What is TikTok’s viral ‘The Photo’ trend?

Georgina Smith
Hand holding a phone next to the TikTok logo

TikTokers are going viral with their recreations of ‘The Photo’ trend, where they show a clip of their current state compared to the best photo of them that they have.

Frequent users of TikTok will know that just about every week there’s a new trend that sweeps the platform and has thousands of users participating with their own videos.

Popular trends have included the ‘Emotional Damage’ sound, Doe Eyes vs Siren Eyes, and the Pen in Cup challenge, but that’s not even scratching the surface of how many viral trends there are on the platform.

One that is seeing a resurgence in popularity after emerging in the latter half of 2021, is ‘The Photo’ trend.

While its name doesn’t give much away, the challenge involves users showing off their favorite pictures of themselves. Someone’s ‘The Photo’ refers to a sole image of them that they love, although some people end up selecting multiple.

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Many videos of the trend show the participant filming themselves in their ‘normal’ state, and then switching to their photo to show the difference.

Often, people will use the edited version of Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd’s ‘Lost in the Fire’ which has become a popular sound on the app.

‘The Photo’ can be anything from a mirror selfie, to a candid shot taken by a friend, or even a makeup transformation.

It’s giving everyone the perfect excuse to show off the best pictures of themselves that they’ve been dying to share. And as always, some users are putting a twist on the trend by actually revealing some slightly less flattering photos.

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Although this trend isn’t brand new, it has certainly picked up traction throughout January, and now more people than ever are garnering millions of views for participating.

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About The Author

Georgina was formerly an entertainment writer for Dexerto. She covered all aspects of influencer culture on TikTok and more, including creators such as Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae. She also wrote about hit reality shows such as Love Island and Below Deck.