Once you get the BeReal notification, you have two minutes to post one picture of yourself and one of your surroundings. (You’re the one pressing the button to take the photo, and you get to decide whether to post it or not.) You can comment on friends’ posts or react with “RealMojis” (selfies imitating emojis), but there are no likes. If you post late so you can share your fancy dinner reservation or cool makeup look, the app punishes you by tagging your photo with a note about how much later you posted. BeReal also discourages lurking. You can’t see anyone else’s BeReal of the day until you post your own.
The idea may sound kind of strange. We’re not used to sharing life’s more mundane or embarrassing moments. Even our Twitter humble brags are still brags. Nevertheless, BeReal is steadily gaining momentum among young people, particularly on college campuses.
“You’re not glamorizing anything like you do on Instagram or Facebook,” said Juliana Cafarella, a 19-year-old student at Northeastern University. “You’re not just showing off the best moments; you’re showing off whatever it is you’re doing at 12:42 on a Tuesday afternoon.”
Founder Alexis Barreyat launched BeReal in 2020. Previously, he was a video producer with GoPro. He spent a lot of time with social media influencers on the job, leading him to think more deeply about social media’s shiny veneer. “Every time he would open Instagram, it would be filled with ads and influencers and the perfect life of everyone,” Elisabeth Schuster, PR at BeReal, wrote in an email to Protocol. “His life wasn’t as perfect as they were always showcasing.”
BeReal’s bid for authenticity resonated with young users — first in France, where it was developed. It became one of the top 10 social media apps in France last March, according to Barreyat’s LinkedIn post. It reached this goal “without spending a single $ in marketing & acquisition,” Barreyat wrote. BeReal started growing…