Unlike other social networks, packed with posturing, BeReal offers an unfiltered, unplanned social experience — no waiting for the perfect moment to post.
But, what is BeReal?
BeReal is a photo-sharing application that asks users to post one photo a day, with no filters.
BeReal launched at the end of 2019, but its popularity started rising in mid-2022. Today it ranks as the second social media application on the US App Store, and has been installed roughly 29.5 million times on mobile devices.
How does BeReal work?
The BeReal application sends an automatic notification to its users: "⚠️ Time to BeReal. ⚠️" at a random time every day. Users in the same time zone get the alert simultaneously. They then have two minutes to take a photo and share it with their followers on the network.
BeReal uses the mobile device's cameras (front and rear) to take a selfie alongside whatever you're doing, at the same time. So if you're used to filters, be prepared: the application has no photo editing feature.
The two-minute countdown means there's no time to plan or prepare. You simply share what you're doing in that precise moment when the notification arrives — which can come at any time of day between 11 am and 4 pm, otherwise, the next day.
You can retake your photos within those two minutes, but your followers will know if you do (and how many times). If you miss the deadline, you can still post, but your BeReal is tagged "posted late."
Unlike any other social platform, there's no option to like other photos: if you want to interact with a post, you have to take a reaction selfie or write a comment.
