BeReal is over all the glitz and glamour. An anti-social-media social media app, BeReal gained popularity in early 2022 and now has millions of users worldwide. While social networking sites have come and gone throughout the last decade, let’s see if this one is worth the buzz.
Most of us are guilty of curating our social media accounts. Instagram photos of that trip to NYC may discount the blisters that popped up on your ankle after searching for the subway in 90 degree heat. Snapchat stories of a beach getaway may overlook the mediocre and overpriced pizza you bought on the boardwalk–or the seagull that snatched a slice away. From Facetune to filters, at this point, we all know that social media is fake. Part of being a social media user is just embracing our own illusion.
But BeReal is ready to move on from that. Hoping to retreat from smoothie-bowl posts and stiff selfies, French natives Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau founded the app in 2020. Two years later, BeReal has now gone viral. According to Apple’s App Store charts, it is currently the second most popular social networking app–just behind WhatsApp Messenger and ahead of Facebook. While in January of this year, whispers of BeReal were just starting to surface, it now seems as though the majority of students have downloaded the app.
Compared to other social media apps that encourage users to generate content frequently with various format options, BeReal keeps things far more simple. Once a day, the app sends out a notification that you have two minutes to capture a BeReal. The time this alert appears changes every day–you may find yourself taking a BeReal at the dentist office one morning and the in your bed next to a box of Goldfish the next night.
Once you receive the alert, use BeReal’s dual-function camera to capture a selfie and portrait photo at the same time. After posting the BeReal, a caption can be added (but is not required), and you can now see the images that your friends posted as well. If you miss the BeReal notification, you can still post and see your friends’ activity, but the app will indicate the number of hours late your post appeared.
The founders warn that BeReal is not for everyone, though. “If you want to become an influencer,” its App Store description states, “you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”
BeReal includes some additional characteristics unique to the app. Realmojis, for example, allow users to react to friends’ posts with a selfie–these replies are often used for startling or amusing captions and portrait photos.
Users can also save BeReals, both the selfie and portrait image as one photo, to their camera roll. Recently, these saved BeReals have begun to pop up on other social media platforms. On TikTok, for example, many are compiling their BeReals of the month and shuffling through these images with a song in the background–almost like a monthly photo diary. On Instagram, some users are including BeReals as part of carousel posts.
On the profile screen, BeReal also includes a “Your Memories” calendar–where your BeReal for the day is the background of each calendar date. Clicking through these images will provide a recap of the week or year’s adventures.
After taking a BeReal, you can also choose whether to make your image public or only visible to friends. While many elect to share just with friends, you can still see what other users around the world have posted with the “Discovery” feature even if your own images are private. Though the Discovery tab will feature almost entirely strangers, seeing how individuals 4,000 miles away are spending their day has some intrigue.
Perhaps the low-anxiety nature of BeReal is the app’s greatest draw. Without likes or follower counts, BeReal mainly functions as a source of entertainment and a way to share moments with friends that normally would not see social media. Most users also tend not to strain themselves getting a selfie with natural lighting and a flattering angle–double chins and raised eyebrows are the norm on this app.
BeReal reflects Snapchat’s “Private Story” feature, where users select photos and videos, typically more personal and authentic ones, to share with select friends. With BeReal, though, each user is nudged to share every day at the same time.
As much as BeReal touts realism, the app’s premise can easily be neglected by users. Since you can post even hours after the BeReal notification has been sent out, many wait to take their BeReal images until the most interesting part of their day, perhaps when poolside or clubbing with friends. Even users who try to post when the BeReal notification pops up can still skip days when their BeReal would be “boring.”
Another downside of the app is the time of day users typically get notified to take a BeReal. Often, the notification comes mid-day, when many are either working or eating lunch. Some users wish that BeReal would send notifications out in the early morning hours to see their friends’ post-midnight shenanigans.
If social media often induces your anxiety, BeReal may or may not be your thing. While the app celebrates low-pressure posting, those uncomfortable using social media may still see BeReal as stressful. Needing to take a flattering selfie or find the compelling moments of your day would make using BeReal a similar experience to using Instagram.
However, for those who are confident on social media and already share unposed images with others, BeReal offers a way to keep up with friends’ daily routines. Unlike other social media apps, BeReal also most likely will not drain hours of your day–the content posted on the app is not ever-updated and limitless like on TikTok or Instagram.
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