Of this challenge, MrBeast tells The Hollywood Reporter, “I think it’s going to be harder than most people are thinking. Even when we did the ‘Last to take a hand off [said item] gets $1 million,’ we expected that to go so long but it only lasted a couple of hours. I would say it’ll go on for a few days but not a week.”
MrBeast is known for posting social challenges and experiments on his YouTube channel, such as “I spent 50 hours in solitary confinement” and “I gave my credit card to random people.” He has amassed over 37.5 million subscribers since starting the channel in 2012.
As to what players will get out of participating in Finger on the App, the YouTuber simply says, “$25,000. To be honest, it’s not that deep!” He goes on to say, “I thought it would be a fun idea and we want fans to just have fun with it. We liked the idea of people being able to compete in challenges on my channel. I always do crazy things with my friends, so we wanted to do something fun for my fans to just play with their friends.”
Discussing how the app indirectly references society’s overuse of technology, MrBeast clarifies that he doesn’t think spending time on your phone has to be a negative thing. “You have so much information at your fingertips, so hopefully, you spend some time learning and researching things that interest you,” he says.
To those joining Finger on the App, the YouTuber offers a reminder that is particularly relevant during stay-at-home orders: “And you can get extra lives if you play together, so make sure everyone you are quarantining with downloads and plays too!”
The game is a collaboration with Brooklyn-based internet culture brand and art group MSCHF, known for projects including This Foot Does Not Exist and Puff the Squeaky Chicken.
Finger on the App goes live Tuesday at 12 p.m. PT. It can be downloaded from the App Store free of charge.
