Free ยท no sign-up
Hide a rick roll link in the local news.
Write a boring headline and pick a boring photo. We put them on a local TV news story so dull that nobody thinks twice before tapping it. Rick takes it from there.
- Looks like a news link
- Your headline in the preview
- QR code included
Your link is ready
Roughly how the preview looks. Each app draws it a little differently.
Want to test it? Open it in a private window, not the chat you'll send it in, or the preview will spoil it.
How it works
Three steps. One Rick.
- 01
Write a dull headline
"Water main repair closes part of Elm Street." Nobody suspects Elm Street.
- 02
Send the link
Slack, Teams, Discord, the family group chat. The preview shows your headline, your photo and Tri-County News 9. It looks exactly like something your uncle would share.
- 03
They tap. Rick plays.
Any tap opens Rick. If they only scroll, he turns up after five seconds anyway, because Rick has never once given up. When they come back, the page invites them to get you back.
Why a fake news station?
The old tricks are worn out. People can recite the YouTube ID from memory and hover over every shortened link like it owes them money. A domain with "rick" in the name isn't fooling anyone either.
Nobody gets suspicious of local news. Tri-County News 9 has a weather widget, a trending bar, an ad slot nobody bought and a video player, like every station site in the country. The link reads /2026/11/09/water-main-repair-closes-elm-street. Nobody in history has hovered over that.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How does a disguised rick roll link work?
You write a headline and pick a photo. We give you a link on Tri-County News 9, a local TV news site we made up. It opens on a dull news story with a video player. Their first tap anywhere opens Rick on YouTube (on phones, usually in the YouTube app), and the news page turns into a "you got rickrolled" screen for when they come back. If they only scroll, Rick turns up after five seconds anyway.
What does the link preview look like in Slack, Teams, Discord or iMessage?
Your headline, your photo and "Tri-County News 9", the same as any real news link. Nothing in the preview or the address mentions Rick.
What's the original rick roll link?
It's youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ, Rick Astley's official video, and it works as well as ever. That's the trouble with it. Too many people know dQw4w9WgXcQ by heart, and a bit.ly link gets the side-eye in any office that has sat through a security training video. A local story about a road closure gets clicked.
Does it play with sound?
Almost always. Rick plays on YouTube itself (on phones, usually the YouTube app), which is where autoplay with sound works best. If the app they're in won't open a new tab, Rick plays right in the news story instead.
Will it get caught by Microsoft Teams or Outlook link scanning?
Safe Links and similar scanners open the page and find what's really there: a plain news-style page with a YouTube video. Nothing is hidden from them, and there's nothing to flag.
Can I make a rickroll QR code?
Yes. Every link comes with a QR code, and the QR flyer maker puts it on a printable flyer: free Wi-Fi, a lost cat, free pizza in the break room. Nobody walks past free pizza.
Is it free? Do I need an account?
It's free and there's no account. Make as many links as you like (well, up to 20 a minute).
Is Tri-County News 9 a real station?
No. We made it up, right down to the "since 1971" in its footer. Any resemblance to a real station is a coincidence, and the bottom of every story page says it's a prank.
Can I delete a link?
Links don't expire. To take one down, send it to us and we'll remove it.