Vine Gets RickRoll’D With A Three Minute Video

Vine has over 13 million users now. And with this morning’s launch on Android, chances are that number is climbing rapidly.

But of all the Vines, from all the millions of users, across all of the world, this is the best one. Period. Trust me.

16-year-old Will Smidlein might have used a technique that seems to have been discovered about a month ago, wherein users can upload videos longer than six seconds to Vine as long as they follow a detailed set of steps and use a jailbroken device.

Apparently Twitter’s API doesn’t check for how long the video is while it’s being uploaded on the server side. We originally believed Smidlein used the method above, which requires a jailbroken device. We now know that he actually re-created parts of the Android version of the Vine app, which was released today, to take certain liberties with creating posts, adding titles, etc.

In either case, the API let it live for a while as a looping RickRoll hell.

Update: Obviously, the Vine is down now.

It was fun while it lasted.

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 immediately

Offer ends March 13.

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

Screen Shot 2013-06-03 at 6.51.41 PM

Topics

, , , ,
Loading the next article
Error loading the next article