Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria. They are the most abundant and diverse organisms on Earth, found in both the natural environment and the human body. Although some phages can effectively kill bacteria, others form partnerships as prophages, acting like internal puppet masters that can alter the biology of their bacterial hosts. These natural predators have been in a perpetual evolutionary dance with their bacterial hosts for millions of years and their actions underlie the fundamental biology of our planet. Although phages and their therapeutic potential were discovered over 100 years ago, societal awareness of their existence is low. Only recently has wider interest been sparked by the rising crisis of antimicrobial resistance and renewed evidence in support of phages as alternative antimicrobials. As such, there is need to manage public expectations about the benefits and challenges of phage therapy. We have developed a series of interactive and immersive activities to promote learning about the different ways that phages and bacteria interact. Our latest “What the Phage” activity invites participants to create their own virtual phage and test it against bacterial targets within minutes in augmented reality. They can also embark on a virtual phage hunt, collecting digital versions of real phages. Each phage in the collection represents a key benefit or challenge of phage therapy and demonstrates how phages have revolutionised our understanding of biology. These prototype activities have been trialled by 9–18-year-olds at the British Science Festival (2025) and Cheltenham Science Festival (2026).