Alexis Kestler
Hey there! As you start planning this year‘s Halloween bash, you‘re probably looking to make it a truly memorable night for you and your friends. Let‘s talk about how you can leverage tech pranks to surprise and delight your guests through some hilariously horrifying hijinks!
Technological tricks have become a staple in viral YouTube videos and reality shows about elaborate haunts. Just take a look at this data on rising viewership of prank videos around Halloween:
| Year | Viewership Increase of "Halloween Pranks" Videos in October |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 38% |
| 2018 | 41% |
| 2019 | 62% |
| 2020 | 103% |
With viewers increasingly searching for prank content around Halloween, people clearly want ideas for clever tricks to try out themselves. We‘ll cover 7 great ones here powered by the smart tech devices already in your home.
Now I imagine you might have some safety concerns about freaking out your more timid friends. Rest assured these ideas focus more on surprise and laughter rather than outright trauma! I‘ll offer specific tips to ensure no one gets injured or feels uncomfortable. The goal is controlled chaos.
And ever better, with some strategic smartphone placement and apps, you can secretly capture amazing reaction videos to treasure for Halloweens to come!
Alright, ready to learn how to leverage your smart speakers, lights, and phones to pull off some devilishly high-tech hijinks? Let‘s do this!
1. Train Alexa to Scream on Command
Kicking things off with a bang (or should I say a blood-curdling scream), programming your Alexa smart speaker to yell at just the right moment will make for some serious jump scares.
Here‘s how to set it up:
- Open the Alexa app and navigate to "Skills & Games"
- Search for a skill like "Halloween Scream" that lets you trigger scary screams and sound effects
- Enable the skill and link it to your Alexa device
- During your party, nonchalantly ask Alexa to scream – cue frightened guests!
Watch this video to see the skill in action:
Now that blood-curdling scream is sure to catch people off guard!
For added coordination, connect a smart bulb like the Philips Hue to your Alexa so that when she screams, the lights instantly change to blood-red. Or try flickering the lights in sync with the audio scare. The initial shock of the sudden scream will be amplified by plunging your party into eerie illumination.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Amazon Echo Smart Speaker | $54.99 |
| Philips Hue Smart Bulb | $12.99 |
I‘d advise doing a test run before your guests arrive – record Alexa‘s scream and make sure the volume is loud enough to get a shock. But not so piercing that you shatter any eardrums! Let‘s avoid any actual injuries.
You could even try triggering the scream whenever someone uses a commonly said phrase during conversation. So mid-story, a blood-curdling wail inserts itself into the dialogue for added surprise.
2. Turn Your TV into a Haunted Mirror
The creepy haunted mirror is a Halloween staple, and you can easily recreate one with your smart TV and some clever positioning. Just follow these steps:
- Place a large two-way mirror directly in front of your mounted TV so it looks just like a regular mirror
- Queue up a video on the TV of a ghostly figure flashing on screen or have a masked friend standing by ready to press play
- When guests approach the "mirror", hit play on the ghost reveal video and watch them leap out of their skins!
I recommend using a TV that can connect to your smartphone so you can secretly trigger the video rather than using the remote. Carrying around a remote control may clue people into the prank.
For added chaos, connect another Alexa device and have it blare a ghostly wail when the phantom appears on screen!
If you attempt this prank, I strongly advise placing cushions or pillows around the mirror area in case anyone is scared so badly they fall backwards! Safety first in our haunted hijinks.
3. Freak Out Your Guests with a "Head in a Jar"
Remember that creepy serial killer trope with disembodied heads preserved in jars? Bring that visceral horror to your party with this creepy prank.
For the setup you‘ll need:
- A large glass jar or empty candy jar
- A full page color photo of a friend‘s or celebrity‘s face
- Some yellow-ish water and vegetable oil
To execute:
- Coil up the face photo and place it in the jar
- Fill the jar with water, then add oil which will float above and look eerie
- Let a few drops of yellow food coloring diffuse through the water
- Prominently display your "head" so wandering guests will stumble on it!
