TikTok freaks out over woman’s “invisible” phone
A woman went viral for using a see-through device… but it’s not what you think.
The internet’s latest head-scratcher involves a woman casually scrolling on what looked like a transparent smartphone while waiting for her bubble tea.
Naturally, the internet lost its collective mind.
A TikTok video posted by a creator named Cat (@askcatgpt) blew up, racking up over 50 million views.
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In the clip, she’s standing in line at a boba tea shop, nonchalantly fiddling with what appears to be a see-through phone.
“It’s the new Plex from Nokia,” one person joked.
Someone else declared: “She’s on a mission from the future.”
Another practical soul pointed out the obvious: “Imagine losing that thing - you’d never find it again.”
Honestly, facts.
@askcatgpt Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14…?!? Wtf?????? 🤭🤫 Link in bio for more deets. (NOT SPONSORED)
♬ original sound - CatGPT
Sadly though, it’s not some top-secret prototype from Apple or a futuristic Nokia comeback.
In a follow-up video, Cat revealed the mysterious device is actually called a Methaphone, and it’s literally a clear piece of acrylic shaped like a smartphone.
She explained that the Methaphone was invented by a friend of hers as a social experiment.
The goal was to test whether people so hopelessly glued to their devices could start kicking the habit if they carried around something that feels like a phone in their pocket.
“He wanted to see if you could curb phone addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your hand with a lookalike that does nothing,” she shared.
@askcatgpt I’m sending out a batch of methaphones to people who have ideas for (safe) social experiments they’d like to run with them— break it out on the subway? Show it to a 5 year old? Replace your phone for a week? The only catch is that you have to write or document your experience in a post online (e.g. blog post, medium, substack, YouTube, tikTok, Ig, etc) The goal is to keep the conversation going. If you’re interested, fill out the super short survey at the link in my bio! Let’s keep the conversation going! #tech #methaphone ♬ original sound - Noah Kahan
Why is this viral though? Well, aside from the fact that it’s straight-up bizarre to see someone scrolling on what looks like air, Cat thinks the video touched a nerve.
She reckons it’s because the Methaphone represents something deeper.
It’s a weird little symbol of how our beloved smartphones (which promised connection and convenience) often do the exact opposite.
“Have I used my phone less in the week since I started carrying this thing around?” she admitted, “Probably not.”
She also tossed the question to her followers:
“Do you think a single piece of acrylic could actually help us get back in touch with humanity, or is it just a weird party trick?”
Judging by the comments, opinions are split. Some people loved the idea. Others were like: “Nah, we’re doomed. Pass me my charger.”
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The New York Post first reported this wild little tech moment, and honestly, it’s the kind of viral chaos we live for.
It’s a reminder that sometimes the internet rallies around the most random stuff… and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to misplace our acrylic non-phones somewhere.
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