Does typing #rắn or #ran make a snake appear on your screen? No – it’s a prank

ByCraig Haley

Does typing #rắn or #ran in the comments section of a Facebook post really reveal a digital snake slithering across a smartphone screen?

The answer is no, it doesn’t. It’s just a prank.

Facebook posts like the one below urge users to type #rắn and claim that by doing so a digital snake will appear on your screen. But not is all as it seems.

Type #ran and share the video and see the magic if the snake runs across your screen then u a 🐍 if it don’t you good u get 3 try’s👀

This is in fact a prank designed to attract Facebook engagement, namely comments. The more people that comment on the post, the more viral it goes, and this subsequently results in more followers for those that published the post.

To clarify, typing #rắn or #ran in the comments does nothing. Facebook has not released such a feature and it would have to be a feature released by Facebook for this to work.


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In reality, those who do post videos of a snake slithering on their screen have actually simply installed a mobile app – i.e. this Google Play app that allows users to create the effect and create a time delay.

It has nothing to do with typing anything into the comments of a Facebook post. Those who claim otherwise are just seeking social media attention by trying to trick you into commenting on their posts so they go viral.

The same applies to posts that claim typing various commands into the comments can result in other types of animals appearing on screen, including a mouse.

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