A new trend is sweeping across X, and it is making users stop scrolling. Known as the “press and hold” or “tap and hold” trend, posts invite people to long press an image on the X mobile app. What first appears to be an ordinary AI-generated picture suddenly transforms into a much sharper, more detailed version as the higher resolution image loads, creating the illusion of a hidden reveal. The trend has exploded over the past few days, with creators posting fantasy landscapes, anime characters, portraits and surreal artwork alongside simple captions such as “Press and hold” or “Long press.”
So, how does it work?
Despite what many users initially thought, the effect is not a hidden feature built into X. Instead, creators are.
