What Are Aura Points On TikTok? The Viral Trend, Explained

Forget having rizz or a certain je ne sais quoi. The new way to measure coolness is with aura points, a trend that’s racked up millions of views on TikTok and plenty of examples. There are ways to gain aura points, like when you make everyone laugh in your group chat, nail the Charlie XCX apple dance on your first try, or perfect your personal style. There are also plenty of ways to lose aura points, like when you text your ex, get left on read, or trip over nothing on the sidewalk.

Similar to your actual aura, aura points are all about the vibe or energy you give off. While the system is completely arbitrary, the idea is that you get aura points by being cool and confident and you lose them by being embarrassing and cringey. That said, if aura videos keep popping up on your FYP, you’ll quickly realize it’s a lot more nuanced than that.

The notion of “aura points” started in 2020 with an article from The New York Times. In this story, the writer says a football player’s aura carried him through a game, even when he made mistakes. The concept spread like wildfire in the sports world, and it’s now going viral and evolving on social media.

According to TikTok, the person you know with the most aura points is probably relatable, unfazed, and fun to be around. While your natural energy and personality might give you a baseline amount of aura points, it’s possible to snag a few extras as you go about your day. Compliment someone’s outfit? That’s +100 aura points. Pay for a friend’s coffee? Take another 1,000.

How To Gain Aura Points

Since aura points are subjective — and again, completely made up — it’s possible to scoop them up any way you like. There are points to be gained by being quirky and living your best life, regardless of what anyone thinks, like when you buy a giant pretzel and eat it alone in your car or bowl a strike while sitting down. These are examples from TikTok that show people boosting their aura by being accidentally cool or by marching to the beat of their own drum.

Even more aura points will come your way if something amazing happens to you, like if Megan Thee Stallion grabs your phone at a concert and takes it on stage. That’s +1,000,000,000 aura points because it gives you an amazing story to tell.

You can also save your aura points from dropping in a potentially embarrassing moment if you so choose. Spill your coffee? Act like you meant to do it. Notice you’re walking in the wrong direction? Keep going until you do a full loop around the block and no one will be the wiser. Fall during your performance? Own the slip and turn it into a dance move.

Ways To Lose Aura Points

For those keeping track, it seems there are just as many ways to lose aura points too. Creator @maru.lee admitted her aura took a hit when she cried over an episode of Love Island. In her comments section, one person assured her that her aura points were intact by saying, “We all cried it’s okay!” while another bluntly said, “No you’re so real for that. I never cry over reality TV.”

Creator @simonesuperbored asked how many aura points she lost when she hung onto a friendship that had run its course. In her comments, one person said, “Infinity aura points. I did the same thing.” Another related by saying, “I literally lost all of my aura points and for nothing.”

In these instances, the idea is that your aura points drop when you do something embarrassing, like cry over Love Island, or when you learn a lesson the hard way, like when you try to stay friends with someone who’s moved on. It’s a funny way to acknowledge that you made a mistake or weren’t at your best — and it’s all said in jest.

Of course, your aura points plummet during embarrassing moments too, especially if you don’t try to own them. Take creator @bri.caitlynn who admitted she took a screenshot of someone’s message and then accidentally sent it right to them, instead of sending it to her friend.

In a twist that brings this trend all full circle, you could argue that a person gains aura points in these moments by admitting to their mistake in a relatable video. In her comments, one person said, “Bro, I’ve done this so many times it’s not even funny.” And just like that, aura points are gained.