BeReal is a social media application that enables users to post unfiltered and authentic photos of themselves once a day. This app was released in 2020 and has gained over 60 million downloads in recent times. Currently, it is one of the most popular photo-sharing platforms in the United States. This social media platform allows users to show their friends what they are doing at the moment.
It is very different from other social media platforms because it focuses on authenticity. As a user, you are only allowed to post once a day on this app, which means you don’t have to be on the app all day. The image taken will be sent to your friend privately or publicly once they post theirs.
With BeReal, you can capture an unfiltered, realistic snapshot of your life as a user. The image taken features pictures that have been taken by both the back and front cameras simultaneously. This means the user’s friends get to see what is in front of them when the picture is taken.
How Does It Work?
Users get to receive a notification from the app at a random time once a day saying “Time to Be Real.” This will now open a 2-minute window for them to post a picture of what they are doing currently. The purpose of this app is to capture an unfiltered, authentic snapshot of the user’s life, just as I have mentioned above.
However, if the user posts past the minute mark, it will be considered late. And they won’t be able to see other users’ photos until they post. Once they post, the user will also have access to the application’s Discover section. Just so you know, although the user can retake their photos, this app will show the number of times the images were taken.
It will also show the number of times that a user tries to capture their BeReal moment. The Like option is not available on this app, but users can react to other people’s posts using RealMoji. They can also use an emoji featuring the selfie-imitating emoji reaction. Keep in mind that this app does not have edit buttons or filters. And you cannot post your videos on the platforms. Ads do not show on this app, and neither do follower counts. Posts shared are only available for 24 hours.
BeReal Features
This photo-sharing app has some amazing features that make it very different from other social media platforms. Some of these features include:
- Random Notification: Time to Be Real
- Front and back cameras were activated simultaneously.
- RealMojis
- No followers
- Discovery news feed
- A post per day at a random point
- Users can only view other posts if they have shared a post.
- Share a post privately or publicly.
- You are only allowed to see what other people have posted that day on their profiles.
- Reporting and blocking are available.
- Users have only two minutes to take a picture of what they are doing at the moment.
- Memories
- There is no private or direct messaging, hashtags, or likes.
- Delete BeReal posts.
One good thing that makes this app different from other social media apps is that you cannot have followers. However, you are free to add as many people as you want. But they will need to share a BeReal for them to be able to view yours. Unlike social apps like Instagram and TikTok, you can be famous on this app.
How to Use BeReal
Using this app is straightforward. You don’t need much, as long as you have a strong internet connection. Once you have that, here is what you need to do:
- Download the BeReal app from the Play Store or Apple Store. Once you have downloaded it, open the app and sign up for a user account with your name, phone number, and date of birth. A security code will be sent to you to verify your account. After that, you can now choose a username for yourself.
- Add friends to your contact lists. Although this can be done later, it might be a good choice to do it when setting up your account. If your friends are not using the app, you can send them an invitation
- You will now need to wait for the time to be real. You will get this notification at a random time every day. This means you can plan your photo. And once this notification comes through, you only have two minutes to post.
- Take your picture and post it on the app. Once you post it, you will be able to see your friend’s posts and comments from the same day. You can react with an emoji or reply with a RealMoji. This will automatically turn you to a react icon.
- You can add a caption to your photo once it is live.
Just like other social media platforms, posts on this app are only live for 24 hours. Also, you need to know that only you have access to your old posts. This can be found in the memories section of the app.
What is the Purpose of BeReal?
On this app, you are only required to take a picture of the moment. And the photos posted are not edited; they were fabricated to show a realistic portrayal of the person. The images taken on this app stand as an authentic representation of a user’s day-to-day life. It is social media without filters and with an airbrushed edge.
BeReal encourages young people to be real and gives them a slice of life. It also gives viewers a genuine insight into other users’s days. On this app, there are no monetization, no edit buttons, and no filters. It is not an app that can help make people popular. Generally, it is made available to share a realistic representation of the moment. For teenagers, it is like an alternative to the more polished, curated social media platforms.