How to rickroll someone on April Fools Day in class
Executive summary
Rickrolling — bait-and-switching someone into watching Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” — remains a widely known, usually harmless prank and has been used creatively in QR codes, public displays and online posts for April Fools’ Day [1] [2]. Guides and examples for classroom-style pranks exist (QR codes, shortened links, flash-drive tricks), but some tactics cross ethical or legal lines [3] [4].
1. What “rickrolling” is and why it still works
Rickrolling is an internet bait-and-switch: you disguise a link or prompt and the target ends up watching the 1987 Rick Astley video instead of the expected content; it became mainstream in 2008 when YouTube redirected users to the video for April Fools’, and the meme still appears in public stunts and political social posts as late as 2025 [1] [5]. Commentators note the prank’s longevity comes from nostalgia, surprise, and its adaptability to new formats like QR codes and cakes [5] [6].
2. Popular, low‑risk classroom methods reported in coverage
Recent coverage highlights QR-code rickrolls as a clean, quick way to surprise people: generate a QR code pointing to the YouTube video and place it on a printed handout or projector slide; scanning redirects to the song and is easily reversible [2] [7]. WikiHow and similar explainer pages list URL shorteners, hidden email links or QR codes as simple techniques to bait someone online without altering devices [4].
3. Riskier methods and why journalists flag them
Some prank instructions involve modifying another person’s device (for example, copying files to startup folders via a flash drive so music or wallpaper appears on login). Those approaches are older but still circulated — they can interfere with personal devices and may be illegal or violate school policies [3]. News commentary emphasizes that a good prank should make everyone laugh, including the target, implying techniques that cause distress or damage are discouraged [5].
4. School policy, consent and probable consequences
Available sources document institutional rickrolls (YouTube’s official April Fools’, legislative and committee social posts) being treated as lighthearted — but they also show that officials and organizations sometimes face criticism when jokes touch on sensitive topics [1] [5]. In a classroom, teachers, school IT departments, or administrators could view device tampering or disruption as misconduct; sources do not list specific school punishments, so available sources do not mention exact disciplinary outcomes for in-class rickrolling.
5. Creative, safe variations with examples from reporting
Coverage points to public, noninvasive variations that preserve the joke without risking policy violations: printable or projected QR codes, embedding the link in a benign-looking slide or handout, or including a small easter-egg on a shared document [7] [2]. These keep the prank reversible and allow the target to laugh along — News18’s explainer praises harmless, creative pranks that don’t single out or harm people [6].
6. Ethical considerations and “the golden rule” for pranks
Reporting advises that a “good prank makes everyone laugh, including the person being pranked”; one cited example shows a government-linked rickroll prompting debate about appropriateness when jokes intersect with public trust and sensitive content [5] [1]. If your prank leverages official channels or misleads about serious matters (e.g., pretending to release sensitive files), coverage shows critics will treat it differently than a classroom joke [5] [1].
7. Practical checklist before you attempt anything in class
Based on the sources’ recommended approaches and warnings: [8] keep it reversible and non-destructive (use QR codes or link redirection) [2] [7]; [9] avoid modifying other people’s devices or files (reporting flags flash-drive startup tricks as intrusive) [3]; [10] don’t impersonate administrators or misuse official channels (coverage shows institutional rickrolls prompt scrutiny) [1] [5]; [11] consider how the target will feel — the “golden rule” applies [5].
8. Bottom line for April Fools in class
If you want to rickroll classmates, opt for low‑impact methods documented in recent reporting — QR codes, disguised links, or a surprise slide — and avoid tactics that alter devices or mimic official communications [2] [4] [3]. These approaches preserve the joke’s spirit while minimizing ethical, disciplinary, or technical fallout [6].