# HowToBasic
**HowToBasic** is an anonymous Australian YouTube comedy channel that presents itself as a series of instructional "how to" videos but delivers parodies in which tasks end in chaotic destruction, most famously the smashing and throwing of raw eggs. The creator never speaks a word or shows his face on the main channel, and the videos' bait-and-switch format, deadpan tutorial titles paired with absurdist slapstick, has drawn more than 17 million subscribers.[1](https://wiki.kru.org/article/has-howtobasic-done-a-face-reveal-details-on-everything/) • [2](https://growwly.co/youtube-stats/channel/%40howtobasic) • [3](https://growwly.co/youtube-playbooks/%40howtobasic)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Tutorial parodies: genuine "How To [X]" titles that descend into egg-smashing, mess-making slapstick; a handful of early videos actually completed their tasks[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic) |
| First video | December 8, 2011, a four-second clip titled "How to pick up an umbrella"[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic) |
| Scale | 17.8 million subscribers, about 4.04 billion lifetime views across 675 public videos (October 2026)[2](https://growwly.co/youtube-stats/channel/%40howtobasic) |
| Most viewed video | "How To Quickly Get a Six Pack" (2016), 156.3 million views[5](https://trendreport.com/channels/stats/howtobasic/) |
| Identity | Anonymous; the only widely confirmed personal detail is that the creator is based in Australia[6](https://creatordb.app/creatorstats/howtobasic/) |
| Moderation history | The channel was suspended twice by YouTube under its misleading-content policy before YouTube said it would not suspend it for that reason again[7](https://gazettereview.com/2018/02/howtobasic-net-worth/) |
| Output pace | About 0.5 uploads per week in recent years, with an average video length around 3 minutes[2](https://growwly.co/youtube-stats/channel/%40howtobasic) |
## Format and content
Each video opens with a title and thumbnail that read as a genuine tutorial, covering cooking, cleaning, technology, and everyday tasks. The framing then collapses: recipes are overfilled, ingredients are hurled across kitchens, and devices are destroyed in rapid cuts. Eggs are the channel's signature prop, appearing smashed, thrown, and blended in most videos.[3](https://growwly.co/youtube-playbooks/%40howtobasic) • [8](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/howtobasic.html)
The channel's early uploads were sincere. The first video, posted December 8, 2011, showed a hand picking up a white umbrella in four seconds; two more clips that day showed how to shut a door and save power. After a dormant period, the channel uploaded 94 clips on March 26, 2012, all under 43 seconds, and the instructions began turning bizarre, including a soup recipe using three kinds of soap and bread. From April 14, 2012, the channel updated regularly and adopted thumbnails of appetizing food the videos never actually produce, with smashed raw eggs and spilled liquids becoming standard.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic)
The title format is central to the channel's reach. Because every title is a real search query, new viewers keep finding the videos through search, while long-time fans return for the escalation. The catalog splits between food videos and tech or life-hack topics, doubling the searchable surface.[3](https://growwly.co/youtube-playbooks/%40howtobasic)
## Growth and milestones
By April 2014 the channel had passed 3.1 million subscribers and 396 million video views; by September 2015 it stood at 5.6 million subscribers and 802.6 million views.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic) As of October 2026, trackers list 17.8 million subscribers and roughly 4.04 billion lifetime views across 675 public videos.[2](https://growwly.co/youtube-stats/channel/%40howtobasic)
The most viewed uploads are dominated by the 2013–2016 era: "How To Quickly Get a Six Pack" (2016) at 156.3 million views, "How To Feed a Baby" (2013) at 105.1 million, "How To Put on a Condom" (2013) at 93.8 million, "How To Quickly Stop a Crying Baby" (2013) at 79.8 million, and "How To Revive a Fish" (2015) at 79.6 million.[5](https://trendreport.com/channels/stats/howtobasic/)
