The 456 Frame on TikTok Is a Reference to Netflix's Hugely Popular 'Squid Game'

If you've been looking around TikTok recently and have started noticing a bunch of profiles that have a "456" over their profile pictures, you might be a bit confused. That number doesn't have any significance unless you're familiar with Squid Game, the hugely popular Netflix show that returned for a second season in late 2024.

These TikTok frames seem to be just one piece of the show's massive viral marketing campaign, but if you're wondering what they mean, we've got you covered. Here's what we know.

The number 456 that has been appended to many people's profile pictures is a reference to Squid Game's main character, Seong Gi-hun, who wears the number on the show. His number will be instantly recognizable to fans of the show, as he won the game when he first played before returning to play again.

If you put the number on your profile, all you are signaling is that you watched Squid Game and probably that you like it.

If you're wondering how you can add the number to your profile, all it takes is a couple of steps.

1. Go to the account of someone who already has the frame. The easiest option might be Netflix's Squid Game account.
2. Click on their profile picture and select "get frame."
3. You will then be prompted to play a Squid Game-inspired game of "Red Light, Green Light."
4. Once you've completed the game, you'll see the 456 on your profile.

You'll also have the opportunity to play the other mini-games that TikTok has partnered with Netflix to create, including Rock, Paper, Scissors, Minus One, Jegi and Mingle, which are all inspired by games that get played in the show's second season.

If you complete all four games, your profile number will automatically change to a golden piggy bank, which is the symbol on the show that you've won the ultimate prize. The frame is also only available for a limited period of time.

Squid Game has already become one of the most popular shows in the history of Netflix in its second season. According to reporting in Variety, the show hit 126.2 million views through its first 11 days on the streaming service. In that time period, it's already become the second most-watched season of non-English language TV in the history of Netflix, behind only the show's first season.

Squid Game Season 2 has 80 days left to beat the 265.2 million views that Season 1 acquired, so it seems like it will eventually sit at the top of that list. The show's tremendous popularity might explain why those numbers are suddenly all over TikTok. With the show expected to return for a third and final season sometime in 2025, Squid Game fever is definitely here, even if the critical reception to the second season was slightly more mixed than the first.