Users claiming they are time travellers are going viral
Users claiming they are time travellers are going viral on social media with their eerie predictions. Pixabay

TikTok is once again hit by a wave of unsettling videos claiming to offer glimpses of the future. Across the platform, multiple accounts presenting themselves as time travellers are posting short clips allegedly filmed decades and in some cases centuries ahead of the present day.

Their video, filled with ominous warnings and dated captions from the future, has drawn millions of views and conversations.

The trend is not new, but its scale has grown noticeably. Since around 2020, dozens of creators have emerged with similar claims, each asserting they are stranded in a future version of Earth. Their timelines range from the near future to dates as distant as the year 2671.

Empty Cities, Dark Warnings, And Familiar Fears

Most of the viral accounts follow a recognisable format.

One of the most prominent examples is an account run by a creator calling himself Javier, who claims to be the sole survivor of a mass extinction in the year 2027. His videos show empty Spanish streets and buildings, filmed in daylight, with captions suggesting that everyone else has vanished.

Similar accounts, such as those claiming origins in the years 2671 or 2714, warn of meteors, alien contact, natural disasters, or technological upheaval.

More recently, attention has shifted to an account known as @whitemask2055, which presents itself as a traveller trapped in France in the year 2055. Early videos implied that nearly all humans had disappeared, showing silent public spaces and urging viewers to search reflections or background details for 'proof.' Later posts, however, complicate that narrative, featuring other people on camera and hashtags that hint at fictional or staged storytelling.

Why The Videos Keep Going Viral

The appeal lies less in credibility and more in presentation. TikTok's recommendation system favours content that sparks engagement, and these clips invite exactly that.

Going back to 2025, when the rapture movement was on the verge again, any related claims or videos of 'Jesus Christ descending from heaven to the sky' were gaining unprecedented attention on social media.

Joshua Mhlakela
South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela speaks in a YouTube video interview about his Rapture prediction, which failed to materialise in 2025, leaving many followers anxious and distressed. YouTube

However, the time travel trend gained traction during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when deserted locations and isolation felt plausible. Since then, it has evolved into a form of digital folklore.
Furthermore, amidst the claims, failed forecasts are common.

Dates for alien invasions, plane disappearances, or global catastrophes routinely pass without incident. However, vague language and broad themes allow creators to shift narratives or reinterpret events, keeping followers engaged.

Scepticism, Hoaxes, And Familiar Tricks

Meanwhile, public reaction is split between curiosity and mockery. While some users are paying attention to what these 'time travellers' are claiming, others have acknowledged the discrepancies in their future visions.

Comment sections are filled with viewers questioning why electricity still works in supposedly abandoned worlds or why creators can upload videos if society has collapsed. Others point out filming techniques that can easily create the illusion of empty cities, such as shooting early in the morning, choosing quiet locations, or editing out passersby.

Also, there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that these videos depict the future.

Such videos, while interesting, echo earlier internet hoaxes, including the early-2000s 'John Titor' posts that claimed to come from the year 2036. Like those stories, TikTok's time travellers blend real-world anxieties with speculative fiction, leaving just enough ambiguity to fuel discussion.