily meant to invoke a sense of light-hearted nostalgia.
3. YouTube’s history of creative pranks
· Contest for the best video (2013): YouTube announced in a video that the site represented an elaborate contest to decide the best video of all time. Online celebrities and YouTube executives explained that the site would close at midnight for judging to begin and would reopen in 2023 to reveal the winner. The prank was almost believable due to the serious tone, but the date gave it away.
· Giant Button (2015): The platform introduced a giant red button for users to “dislike” videos with one push. A custom page was set up inviting people to visit the "Giant Dislike Button.” The concept was amusing and interactive, highlighting the absurdity of technological desires in modern content consumption.
4. Slack for Cats (2018):
The team communication service, Slack humorously introduced "Slack for Cats," featuring a faux ad for a version of its service tailored for cats, complete with a feline-friendly interface and private pet channels.
5. Facebook’s ‘Poke Your Friends’ 2.0 (2016):
Facebook revived the nostalgic 'poke' feature with "Poke Your Friends 2.0," offering an API for developers to create personalised poke experiences. The playful detailed announcement added more fun to what was initially a pointless feature on the platform.
6. Amazon’s April Fools’ pranks
· Dash Buttons for Pets (2015): These fictional buttons allowed pets to order their favourite treats with a simple push, making the idea of pets ordering their treats too funny to ignore.
· Petlexa (2020): Amazon introduced "Petlexa," a fictional assistant for pets that featured a "bark (or meow) to speech" function and a "paw-sitive reinforcement" mode for obedience.
7. Bing’s Truth Detector (2020):
Microsoft search engine’s April Fool’s prank showcased an advanced "Truth Detector" capability that claimed to verify search results for authenticity, promising users a "truthful" exploration of news rather than fake information.
8. PayPal Print Money Feature (2018):
A company tweet claimed a new feature allowing customers to print money directly from their phones using the PayPal app. Unsurprisingly, the tweet went viral and helped PayPal attract more customers.
9. Duolingo Push (2019):
Duolingo humorously introduced the Push Notification, where the Duolingo Owl would notify users about practice sessions in various modes—encouraging, disappointed, or passive-aggressive. The announcement hinted that neglecting practice could lead to a “menacing” visit from the owl.
10. Spotify’s Discover Weekly (2019):
The famous music streaming platform, Spotify pulled a funny prank by filling users’ Discover Weekly playlists with disco covers of non-disco songs, cleverly labelled “Your Discocover Weekly.” The remarkable bit was that many of the cover songs matched the originals each listener liked.
We’re excited to see this year’s clever and creative pranks! Who knows — perhaps we’ll update the list next year with even more memorable light-hearted pranks from the tech world.
On a different note, it may sound like an April Fool’s joke, but DCD-IT offers free consultations for software solutions. You can schedule a meeting with us to verify that it's true!