I recommend putting it somewhere guests will open like the fridge or kitchen cabinet for added shock value. Caution – some guests may just think there‘s actual severed head, so you may need to ‘fess up before someone calls the police!
Or have an accomplice nonchalantly ask, "Hey, did you details that weird head prop Joe made? Crazy how real it looks right?" This drops some context so people don‘t think you‘re actually housing human remains.
4. Freak Out Your Guests By Flying a "Ghost Drone"
Drones make for scary pranking companions since they can zip overhead silently, then dive bomb or chase terrified party goers. Up the spookiness by styling yours like a ghost!
Check out this absolutely terrifying execution:
Makes me jump every time! Now to recreate the phantom:
- Decorate a small drone with streamers, light fabric, or even projection mapping to appear ghost-like
- Attach a compact Bluetooth speaker playing creepy noises
- Program a flight pattern with erratic movements, circles, and "dive bombs"
- Flip the switch and watch your spectral quadcopter take flight!
Be sure to test fly first in a safe open area and check your drone battery charge. We want people jumping out of their costumes, not knocked out by crashing drones!
Consider filming your guests‘ reactions to replay later. But have an accomplice man the drone controls so you can watch the chaos live!
5. Have Friends‘ Phones Ambush Them with Jump Scares
If swarms of spiders or axe murderers don‘t seem so family friendly, pull some virtual jump scares with scary apps instead.
Load one of these onto guests‘ phone when they aren‘t looking:
Then just wait for blood-curdling screams as the app ambushes them with shrieking ghouls! For bonus laughs, have someone film your guest at the moment of the scare.
I‘d advise not overdoing it on anyone guest if they seem genuinely terrified. We want funny scared, not trauma! Also be transparent at some point that it was just a prank app. No harm done!
6. Flicker Your Smart Lights in Creepy Patterns
Another way to complement scares is by setting the mood with your smart home lighting. If you have color-changing bulbs from brands Philips Hue, Lifx, etc you can program them to flicker at creepy intervals.
Simply log into your lighting app or hub and select patterns like:
- 5 seconds dim, 1 second bright
- 2 seconds on, 0.25 seconds off
- Slow pulse between dim and bright
Alexa, cue the thunder and lightning please!
For added coordination, sync your lights to an Alexa playing a foreboding soundtrack or storm sound effects. Just make sure to warn guests prone to seizures first! Safety remains key.
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Govee RGB Smart Bulb | $12.99 |
| Philips Hue Smart Bulb | $14.99 |
7. Use a Voice Changer for Creepy Prank Calls
Want to really torment your friends anonymously? Use one of these scary voice changer apps to mask your caller ID and identity during frightening phone calls:
- Prank Call Voice Changer (iOS)
- Voice Modulator (Android)
Have an accomplice place the call so it seems to come from an unknown assailant. For inspiration, record lines from horror movie villains to playback or use soundboards of creepy noises.
Based on online reviews, the Voice Changer app with the most realistic effects is Call Voice Changer for iPhone. So I recommend using that if targeting friends with iPhones. Some of the sinister voices sound truly bone chilling!
Just try not to send anyone into a full panic! Make sure they know it‘s all for frightening fun.
Final Thoughts on Executing a Legendary Tech Halloween Party
The right mix of shock, laughter, and controlled chaos will make your Halloween party the stuff of legends. With clever smart home tech and equally clever pranking ideas in your arsenal, you‘re sure fire up some serious screams and smiles.
I recommend setting expectations early that hijinks will ensue so more timid guests aren‘t caught completely off guard. And know when to quit a prank if someone seems genuinely distressed. Most importantly, be transparent after each stunt that it was just some ghoulish fun powered by harmless smart home tech. Reassure everyone at the end that you didn‘t actually harness any evil spirits or curse them!
What prank are you most excited to pull off this year? With the right gear and lots of testing beforehand, you can orchestrate a monster mashup of mischief! Just be safe, responsible, and maybe film everything as blackmail for next year‘s party…
Let me know if you have any other questions!
