I love magic tricks. When I was ten years old, I went through that obligatory magic phase that many kids go through. I read all the magic books at the library, practiced palming coins, and even had one of those cool fake thumbs so I could make napkins disappear.
Here I am twenty years later, and while my passion for magic isn’t as intense as it was in my younger years, I still enjoy performing magic tricks for people. They’re a great way to cement your place as “The Coolest Uncle to Ever Live,” break the ice at a party, or kill time while waiting with friends for a delayed flight at the airport.
Magic tricks have come a long way since the days of the plastic guillotine that seemingly severed your finger. Now with the wonder of iPhone apps, you can be a magician without having to lug around a deck of Svengali cards. Below I highlight four fantastically wondrous and mystifying iPhone magic apps that will turn you into a 21st century Houdini.
You’d think that adding in the tech element would make people more wary and harder to impress, but these tricks still truly elicit that fun “Hey! How did you do that? response.
Presto!
iForceiForce allows you to read people’s minds and predict the future. First, you ask somebody to think of a number, a food, a symbol, etc. While you focus in on their eyes, you doodle the answer on your iPhone. When you’re done, you place the phone face down on the table and then ask the person to whisper their answer in your ear (lest they think the phone’s microphone is picking up their answer). Now flip the phone over, show the person that written upon the phone is the correct answer, and watch their jaw drop in awe. How do you do it? Magic of course.
iForce is disguised as a simple doodle app, so your spectators can examine it to try to find your secrets.
$2.99
$2.99
Magic Eye
“Pick a card, any card!” Guessing which card a person has picked is a standard magic trick that every beginner magician knows. Now you can do it anywhere with the Magic Eye App. Your spectator swipes through a deck of 52 cards on your phone and picks one. Then they flip the card over so you can’t see it. You place your hand over the iPhone and gaze into the spectator’s eyes while you call off card names. You’re looking for “subtle shifts in their eyes,” you say. When you call off the correct card, you lift your hand to reveal their card on the phone.
“Pick a card, any card!” Guessing which card a person has picked is a standard magic trick that every beginner magician knows. Now you can do it anywhere with the Magic Eye App. Your spectator swipes through a deck of 52 cards on your phone and picks one. Then they flip the card over so you can’t see it. You place your hand over the iPhone and gaze into the spectator’s eyes while you call off card names. You’re looking for “subtle shifts in their eyes,” you say. When you call off the correct card, you lift your hand to reveal their card on the phone.
$3.99
The Rising Card app is somewhat similar to the Magic Eye app in that you’re guessing which card your spectator is thinking of. The difference is the presentation. The Rising Card Magic Trick app displays a hand holding a deck of cards. Shake the iPhone and the card the person was thinking of magically rises from the deck.
$2.99
Read More From Brett McKay
Founded in January 2008, The Art of Manliness is a blog focused on reviving the lost art of manliness.
With over 7 million monthly page views, The Art of Manliness represents a new kind of magazine for
men, one that focuses on helping men become better citizens, fathers, husbands, friends, and simply
all around better men. Husband and wife team, Brett and Kate McKay head up the blog. They live in
Tulsa, OK.
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