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What Is The 'Buffer Video' On TikTok And How Does It Work? The Video Of A Red-Headed Kid That Makes TikTok Crash Explained
There's a viral video spreading on TikTok right now called the "Buffer Video," and it supposedly crashes the TikTok app if a user watches it.
The clip shows a red-headed boy wearing headphones and looking at his computer screen in a dark room. He reaches for his webcam, and the video cuts to a stretched selfie of his face. Then, the video buffers and automatically closes the TikTok app.
Many have recorded the phenomenon in viral videos this week as it's garnered attention online.
A lot of people have no idea how the "Buffer Video" works. So, let's explain what's going on and where it came from.
Where Did The 'TikTok Buffer Video' Come From?
Unfortunately, the original source of the "Buffer Video" is unconfirmed. However, research points to an account called rambletrick, which shared the video as early as July 11th, 2025, per a recording of someone watching the account's video shared by TikToker @a40hater.
The original rambletrick video is not on TikTok anymore, though. The algorithm seems to be scared of its effective power and is banning a lot of the users posting it.
@a40hater #tori🏳️🌈 #tori🌈 #viral #fyp ♬ MELODIA DAÉDRICO (Slowed) – dearukia & SEKIMANE & Scythermane & NXGHT!
A current repost of the video that still crashes the TikTok app was shared by a TikToker named @bobnz38 on October 6th. The video is so glitchy that it doesn't even play on Know Your Meme, or when embedded on any other site.
If you're curious to see it, you can watch the video here, but beware.
@bobnz38 the buffer overflow vid safe version re-upload #xybca #foryou #bug #capcut #foryoupage ♬ original sound – 真我12 pro+ hype🇵🇭
Who Is The Kid In The 'TikTok Buffer Video'?
The red-headed boy in the original video is also unknown as of writing. However, an account called @rambletrick3, which might be the same account referenced in the section above, has shared several videos and photos of the kid in the past few days. It could be his account, although it's unconfirmed.
One of the photos shared by the account shows the boy holding up the "Buffer Video" on an iPhone.
There's another image seemingly of the "Buffer Video" kid that's been making the rounds on social media this year as a reaction image. It shows him smirking at his webcam with his hair combed down. He's also wearing a white tank top.
Some on TikTok have started calling him "Cipek Sebastian." It's unconfirmed if that's his real name or not.
How Does The 'TikTok Buffer Video' Work?
There are a lot of reasons why the "Buffer Video" could be crashing the TikTok app, but it's ultimately unconfirmed which method the original uploader used.
However, the most likely answer for why the "Buffer Video" crashes TikTok has to do with the evident change in shape and resolution between its two main clips.
The first clip, of the red-headed kid at the computer, is square-cropped and appears low-quality. Meanwhile, the second clip, showing a stretched image of the kid's face, appears to be of a much higher quality and is obviously seen in a longer, taller crop.
Coders know that a sudden change in resolution and size in a video file can cause an "overflow buffer." Essentially, when a video switches from a low-quality resolution to a high-quality resolution, the jump in bitrate of each clip can overload a video player and cause it to crash.
Academic journals on computing have even explored this phenomenon in recent years.
Although that's the most likely reason for the "Buffer Video" glitch, the investigation can not be complete without examining the original video's file frame by frame.
It's also of note that a video of a "Spinning Bread" resulted in a similar TikTok glitch back in 2023.
@bluegiftbag69420
What Are Some More 'TikTok Buffer Video' Memes?
As the "Buffer Video" is gaining infamy online, some nifty internet users have been exploiting the public's interest by turning the original video into a bait-and-switch prank.
When was the last time a "Rickroll" video went viral? The answer is this week.
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558514094706314504
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558948233993538847
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558213715280006414
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558512797479456031
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558368415946263815
https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7558594034206264598
For the full history of TikTok Buffer Video, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.
