What’s the viral ‘Hotspot Bro’ meme on TikTok?

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As you navigate through TikTok, you may have encountered the viral ‘Hotspot Bro’ joke. Here’s a breakdown of what it’s all about.

The “Always Asking for Wi-Fi Hotspot” meme on TikTok, often referred to as ‘Hotspot Bro’ or ‘That Guy’, humorously portrays the type of friend who is perpetually in need of a mobile hotspot connection.

In March 2025, a new meme will surface, characterized by AI visuals and an unusual soundtrack consisting of a repeating phrase, “hotspot bro,” followed by a text-to-speech voice delivering a speech in Indonesian.

It appears the Indonesian audio is playfully cautioning against handing over your hotspot to a person labeled as an “anomaly,” who initially requests it for light tasks such as opening WhatsApp, but later engages in heavy data usage activities such as downloading games or videos.

Origins of meme

On March 8th, the meme started gaining popularity after TikTok user dytzz88 shared a video containing an AI-created picture showing a skull with a smartphone as its head, grasping a disconnected mobile phone.

This video showcases the widely popular text-to-speech audio that explains why you should steer clear of “hotspot bros.” The audio has garnered more than 12.8 million views, leading to an influx of similar content being produced.

Based on an approximate translation from Google Translate of the Indonesian passage, the audio refers to these “anomalies” as individuals who do not purchase data packages yet excessively use hotspots for activities such as downloading Genshin Impact.

‘Hotspot Bro’ takes over TikTok

The format spread rapidly among TikTok users, who began employing AI-created character images that comically linked to the “popular guy at the beach” stereotype.

To illustrate, on March 13, the content producer known as ra25mzi shared a video that showcased an AI-created image depicting Gollum holding a smartphone. This video garnered approximately 7 million views.

On March 16th, I came across a heartwarming video shared by TikTok user anyad501 that has since captured the attention of over 4.1 million viewers. The video features a friend offering her hotspot to another in a touching display of camaraderie.

In these videos, a specific sound has become popular and is featured in more than 3,000 TikTok clips. Users are coming up with increasingly humorous situations that revolve around the characters known as “hotspot bros.

This meme’s over-the-top AI graphics and amusing storyline have earned it a lot of love from fans who appreciate humor similar to ‘brainrot’. It has been likened to past popular themes such as ‘Eye of Rah’ and ‘Sigma Sigma Boy’.

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2025-03-23 18:48