## The "Face Reveal" video
In December 2017 the channel posted a poll asking whether a face reveal should be released after the channel reached 10 million subscribers.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic) The payoff came in a video titled "Face Reveal" uploaded on March 24, 2018, in which Michael Stevens of the education channel Vsauce presents himself as the creator of HowToBasic, before arguing with YouTuber MaxMoeFoe, who then claims to be HowToBasic himself. A man identified as Warrun next claims the identity, followed by a montage of various YouTubers announcing "I am HowToBasic," and the video ends with a man explaining a conspiracy theory about the creator's identity before being murdered on camera. Within 48 hours the video drew more than 12.2 million views and 185,900 comments, and a Reddit submission to /r/videos collected over 44,400 points and 2,800 comments in two days.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic) • [9](https://dailyfocusplus.com/howtobasic-face-reveal/)
The reveal was staged. Earlier, a Filthy Frank video had referred to the creator by the first name "Warren," and the face-reveal video recycled the name for its Warrun character, but the creator's actual identity remains unconfirmed.[7](https://gazettereview.com/2018/02/howtobasic-net-worth/)
## The creator's anonymity
Almost nothing about the person behind the channel has been confirmed beyond a base in Australia. During a 2013 interview with Nine News Perth, the individual who creates HowToBasic explicitly requested that the broadcaster keep his identity hidden, noting that the secrecy contributed to the channel's appeal.[9](https://dailyfocusplus.com/howtobasic-face-reveal/) He has declined Reddit AMA requests, and fans have repeatedly speculated about the identity, including theories that the channel was never run by a single person.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic)
The creator did give a written interview to Vice in July 2014, conducted in German translation, describing how the channel began with a bored idea to make very short videos, how most video ideas come from viewer suggestions, and how he buys the food used in the videos from local producers. He also said his videos have a deeper meaning he was not yet ready to reveal.[10](https://www.vice.com/de/article/eine-anleitung-fuer-dein-leben/)
He is associated with a group of Australian YouTube personalities known as the Shrimpson Boys, alongside Filthy Frank, MaxMoeFoe, and iDubbbzTV.[8](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/howtobasic.html)
## Other channels and platforms
The creator maintains a second channel, HowToBasic2, for bloopers and merchandise-related tutorials, and a third, The Fruit Smasher, featuring clips of under ten seconds in which a hand smashes fruit. A Facebook fan page founded in early 2012 reached over 2.2 million likes by September 2015, and a Twitter account established in February 2013 passed 160,000 followers by late 2015. In December 2012 the channel released an iPhone app compiling its videos.[4](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic)
As of 2026, YouTube remains the creator's primary active platform. TikTok has been dormant for a couple of years, Instagram posts are infrequent, and the channel continues to upload, with recent 2026 uploads including "How To Make Authentic Italian Passata" and "How To Make Carbonara."[6](https://creatordb.app/creatorstats/howtobasic/) • [11](https://asknaveen.com/channel/%40howtobasic)
## References
1. [Has HowToBasic Done A Face Reveal? Details On Everything](https://wiki.kru.org/article/has-howtobasic-done-a-face-reveal-details-on-everything/)
2. [HowToBasic — YouTube stats, subscribers & estimated earnings, Growwly](https://growwly.co/youtube-stats/channel/%40howtobasic)
3. [Why HowToBasic Is Growing — Food & Cooking Playbook, Growwly](https://growwly.co/youtube-playbooks/%40howtobasic)
4. [HowToBasic, Know Your Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/howtobasic)
5. [HowToBasic YouTube Stats: 17.8M Subscribers, Views & Growth, TrendReport](https://trendreport.com/channels/stats/howtobasic/)
6. [HowToBasic YouTube Stats: Followers & Engagement, CreatorDB](https://creatordb.app/creatorstats/howtobasic/)
7. [HowToBasic Net Worth 2018, Gazette Review](https://gazettereview.com/2018/02/howtobasic-net-worth/)
8. [HowToBasic — Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/howtobasic.html)
9. [HowToBasic Face Reveal: The Truth Behind the 2018 Video, Daily Focus Plus](https://dailyfocusplus.com/howtobasic-face-reveal/)
10. [Dieser Youtube-Kanal ist das Beste, was je mit Eiern gemacht wurde, VICE](https://www.vice.com/de/article/eine-anleitung-fuer-dein-leben/)
11. [HowToBasic — YouTube Channel Stats, AskNaveen](https://asknaveen.com/channel/%40howtobasic)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Comedy, drama, and general-genre web series*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license