Welcome to the worst day on the internet! As Chaim Gartenberg pointed out years ago, brands and April Fools’ Day rarely mix well. If you’re a company with any kind of online presence in 2026, you truly only have four options on this day:
1. **Don’t do an April Fools’ joke.** Invest your resources in something that will benefit the world or your business rather than participating in this. Even doing nothing would be more beneficial than wasting time and resources.
2. **Do an April Fools’ “joke,” but actually follow through on your stunt.** This isn’t really a prank since you’ve created something real consumers can actually purchase, but it doesn’t harm anyone.
3. **Do an April Fools’ joke, but clearly indicate it’s a joke from the beginning.** This might defeat the purpose because you’re not fooling anyone anymore, but it aligns with my previous points.
4. **Lie to your customers by convincingly faking a product or service.** This will likely annoy people once they realize the truth, all for the small gain of pointless PR. The idea that there’s no bad publicity is often proven false.
If you notice something particularly notable for its good, bad, or unusual nature, let us know.
April Fools’ 2026 updates include:
– Connor Storrie’s mobile phone struggles are highlighted in a new Verizon short.
– Elgato releases a free, entertaining plugin today, but it’s not for any real jackpot winnings.
– Pokemon impersonate each other in a one-day event, and inflatable Sudowoodo tube men are available.
– New fictional products like a backpack for Macintosh and a holster for Newton are introduced.
– Pocketpair insists its dating sim spinoff is a real game with a “coming soon” promise.
– The New York Times shares a “Micro Crossword” and other themed puzzles as an April Fools’ treat.