- Updated: March 31, 2026
- 4 min read
TikTok Introduces Secret Emoji Game in Direct Messages – What You Need to Know
Image Credits:Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto / Getty Images Apps Go play this secret game in your TikTok DMs Aisha Malik 11:47 AM PDT · March 31, 2026 TikTok has quietly added a secret emoji game that you can access in your DMs. The goal of the game is simple: use your finger to bounce as high as you can by hopping across alligators. Avoid the skeleton alligators, and be careful — broken alligators disappear after just one landing, so you need to quickly bounce to the one above.If you guide your jump to a floating emoji, you’ll get a speed boost that helps you climb faster. The same happens when you land on an alligator with a propeller on it. If you fail to land on an alligator or land on a skeleton, it’s game over. The object of the game is to bounce higher than your opponent. As you play, you’ll see both your score and your opponent’s high score displayed in the top-right corner.TikTok told TechCrunch on Tuesday that the game is available globally and can be accessed in both one-on-one DMs and in group chats. Image Credits:TechCrunch/Screenshot You can access the game by sending an emoji in any chat and then clicking on it to enter the game. The emoji you click on is the same one that will float across the screen to give you a boost. You can use any emoji you want, but you can only access the game by sending a single emoji at a time.TikTok says it launched this Easter egg to make messaging more fun and to add a playful element of competition to DMs on the platform. With this launch, TikTok is taking a page out of Instagram’s book. Instagram introduced its own hidden emoji DM game two years ago, and TikTok’s version follows a similar concept. Instagram’s version has players using their finger to move a paddle to keep an emoji bouncing, with the game ending once the emoji falls.TikTok isn’t the only social media platform experimenting with DM games. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch in January that Threads is exploring games in chats. The company is internally prototyping a basketball game that appears to let users virtually shoot hoops by swiping their finger. Techcrunch event Disrupt 2026: The tech ecosystem, all in one room Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity.Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to save up to $400. Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry.Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelyOffer ends March 13. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW Topics Apps, Gaming, Social, TikTok Aisha Malik Consumer News Reporter Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup.Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University. You can contact or verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at aisha_malik.01 on Signal. View Bio April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle.Tickets are limited.REGISTER NOW Most Popular Why OpenAI really shut down Sora Connie Loizos The Pixel 10a doesn’t have a camera bump, and it’s great Ivan Mehta Anthropic’s Claude popularity with paying consumers is skyrocketing Julie Bort Let’s take a look at the retro tech making a comeback Lauren Forristal Waymo’s skyrocketing ridership in one chart Kirsten Korosec The AI skills gap is here, says AI company, and power users are pulling ahead Rebecca Bellan Google unveils TurboQuant, a new AI memory compression algorithm — and yes, the internet is calling it ‘Pied Piper’ Sarah Perez Loading the next article Error loading the next article
Andrii Bidochko
CTO UBOS
Andrii Bidochko is an AI entrepreneur and researcher focused on AI agents, reinforcement learning, and autonomous systems. He writes about the technologies shaping the future of machine intelligence, from frontier models and agent architectures to real-world AI applications.