What is tap, hold and load in 4k? Explaining the meaning behind viral trend taking over sports Twitter

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Today's society is all about what the latest trend in social media is and capitalize on it. Whether that's a simple photo caption or a meme to be used, the internet never fails to deliver on a fad that sweeps the nation for an extended period of time, only to fizzle out and become part of the archives.

To kick off 2025, it appears the first viral social media trend is tap, hold and load in 4k.

If you've been on X, formerly Twitter, that six-word phrase has been plastered all over. It's been impossible to avoid pictures with the same caption over and over and over again.

So, what's the history and meaning behind the viral trend? The Sporting News explains.

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What is tap, hold and load in 4k?

"Tap, hold and load in 4k" is a recent viral trend sweeping social media on X, formerly Twitter. It has made its way to the sports world, as well, with plenty of team accounts posting photos with the caption.

The platform has held the ability for users to "tap, hold and load in 4k" since 2020, although it appears only a minimal amount of people realized the new tool.

Apparently you can now load 4K images on twitter. Just tap and hold on the image select Load 4K and zoom away ✨ pic.twitter.com/X3LDQXT9iF

— drue (@DruePhoto) April 27, 2020

It did not take off until Jan. 8 when user @DruePhoto posted a series of pictures and reposted one specifically, captioning it: "I bet yall didn’t even tap n hold n hit 'load n 4K'."

I bet yall didn’t even tap n hold n hit “load n 4K” https://t.co/LVxW10NLOP pic.twitter.com/SozZSgUeF0

— drue (@DruePhoto) January 9, 2025

Since then, it has broken out all over the internet, with users seemingly unable to circumvent a number of posts copying and pasting the exact caption.

Load in 4k meaning

"Load in 4k" refers to the ability to load a picture in 4k resolution.

Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. In the case of 4k resolution, that means the photo holds approximately 4,000 pixels. The more pixels in an image, the better the quality of an image you get.

When you "tap, hold and load in 4k," that is referencing downloading an image with a higher resolution, giving you a clearer picture.

Load in 4k sports on Twitter

With the trend becoming the hottest craze to start 2025, there have been a plethora of sports accounts to post iconic photos with the same caption. That includes the Celtics posting a Jayson Tatum dunk, the Bengals posting a Joe Burrow Superman throw, the MLB posting Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his dog, Decoy, and Duke men's basketball posting a Cooper Flagg slam.

Tap, hold and load in 4K 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4Yyg4JRJXi

— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) January 14, 2025

Tap, hold and load in 4K 👀 pic.twitter.com/oL43KvLQA0

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 14, 2025

Tap, hold and load in 4K 🙃 pic.twitter.com/fpWue18y4w

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 14, 2025

tap, hold, & load @AaronRodgers12 in 4k pic.twitter.com/g7sQ1tozJ7

— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 14, 2025

Tap, hold and load in 4k 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6WZyKo9gFA

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) January 14, 2025

Tap, hold and load Shohei and Decoy in 4K. 🐶 pic.twitter.com/AOAd0L1L39

— MLB (@MLB) January 14, 2025