UPDATE: As the TikTok “silhouette challenge” becomes more popular, some users are pointing out a troubling loophole that could jeopardize your privacy. Read through the article to get the full story, or get the latest warnings at the end.
The pages of TikTok boast a wealth of viral challenges, many involving fitness, dancing, or striking visuals. Thanks to the app’s many filters and effects, it’s easier than ever for aspiring influencers to create eye-catching images. The latest TikTok trend to take advantage of these tools, the “silhouette challenge,” has users uploading some seriously steamy clips.
According to Distractify, the challenge has been around since at least the summer of 2020, when it was embraced by the online anime community. However, the trend has blown up in recent weeks, partially thanks to a clip uploaded by Chloe Bailey of the pop group Chloe x Halle.
Check it out.
How To Do The Silhouette Challenge
Among the many silhouette challenge videos taking over TikTok are clips uploaded by helpful users demonstrating how to achieve the desired visual effect. The trend uses a Snapchat filter called “vin rouge” to add a colored tint to users’ videos. From there, all it takes is a little creativity with lighting and flare for striking a pose.
The challenge has since taken off on social media, with the hashtag #silhouettechallenge receiving over 114 million views and #silhouette sitting at 359 million views.
The silhouette trend has even caught on with guys on TikTok, who couldn’t resist the opportunity to share the results of those long workout sessions.
The challenge is also perfect for couples, who might be running out of viral trends to do in quarantine – and might be ready for something a little steamier than a dance-off.
Throwing back to the trend’s anime roots, many TikTokers have taken it as an opportunity to “ship” themselves with their animated crushes.
Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and some users’ choices of cartoon partner are a bit more unorthodox than others.
To see more silhouette challenge videos, check out the hashtags #silhouette and #silhouette challenge on TikTok. And if you decide to create your own, you might want to make sure the door is locked.
UPDATE 2/5/21 — A Warning About the Silhouette Challenge
With the silhouette challenge steadily gaining in popularity, some users have pointed out how easy it is to remove the filters from TikTok clips. As the trend uses filters to create the “silhouette” effect, having it removed could reveal more than the user intended.
“Just make sure you’re being cognizant of what you’re wearing,” warned TikTok user @lostvsnryshots. “Anyone can easily take those images and revert them back to the original. So if you’re wearing a bra and panties, or you’re nude, or whatever you did before you applied the editing to get that shadow look, just know that it’s really easy to put it back to the original.”
The user, a photographer herself, declined to provide details on how to remove the filters in a follow-up video.
“There are people out there who will take those extra steps to make your life hell,” she said.
