TikTok's Ugly Phone Case Challenge Is The Most Innocent Prank
Usually when give your friend a present, you want to show much you care by choosing a gift that not only has sentimental meaning but will also be something that they like. But with TikTok’s latest viral challenge, all bets are off. Users are exchanging some seriously ugly phone cases before embarking on their bestie vacays, and the second-hand embarrassment is too real.
If your FYP has been flooded with the most outrageous phone cases lately, you can blame Sarah Farrugia (aka @sarahfarrugiaa) and her besties for that. It all started when the creator posted a video of her friends surprising one another with a new phone case ahead of their group vacation on May 15 — the catch is, they’re not the kind of cases you’d want to be seen in public with. One friend received a clown-inspired protector, while another got a fluffy green case that looks exactly like the Phillie Phanatic if he forgot his jersey.
A third friend received a dinosaur shell to hold their phone (which was honestly kind of cute, TBH), while Farrugia and another bestie got matching fluffy cases that give off major cat vibes. But the worst gift by far was the unicorn-inspired case that featured a set of Pop-It fidget toys on the back and came with its own lanyard attached. Trust me — it’s as bad as it sounds.
As of June 1, the video has nearly 25 million views and 4.9 million likes, so it was only a matter of time before other users did their own phone case swap with their besties, too.
@Sophaaaaa and her friends went all out with their pre-vacation exchange, gifting one another some of the most heinous cases you’ve ever seen. One case was covered in googly eyes, another came with a 3-D rubber butt that you can squeeze and squish, another was blinged out in rhinestones, and one just featured an image of the bottom of somebody’s feet. A couple of them were fluffy and oversized as well, and one was so big you can see it in the frame when taking a picture.
TikToker Ken Eurich (@ken.eurich) and her besties also hopped on the trend, only this time the friends presented one another with a case that’s so ugly it’ll make you do a double take and a case that’s cute but still eye-catching.
Based on the vibe of the vacay, Eurich’s phone could either be disguised as a green monster with overalls or an adorable baby pink teddy bear. In return, the influencer gave her friend a “Barbie phone” protector and a case inspired by Stitch from Lilo & Stitch, and the last member of their trio received cases that look like an alien and a purse — strap included and everything.
If you want to kick the surprise factor up a notch, you can do the challenge the way @itsjosezarate and their friends did it and pick names out of a hat to determine who gets what case at random, instead of buying one with a specific friend in mind. On the day of the exchange, there were fluffy, squishy, and Spongebob-themed cases up for grabs.
The phone case you choose says a lot about you, but the embarrassing protector you’ll get from your bestie with the ugly phone case challenge says even more. Luckily it’s all in good fun, and who knows — maybe the next time you snap a group vacation pic, the ridiculous gift will encourage you to smile even more than before.
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