Are you tired of filtered and overly edited photos? Here's a new app that will show the authentic you.
BeReal is an app that aims to give you a more authentic and real way to show your stories in the social media world. According to the company, the app offers "a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life."
It was launched in early 2020 by French entrepreneur, Alexis Barreyat. Majority of its users, at least 65%, have signed up in the first quarter of 2022, CNN reported.
The BeReal social media app is focused on authenticity.
You will be prompted once a day to share a photo of what you're doing at that moment, which gives your friends and others an unvarnished glimpse into your life. It has no filters and no edit buttons so people would see the reality of where you are and what you are currently doing.
How Does BeReal Work?
BeReal is aiming to change the standards that Facebook and Instagram have set — that you need to have blemish-free skin and have a perfectly curated pose in photos.
With BeReal, there is only one requirement — you have to be yourself. So here's how the new app works.
Every day, you get a notification from BeReal that tells you that it's time to post your photos for the day. You have two minutes to do it. At the same time, your friends will also get notifications.
You take a photo of whatever you're doing at that time when the notification appears, no matter how mundane or exciting. You could be lying in bed, waiting at a bus station, playing with your cat, or eating your breakfast. You can be totally doing anything — and it's totally okay.
With your back-facing camera, you take one photo of what you're doing, and at the same time, with your front-facing camera, your phone takes a photo of you.
That's it.
Filters or third-party apps to change your appearance are not integrated into the app. You may retake the photos and you can still post if you miss the window, but in both cases, your friends will see that you retook the image or posted late, as explained by CNET.
BeReal also allowed users to see where their friends are on a map and discover other publicly posted. The catch is before you view anyone else's post for the day, you have to post your own photos, as per CNET.
Read Also: Truth Social App: Where and How to Download Donald Trump's Social Media App
What Make BeReal Popular?
At least 65% of lifetime downloads of BeReal happened in the first quarter of 2022. The app's 315% year-to-date increase in downloads is also notable.
BeReal is targeting college students with its ambassador program and it seems to be working, said NPR.
It has become popular among many Generation Z because according to them, other social media apps encourage them to look good whereas BeReal is more of a down-to-earth app that allows users to post their authentic selves.
As per an NPR report, the curation that individuals do on other social media platforms is part of what BeReal is trying to break with the lack of filters and the timestamps it has. It aims to offer a more intimate view of your life.
Related Article: Social Media Cybersecurity Threats
