In an ocean of heavily edited Instagram accounts and flawlessly filtered TikTok videos, the arrival of BeReal is a dramatic shift in the world of social media culture. This fairly new app has drawn millions of users, particularly Generation Z users, with its surprisingly revolutionary feature: authenticity.
he BeReal app asks its users to share pictures of themselves in unedited ways from the rusheB eal world, providing a fresh alternative to the edited highlight reels that dominate most social media. Yet what is BeReal, how does it operate, and what has been pushing its phenomenal successes? This paper will cover all the questions related to this unedited social networking phenomenon.
What Is BeReal?
Founded in 2020 by French entrepreneurs Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau, BeReal, by all means, looks like the very antipode of social media. Onions of thought aside, the app in itself is elegant yet robust: once a day, at a randomly chosen time, all of its users are notified to snap and post a picture of whatever they happen to be experiencing in their life-no filters and no retakes.
The BeReal daily photo challenge only gives users two minutes to react by capturing a dual photo—a selfie using the front camera and a back camera shot of what you’re viewing.This feature captures real, spontaneous, and unstaged moments through real-time photo sharing.
How popular is BeReal?
BeReal was initially released in January 2020, but the app didn’t skyrocket until 2022, accumulating over 56 million downloads during the year, according to The Washington Post. Out of its global audience, the app is the most popular in the United States. In July 2022, BeReal hit the number one spot on the Apple App Store in the US.
How it Works
The mechanics of BeReal are intentionally straightforward:
- The Daily Notification: Once per day, at an unpredictable time, the app sends a “Time to BeReal” notification to all users.
- The Two-Minute Window: You have two minutes to take your photo, though you can post late (with a clear indication that you did so).
- Dual Camera Capture: The app simultaneously uses your front and back cameras, showing both you and your surroundings.
- No filters, no edits: Unlike other platforms, users of BeReal are not allowed to apply filters or editing tools or beauty enhancers to their posts.
- View and React: You can view your friends’ posts only when you choose to share your own first, thus encouraging participation instead of just scrolling.
- RealMojis: Instead of generic emoji reactions, RealMojis are actually your real-time facial expressions while reacting to friends’ posts.
This whole concept of social media authenticity speaks so closely to the users aching from all those performances on other platforms.
App Features
While simplicity is the essence of BeReal, the app does have some interesting features that contribute to its real experience:
1.Discovery Section: Examine publicly available work from individuals around the world who have decided to publish outside of their social networks.
2.Memories: View your own album of previous BeReal moments in a calendar grid, building a visual history of your real moments.
3.Behind the Scenes (BTS): This mode captures the seconds before your BeReal photo, creating a short video that plays when friends long-press on your post (similar to Apple’s Live Photos). This mode is enabled by default but can be disabled in settings.
4.Caption and Location: Add a bit of background to your posts with captions and optionally add your location.
5.Resharing: You can reshare when you’ve been tagged in another person’s post. Interestingly, if you reshare a timely BeReal, you get an additional post for the day, but if you reshare a scheduled post, you lose your posting time.
6.RealPeople and RealBrands: Published in January of 2024 and active since February 6, 2024, they are real celebrity and brand pages on the platform
BeReal vs. Instagram: The Authenticity Revolution
The contrast between BeReal and Instagram highlights a fundamental shift in social media priorities:
| BeReal | |
| Unplanned, spontaneous moments | Carefully curated highlights |
| No filters or editing tools | Extensive filters and editing capabilities |
| One post per day | Unlimited posting |
| Two-minute response window | Post whenever you want |
| Shows both you and your environment | Single-camera perspective |
| Friends instead of followers | Follower-based system |
| No public metrics | Public likes and engagement stats |
Why BeReal Is Popular, Especially Among Gen Z
The meteoric rise of BeReal can be attributed to several factors:
- Authenticity Fatigue: Many users, particularly younger generations, have grown weary of the performative nature of traditional social platforms.
- Low Pressure: With just one post per day and no metrics like follower counts or public likes and reduces social comparison.
- FOMO Reduction: Since everyone posts just once daily about whatever they’re doing at that moment, the app minimizes the “fear of missing out” that plagues other platforms.
- By providing an intimate, unfiltered view of a single day in the lives of their friends, BeReal fosters an even greater sense of connection between two users.
- BeReal’s popularity surged in 2022, nearing 56 million downloads worldwide, with the U.S. as its largest market.
- Many Gen Z users prefer BeReal for its focus on authenticity and meaningful connections over polished presentations.
BeReal App Privacy Considerations
As in every social media, BeReal has its own share of privacy concerns:
Location Sharing: Your location can be shown by the app, though this feature is off by default.
Limited Access to Audience: Either the posts are available to all friends or totally public—not something available in custom audience views as of now.
Screenshot Notifications: BeReal does not send notifications to the users when other users screenshot their posts, unlike other platforms.
Behind the Scenes Video: The BTS feature records more than the last shot, maybe catching moments you didn’t want to show.
Data Collection: Although less data-hungry than some of its competitors, BeReal still gathers usage data.
Users should approach it cautiously, as even “real” content leaves a digital trace like any social media platform.
The Future of BeReal
As BeReal itself keeps growing daily, it is taking strategic steps to stay on top while following its core principles. The launch of RealPeople and RealBrands in early 2024 shows BeReal’s effort to evolve while staying authentic.
The app has numerous challenges:
Monetization: As of now, ad-free, BeReal will ultimately require a viable monetization strategy.
Maintaining Authenticity: As more brands and influencers join, preserving the authentic experience becomes more difficult.
Competition: Industry giants such as Instagram have already started adding BeReal-like features.
Novelty Wear-off: Why BeReal is so fascinating might one day become the standard.
User Retention: The requirement to post every day can cause user fatigue in the long run.
Despite challenges, BeReal’s appeal—authentic interaction in a virtual world—remains strong.The app has successfully tapped into a fundamental human need that goes beyond specific functionality or trends.
Conclusion
Amid performative social media, BeReal offers a refreshing focus on authenticity over perfection. IBeReal’s real-time photo sharing and unedited interactions resonate with millions seeking genuine online connections.
A ZDNET article rightly referred to BeReal as a type of “social media but without the airbrushed, fictional curated edge.” This app could be the most real social media experience available today.
For individuals constantly being bombarded with FOMO or competing with others on the usual apps, BeReal is a good alternative. It allows you to keep up with friends while showing your actual everyday life. If you can’t commit to daily posts or notifications, BeReal may not be for you.
Whether BeReal is a lasting revolution or a fleeting trend, its rise proves the growing demand for online authenticity. In a world filled with artificial ideals, embracing authenticity is the most revolutionary act.
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