In the late 2020s, a hashtag started to appear across TikTok called #mypfp, it referred to a trend and social game that was going around the app that involved changing your profile picture depending on your current mood or situation.

For example, if a TikToker was waiting on grades for a test he recently took, he would make a video with the #mypfp hashtag, presenting all the different profile pictures he would have depending on the results that he got, telling the viewer what sort of grades he got.

But what spawned this weird and interactive trend? And how did it become so popular? Here's everything you need to know.

What Is The 'My PFP' Trend's Origin?

The trend started sometime before September 9th, 2020. Users started posting videos online with an on-screen caption such as "What my profile pictures mean," followed by a slideshow of various pictures matching the theme of their current profile picture. One example, posted on September 9th, 2020 includes a slideshow of various pictures of Charlie D'Amelio, each representing a different situation/mood (shown below).

@7elfy..charli7 @charlidamelio @.limedamelio blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/mypfp?refer=embed">#mypfp blank" title="♬ original sound – Chris" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6866973862454741766?refer=embed">♬ original sound – Chris

How Did It Spread Across TikTok?

TikTokers expanded on this format in late October, making it much more interactive. One of the first iterations was uploaded on October 19th by user katie_beaver7, uploading a video with the caption "Legitimately think i just failed a maths test so I'm making my pfp reflect my score" (shown below). The video then cuts through a series of potential profile pictures, according to the grade she thinks she received.

@peber.1 #greenscreen this is how i cope #fyp ♬ Waltz of the Meatball Man by Gooseworx – ☆Amara☆

How Was It Used In Memes?

After its initial spread, the #mypfp hashtag became trending on TikTok, with different people making variations of the format. On October 22nd, TikToker alyssabredin uploaded a version to determine the status of a job interview (shown below, left). On October 25th, TikToker imshootingmyshotyall uploaded a version of the trend regarding asking their crush out, receiving 11.8 million views in just 4 days. (shown below, right)

@alyssabredin pray for me🙏🏽 #fyp #theoffice #michaelscott ♬ Waltz of the Meatball Man by Gooseworx – ☆Amara☆

@imshootingmyshotyall pray for me. #fyp #foryoupage #xyzbca ♬ Waltz of the Meatball Man by Gooseworx – ☆Amara☆

Towards the end of October, videos under the hashtag had collected over 36.1 million views.

For the full history of My PFP, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.