New Social Media App: BeReal

Could you keep it real on social media?

BeReal App is a new social media app that is challenging users to show their most authentic selves. The app opens a 2-minute window once a day where users are allowed to post a photo. However, their daily picture comes from their camera directly. There is no such thing as filters, editing or uploading from your camera roll on this app. The 2-minute time frame to post occurs at a different time each day so users cannot prep for their photo.

The app is also designed in a way that discourages any form of influencing as we know it on other social media platforms. All accounts are private. You can add people as a friend on the app, but you cannot view their gallery of photos. You can see their photo of the day on the timeline, but they disappear once a new one is posted. This helps to reduce the comparisons that we so often find ourselves doing when looking at other people’s social media pages. There are also no public follower counts, and the friending system ensures that the people you are connecting with on the app are people you know, rather than celebrities that you just aim to be like.

The app has been gaining traction as the downloads have increased 315% in 2022. The app is also primarily popular with Gen Z users, as over 80% of current users are between the ages of 16-24. Since Gen Z have grown up being immersed with extremely curated photos from their friends and favourite celebrities, this app could be a positive solution, as they are reminded that what is seen on other social media apps is not the full story.

While this social media app is not one that would benefit most company’s digital marketing strategies, there is an optimistic future for the app to change the norms of social media.