What is BeReal?
BeReal is a social networking and photo sharing app that was created in 2020 by Alexis Barreyat. The app's purpose is to share authentic and unedited photos of users' daily lives.
The main feature of BeReal is the daily notification users receive asking them to take and share a photo within 2 minutes. The app simultaneously snaps a photo using the front and back phone cameras, so the goal is to capture a glimpse of what the user is genuinely doing at that moment in time. This is meant to contrast with curated social media content on apps like Instagram or Snapchat.
BeReal does not allow editing features on its platform and photos disappear after 24 hours. The app has a strong focus on privacy and does not show likes, comments or follower counts. The feed shown to users is chronological without algorithms rather than ordered by engagement. Users can only see their friends' content.
Since launching, BeReal has gained significant popularity especially among Gen Z users. It promotes itself as the anti-social media app for showing real and unfiltered life moments. The app monetizes through a subscription plan without ads or data selling. Key reasons for BeReal's growth are seen as pandemic-driven authenticity nostalgia and general social media fatigue from polished yet less genuine platforms.