WikiTok: The Wikipedia Rabbit Hole You Didn’t Know You Needed

Some apps waste time. Others make time disappear in the best way possible. WikiTok is the latter.

Imagine an endless scroll of knowledge, a feed where each swipe reveals something you’ve never heard of—a forgotten war, a rare jellyfish, a 14th-century mathematician, or the world’s tallest abandoned building. That’s WikiTok. It takes the addictive mechanics of TikTok’s infinite scroll and applies them to something completely different: Wikipedia. No trends. No influencers. Just raw, unsorted, unfiltered knowledge, one swipe at a time.

WikiTok is a web-based app created by New York-based developer Isaac Gemal. It pulls random Wikipedia article summaries into a continuous, swipe-friendly feed. Tap “Read More,” and it takes you to the full Wikipedia page. No logins. No algorithms trying to learn your interests. It’s just pure discovery.

Why It Works

Modern social media thrives on serving up exactly what it thinks you want. WikiTok does the opposite. It throws the entire world of Wikipedia at you: no curation, no personalization. One second, you’re reading about the history of vending machines and the next, you’re deep into the science of black holes.

The randomness is the appeal. There’s no doom-scrolling here—just an endless chain of “huh, that’s interesting.” The experience is simple:

• • • • • Open WikiTok in your browser (mobile or desktop).
        • Swipe up to reveal a new topic.
        • Keep swiping as long as curiosity allows.
        • Tap “Read More” to dive into any article.

That’s it. No likes, no comments, no data tracking. Just a streamlined, distraction-free way to stumble into knowledge.

A Viral Idea Built Overnight

WikiTok didn’t start as a polished product. It started as a joke.

A casual post on X (formerly Twitter) suggested a TikTok-style Wikipedia feed. Within hours, Gemal had built a working prototype. Using AI-assisted coding tools like Anthropic’s Claude and Cursor, he wrote most of the code in a single night. The next day, he shared it online, and it took off.

By the end of the week, it was trending on Hacker News, getting thousands of users, and sparking debates on whether it should have an algorithm or remain purely random.

The whole thing runs on a few hundred lines of code, which Gemal has made public on GitHub. Anyone can modify it, contribute, or build their own version.

No Algorithm. No Problem.

One of the most remarkable things about WikiTok is what it doesn’t have.

Most apps today revolve around recommendation algorithms. They track behavior, analyze engagement, and refine what they show based on what keeps users hooked. WikiTok rejects all of that.

Gemal has already received plenty of suggestions to add an algorithm that tailors WikiTok to users’ interests, but he’s firmly against it.

“We’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life. Why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”

Instead of reinforcing your existing interests, WikiTok throws open the entire world of human knowledge and lets randomness be the guide.

Try It Now

WikiTok is free, fast, and an easy way to break the monotony of social media. Give it five minutes, and you’ll probably find yourself an hour deep. Try it now at WikiTok.

Brought to You by Glory Days Apparel

This story is powered by Glory Days Apparel—Charlotte’s favorite nostalgia brand. Whether it’s vintage Charlotte sports gear, classic city landmarks, or just something cool to wear, Glory Days captures the Queen City’s past in the best way possible: through high-quality, limited-edition designs.

Their retail store at 2202 Hawkins Street, Charlotte, NC 28203 is a must-visit. Or check them out online and grab something unique. Follow them on Instagram.

More From The Charlotte Mercury

We don’t just cover viral tech. If it’s happening in Charlotte, we’re on it:

• 🏛️ Politics
• 🏡 Real Estate
• 💼 Business
• 🚔 CMPD
• 🏈 Sports
• 🎭 Things to Do
• 🌆 Lifestyle
• 📜 Zoning
• 🏙️ City Council

Want to reach us? You can always message us on X (Twitter), or as we call it, Twix.

Jack Beckett, signing off. If you need me, I’ll be three cups of coffee deep, swiping through WikiTok until I land on an article about the history of coffee. ☕