Pou launched in 2012 as a virtual pet mobile game created by Zakeh, where players feed, clean, play with and customise a brown alien pet. Its cheerful background music became inseparable from that simple loop of mini games and care tasks. As early Android and iPhone gaming clips resurfaced on YouTube and TikTok, the tune spread as a nostalgic shorthand for childhood phone games. It is still used today because the melody is instantly recognisable, loops easily and signals a light, playful mood without needing any dialogue or explanation.