The lock in meme is a phrase that has taken on different forms but generally refers to the act of focusing or becoming serious. People have used the term for many years to describe these or similar sentiments, but versions of it reached meme status in 2023 on Instagram and other image-heavy social media platforms.
Another “lock in” trend emerged on Twitter in September 2024 when one user asked others to define the term and gained thousands of responses.
Origins of ‘lock in’ as a term
It’s likely impossible to pinpoint the exact date on which people began to use “lock in,” “locked in,” or “locking in” as a phrase meant to convey states of increased concentration to intensity, but there is an Urban Dictionary entry. The earliest of these is for “locked in” on the date of April 9, 2009, and defines the term as the act of getting “Extra Extra focused on your dream.”
The usage example does a fantastic job of dating the phrase.
“We are taking a one hour twitter/blackberry break. lock in!!!”
2023 ‘lock in’ meme
In the summer of 2023, the phrase took off on Instagram as a meme referencing issues with Apple’s face recognition software for the iPhone and iPad called “Face ID.” The feature allows users to set their device locking settings to only open if their face is presented to the camera, which seems cool and futuristic except for all the problems it’s experienced since its release.
Although it mostly works, Face ID has trouble recognizing users if their facial expression isn’t neutral enough, among other factors. This kicked off a trend of people joking about the need to get serious if they wanted to unlock their phones.
On August 16, 2023, Instagram user @uranus kicked off this version of the meme by posting an image of two crying emojis followed by a normal one with a caption reading “when the face ID f*ckin up and I gotta lock in.”
Other users followed suit, using images of infants, animals, or popular characters to make the same joke. Over time, people began to use the “lock in” meme to describe situations in which they might be intoxicated or otherwise acting weird and need to pretend to be normal in order to interact with cashiers or other members of the public.
2024: The lock in meme reaches Twitter
On September 9, 2024, Twitter user @jayjjalen posted a simple request to the platform: “define ‘locked in.’” The post gained hundreds of comments and over 7,000 quote tweets as people answered the call.
A lot of the meme entries include lists of published works from famous authors, filmmakers, musicians, or playwrights known for producing a high volume of work. Meanwhile, others presented photos of everyday individuals engrossed in their favorite hobbies or photos of historical figures.
Naturally, plenty of videos and screenshots from popular media made the list, as well as ironic entries that presented very small personal accomplishments.
Lock in meme examples
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