A new social media app called BeReal is on a mission to bring back authenticity to the way people share their lives online. The slogan – “be real” – resonated with people, and the app is really taking off. Even NBC’s Saturday Night Live referenced it in a recent skit. 

According to TechCrunch, BeReal originally came about in December 2019. The responsible party is former GoPro employee Alexis Barreyat. Last August, app inteligente Apptopia reported that the social media app had over 43 million downloads since its launch. That means a growth of over 315% to date. 

The photo-sharing app proposes a different take on the way people share their lives online. Once a day, at a completely random time, users have to post a photo of whatever they’re up to at that exact moment. 

The camera on their phones will then capture a photo from the front and back camera, switching between them within a few seconds. Users have only two minutes to post their activity on time so they can have access to their friend’s posts. However, they also have the option of posting at a later time if they want. 

The purpose behind the app? To show your contacts what you’re doing, and to be real about it.

Eric Dahan, Open Influence’s CEO, talked about the popularity of BeReal in an interview with Fox. He explained why the social media app became popular because of its position as the “anti-Instagram platform”. 

He said the main reason behind it is that interactions are limited. The app is truly designed to force users to be authentic. Since there’s a small time frame to take and post the picture, users can’t create overly curated content. 

According to Dahan, BeReal fulfills the need for authenticity of Gen Z. While millennials, however, value a fuller experience regarding shareability and curated content. Dahan mentions that authenticity is important, and cites ad content as an example. Usually when the content looks more real, it ends up performing better. 

Another reason why so many users are attracted to BeReal is the app’s simple call to action. Posting whatever it is that you’re doing at any given time is an easy task to complete. Not only that, but it’s also a well focused product. Users don’t have to go through a lot of settings to find out what they need to do. 

Finally, Dahan believes that the app became so appealing to many because it’s slowly pulling people away from overexposed influencer media. Since more and more people are settling into a more digitally immersed world since the pandemic, they are also craving real connections.  

Most social media produces overly curated content that people are no longer interested in. Dahan praises BeReal for catering to a market that’s been long overlooked. He believes this unique function will allow BeReal to last, and finishes his statement saying existing platforms should follow suit.

Nowadays, social media has taken the world by storm. Two of the most used platforms are Instagram and TikTok. But which offers more features to its users? Follow the link below to learn more about this matter in our comparison between the apps.