BeReal takes casual posting to the next level.
BeReal was founded in 2020 by a Frenchman. It's not like a photo-sharing website where users can make changes to their photos. BeReal doesn't allow you to organize. There aren't any filters. Each day it gives users a two-minute window to post a photo. When you post, the app uses both your front and rear-facing cameras, giving your friends a full picture of what you're doing in the moment. You can't lie about where you are or what you're doing.
You only have two minutes to post a photo on the app after you receive the notification. Screenshot: BeReal
"BeReal won't make you famous," reads the description of BeReal in the App Store, "if you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok andInstagram."
The shift towards monetization and the accompanying changes to its algorithm have left its users wanting a feed filled with photos of their friends, rather than one filled with ads, paid influencer content, and recommended posts. To combat inauthenticity on the app, there's been a move to make it more casual by posting photo dumps or slice-of-life pics. The problem isn't solved by posting casually. Some say "casual" is even better. Is there anything really candid on the photo sharing site? Rather than posing for a photo at a party, you have to pretend that you're not going to take one at all.
This is where BeReal comes in.
I only have a small group of close friends on the app, and they're all people who might follow my finsta or my close friends story on social media. A scroll through my BeReal feed today shows me sitting at my laptop at work, three other friends in front of their laptops, another thrift shopping, and a former classmates drinking coconut water. The appeal of BeReal is immediate. When you get an alert on your phone, you only have two minutes to take a picture, and you never know when it will drop.
An example of a post on BeReal featuring bread. Credit: Elena Cavender.
When BeReal occurs out of work hours, my feed is more interesting. You could catch me on my evening walk or read The Custom of the Country. The appeal of the BeReal feed is that you like your friends and care about what they're doing.
The 21-year-old UC Berkeley student from Paris says it's cute to see what your friends are doing. The app launched in France, according to Decugis. Like me, she only shares her content with her friends. Decugis doesn't add people he isn't close with.
Isabel is an analyst in Boston. There's no need to add friends or acquaintances to BeReal. I only add people I am comfortable with sharing random moments with. There's always a lot of good banter on the daily posts because it's such a small community.
The social media app raised $30 million in Series A funding by June 2021. The app grew from 10,000 to over 400,000 daily users. In November. "BeReal is the newest social media craze to take hold of Georgetown" was reported by The Hoya.
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Everyone I spoke to who uses the app loves BeReal, even though its numbers don't compare to its rivals. Kelly Young, a senior at Drexel University, says that she only has four or five hometown friends on there. It's fun to keep in touch with BeReal, it's the most realistic insight into what our lives are like now.
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You can post late if you miss the notification, but you can't see your friends' images until you post your own. The app avoids the issue of hiding. You have to post content in order to see it. The app has a more involved version of liking. If you want to respond to a friend's content, you have to take a reaction selfie or comment.
The posting-once-a-day model means you only have to check the app once a day, and there's no anxiety over missing content because everyone you follow is only posting once a day. It isn't a time that sucks the way that social media is currently used.
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BeReal builds upon the photo sharing feed ofInstagram and also incorporates the ephemeral nature ofSnapchat by resetting your feed daily. You can only see your previous posts in "Memories" if you use the app.
It's a really fun way for us to keep in touch, and it's the most realistic insight into what our lives are like now.
Privacy concerns are posed by the app. If you don't enable the feature in your settings, it will automatically post your location with your photo. The app can accumulate data that shows a picture of your habits, not unlike its competitors, if you post every day. The app promises not to sell your data to third parties.
It's weird because it shares your exact location, like your coordinates, says a 21-year-old UC Berkeley student. Your house is on the map, not just your city or general location. The app is a bit suspect.
College students still download it. In France, BeReal ranks in the top 10 of most-downloaded social networking apps in the App Store, while in the U.S. it ranks in the top 100. It was the 80th most-downloaded social networking app last week. It's gained traction through savvy marketing and word of mouth, and has enlisted TikTok and college ambassadors to help popularize the app.
Perhaps the appeal of an entirely new social media platform is that it hasn't been overrun with friends of friends, old coworkers, and celebrities. Today's social media landscape seems radical, as your feed still feels intimate. As soon as you see selfies from people you don't know, an app loses its charm and potential.
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