How Real Is BeReal?
How BeReal has taken over social media platforms
—By Lily Karson
Those tiny flashing emergency light emojis next to the words “Time to BeReal: 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!” have excited young adults for the past year. BeReal is a new social media app bringing an authentic twist to perfect, glamorized, edited social media photos. BeReal has become increasingly popular since its release, with over over 53 million downloads in the United States since December 2019. On BeReal’s company profile, there are only 128 employees, a small but hard-working team supporting a company valued at $600 million. Why has BeReal taken over Gen Z and Millenials? What is so special about the app that users cannot get elsewhere?
The BeReal app is intimate and reliable, showcasing a quick glimpse into someone’s day. If BeReal goes off in the morning, you might see a friend sipping out of a homemade mug or rushing to class in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. If BeReal goes off at night, your feed might overflow with fluffy pillowcases and selfies with eye masks and books. Especially in the college scene, BeReal is a way for college students to connect with a tight-knit community more trustworthy than their other social media app followings. BeReal users are more selective with their “friend requests” compared to other apps because posts are meant to be spontaneous and candid, rather than edited and planned.
How it works
Once per day, BeReal notifies all users that a two-minute window to post is available. BeReal takes two simultaneous photos: one from the front, or selfie camera, and one from the regular back camera. The two-minute time window alerts users at a different time each day, so users do not know when the notification will go off. In addition, you can only see others’ BeReals once you have posted your own, thus granting access into your own feed. There is another feature of the app where users can post to “Discovery” rather than “My Friends,” showcasing their daily BeReals to approved friends on the app.
BeReal was released in 2020 but gained traction in 2022 due to its college ambassador program. College students can apply, and chosen ambassadors cultivate a presence among college peer groups. These ambassadors host events around their campus, execute marketing ideas, and are motivated to join by receiving mentorship from BeReal entrepreneurs. By mid August, BeReal became the number one free iPhone app. According to Social Media Today, as of late August 2022, the app has up to 10 million active daily users, a significant rise from just 10,000 over a year ago.
Since users can only post a photo once a day, they cannot mindlessly scroll through the app, boosting retention and excitement when posting their own. Users are also motivated to post since they cannot see their friends’ BeReals until they post their own. In contrast with TikTok and Instagram, there are no special influencers or ads, thus instigating the idea of getting a “real glimpse” into someone’s life. Friends can see how many retakes, if any, were taken to capture the BeReal as well as how “late” someone is to posting (e.g.,. two hours late). So, users can still post beyond the two-minute time frame if they wish.
Why BeReal?
BeReal takes a new approach to social media, without the picture-perfect curation and filtered approach to life. According to NPR, users expect to see “mundane motions of life: people walking their dog, people staring at a computer, people eating lunch…in comparison to Instagram and Snapchat which feels like a performance.” Other people feel this way as well. Jessi, a senior at the University of Michigan, notes that she feels excited about the BeReal notification each day. It is the first social media app where she does not feel pressure to pose or compare, and instead feels joy about opening the app.
BeReal also has an innate time filter, contrasting TikTok’s ForYou Page and Instagram’s Discovery Inquiries that often trap users into a never ending procrastination hole of new content. Elisabeth Schuster, a public relations employee at BeReal, reveals that one of BeReal’s core values is that people should spend as little time as possible on their phones, including BeReal. Some may find a caveat, as users are using an additional application that compels them to drive up the already high daily screen time and social media usage.
However, with BeReal, there is no sense of mindless scrolling, especially since the community is commonly kept small and users only post once a day. Once you see the posts, you should be done with the app. BeReal does not resurface a popular post or feed to interact with the way its counterparts do, and each photo also disappears once the next BeReal occurs.
Other social media apps, Instagram and TikTok, have adopted BeReal’s initiatives and incorporated BeReal features into their own apps. TikTok has a new feature called TikTok Now, copying the dual camera mode and notion of having all users post at the same time each day. According to the Washington Post, Instagram is planning to launch “Candid Challenges,” which will look very similar to BeReal and have users post in real time.
Ali, another senior at the University of Michigan, claims that BeReal is the most real social media app and that she would never post on Instagram or Snapchat the way she posts on BeReal. When asked why, she specified that there are “no likes, no competition, and no added stress about putting out photos for a large following.” Similarly to many other social media users, Ali commented that she has 54 friends on BeReal, strongly contrasting the 1,415 follower count on her Instagram profile.
How real is it?
With all of the social media platforms out there—TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter—why would BeReal be any different? There is a population of college students who are anti BeReal and do not see the value in downloading yet another social media app. Mara, a junior at the University of Michigan, says, “The way it is being used, I really just do not think it is authentic. It is just another platform where everyone wants to see what people are doing. It could be real…. But you have the other users who curate daily BeReals to make them stand out.” Jason, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, does not use BeReal. He says that the idea of BeReal is a lot to keep up with for a person who does not use social media very often.
It may be virtually impossible to create a social media app that is 100% authentic, because who really knows? The rules of BeReal are flexible, despite its purpose to have users stop whatever they are doing and be themselves. You can retake your photo as many times as you want (even though people can see the retakes) or you can put off BeReal until later. You can easily wait three hours to post your BeReal until you are doing something extravagant at a fabulous party or fancy dinner, and your friends may just think you missed the original notification.
It is difficult to say whether or not BeReal will stay true to its professed values. BeReal is currently funded by venture capital investors and does not have a clear monetization strategy. According to Gizmodo, the company is not ruling out the possibility of welcoming ads to the platform. While there are currently no ads, brand and marketing opportunities arise. According to Social Media Today, Chipotle has been using the app to share exclusive codes, regularly redeemed in just one minute. As long as these initiatives do not intrude on their experience and shared trust in the app, it would be a way for BeReal to generate revenue and create partnerships with brands. However, some users could take a step back once seeing resemblance with the tactics of other regular social media apps.
Is BeReal here to stay?
While BeReal is a current fad among young adults, there is a population of older individuals who have never even heard of the app. Jack, a 62 year old grandfather, has never heard of the app and reveals he has absolutely no interest in downloading it after hearing about it. It is meant for close friends, and he cannot think of one possible friend who would have this app and use it daily.
According to Elizabeth Schuster, BeReal is “working hard to keep the app as simple as possible.” Interviewee Ali comments that she will continue to use the app until the trend disappears and her friends no longer use the app.
BeReal won’t make you famous. It is a reflection of what social media used to be, before the influencers, paid partnerships, and careers derived solely from advertising and online posts. While BeReal is still in its early stages, users are enthusiastic to see what else BeReal will bring. Right now, it is a new and exciting way for people to take a step back from the toxicity surrounding social media these days and have an outlet for low key connections. While some users are more “real” than others, all users are still in the honeymoon phase with the app, actively waiting and posting each day. BeReal remains one of the most popular social media apps, incentivizing users to gain access to close friends’ feeds upon posting an entry photo. For now, BeReal is a relatively positive addition to the digital world, providing a much needed break from the social pressures of other social media apps.
Feature photo, BeReal notification screenshot; photo credit, Lily Karson