“He is real”: TikTokers swear “mimics” are copying their ringtones in a creepy new trend

TikTokers are claiming to be haunted by "mimics" that attempt to imitate voices, songs, or other audio in creepy, distorted tones. This may be one of the least serious TikTok hoax trends to date, and it originates from a comedic horror video game.

Either way, mimic videos on the platform are going mega-viral.

Creepy mimic videos trend on TikTok

Early this week, mimic videos began to inundate TikTok FYPs everywhere. These clips claim to show invisible (or very sneaky) beings producing distorted imitations of ringtones and alarms, their mom's voice, or, of course, the song "We Are Charlie Kirk."

Some of the videos are clearly meant to be parodies, but others come with creepy music or shaky footage designed to give viewers the heebie-jeebies. The echoing, screechy copied audio contributes to the horror vibes.

TikToker @luc10perez gained 9.7 million views with a video claiming a mimic is copying their ringtone.

Under a video by @bella.idk.idk.idk, commenters frequently posted a string of Japanese characters spelling out the word "sticker" for some reason.

Whatever that means, it may be another sign among many that this trend is deeply unserious. A mimic post by @tazminvfx earned 7.7 million views by doing it with "We Are Charlie Kirk" as part of the Kirkify meme that rage baits people over the September shooting.

Some of these videos stretch back to late 2025, including one by @_w0mp_womp_ that attempts to "prove" the TikToker's mimic is real.

Obviously, there are many ways in which someone could fake this phenomenon, which is probably why so few are taking it seriously.

The origins of the TikTok mimic meme

Some of the mimic videos or comments reference the spinoff video game Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic, which appears to be the origins of the trend. That franchise features cutesy animatronic characters distorted to appear creepy and often uses comedy to balance the horror.

Secret of the Mimic launched on June 13, 2025, and centers on a creature called Jackie or "the Mimic" which can disguise itself as any animatronic. Whenever it appears, it dances and starts singing a silly little song.

"My name is the f*cking Mimic, oh yeah, my name is the f*cking Mimic, oh yeah," it croons.

That type of humor continues in many of the TikTok videos, such as the one by @_w0mp_womp_ in which the "mimic" threatens to "dig in your booty hole" for not believing in it.

As of Jan. 16, 2026, the TikTok hashtag #mimic hosts over 128,000 videos.

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