The Upside-Down Smile Trend on TikTok Is Just One of a Few New Trends Taking Over

Most times, TikTok trends are just harmless fun — even if they may not make sense. That's the case for the upside-down smile trend. This one gained traction in June 2022, and even though it has a simple premise, it's got some unexpected variety.

Here's what we know about it and how you can participate.

With this trend, users will simply frown in a way that would look like a smile if the picture was flipped. Think of it like the way someone smiles when they're trying to stop themselves from laughing.

But there are a few other ways people are pulling off this look.

Typically, these TikToks feature the "Chạy ngay đi _ Sơn Tùng MTP" audio on the app, which is from the song 2020 song "Chạy Ngay Đi" by Vietnamese artist Sơn Tùng M-TP.

Luckily, this trend is so simple that almost anyone can participate. But some people in their own TikToks and comments are saying that this isn't really a trend for them — it's just the way they naturally smile. "So my awkward smile is trendy now," said one caption in a video.

"Exactly," said one comment on that same TikTok. "Me too, I always frown-smiled because I used to hate my teeth and real smile." The video's poster responded with, "Me too. I had horrid teeth and the smile stayed even after braces."

Someone else commented, "Is this real life? I thought we all smiled like that."

If the upside-down smile isn't for you, all you have to do is use the "shook" filter for this other TikTok trend. This one makes your eyes huge and gives you a cartoonish grin. It's almost like the Cheshire cat's smile from Alice in Wonderland.

With this trend, you have some options. This filter is available on both TikTok and Snapchat, so you can choose which one best suits your creative needs. If you're making it on Snap, you can download the video to your device and upload it to TikTok.

But wait, there's more. There's also a crying filter that people love using. It's very straightforward as well and is a convincing way to make yourself or someone else look like they are in the middle of a cathartic sobbing session.

For this filter, there are different options you can choose from on Snapchat and TikTok as well. But it looks like there are more crying filters than shook ones. Some crying filters make you look more like a sad clown; one makes your eyes really big, teary, and red; another makes you look like you've literally got streams of water coming out of your face. Many people use this filter to play pranks on their friends who don't know they are being recorded.