What is BeReal?

BeReal is a social media platform specifically built for authenticity and genuine connections. It aims to create a safe space for people to express themselves without the pressure of portraying a perfect image or gaining popularity through likes and followers.

The idea behind BeReal is to counteract the negative effects of traditional social media, such as comparison and self-esteem issues, by promoting real life and vulnerability. Users are encouraged to come as they are, as opposed to posing and pretending and cherry-picking moments of their lives that fit a "successful" narrative by any standards.

What is the history of BeReal?

BeReal was conceived by Alexis Barreyat, an ex-GoPro employee in Munich, Germany, alongside Kévin Perreau, a 42 Paris alumnus. After its 2020 debut, the app achieved widespread acclaim in early 2022, notably among college students, partly attributable to an effective paid ambassador program.

By late August 2022, BeReal boasted over 10 million daily active users and 21.6 million monthly active users, numbers that surged to 13 million daily and 47.8 million monthly active users by February 2023.



Financial growth milestones include a $30 million funding round in June 2021 led by powerhouse investors Andreessen Horowitz and Accel, followed by an $85 million boost in May 2022 from a DST Global-led round, catapulting its valuation to approximately $600 million.

However, by late spring 2023, the app witnessed a decline in user engagement, dropping to around 6 million daily users from October 2022's peak of 15 million.

How does BeReal work? 

BeReal is quite simple and straightforward: it works as any social media app, but you share one photo per day, at a specific time. You can share whatever you want, whatever you are doing at that very moment. Every day, you will get a notification to share what you're doing. You have a two-minute window to post. If you miss the two-minute notification, you can still post, but your friends will know you posted late.

The app's main feature is a "Discover" page where users can post photos, videos, or text updates. There is no pressure to gain likes, followers, or compete for popularity. Users can also join various communities based on their interests and engage in discussions and activities with like-minded individuals.



Another significant aspect of BeReal is its emphasis on fighting against social media fatigue, mental health, and well-being. The app provides resources and support for users struggling with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

It also encourages a positive and inclusive community by implementing strict guidelines and an explicit image moderation process that fights against hate speech, cyberbullying, and harmful content.

BeReal is a social media application focused on about daily life and who you are as a person, as opposed to carefully curated social media marketing strategies and edited photos. That is precisely what makes it special, compared to other social media platforms.

All in all, BeReal challenges people to see social media differently - perhaps, in some ways, closer to what it was intended to be in the first place (connecting people, despite the distance.)

Pro tip: want to add BeReal to your social strategy? Work with one of our vetted social media managers.

BeReal main features 

BeReal may be built as a social media application, but its entire focus lies on mental health and fighting against social media fatigue. As such, all of main features tap into the same idea:

• Single photo per day sharing: As mentioned, users can only share one photo per day at a designated time. This encourages genuine and authentic moments rather than curated and staged content.
• Communities: Users can join communities based on their interests, such as art, music, travel, etc., and connect with like-minded people.
• Discover page: The discover page is where users can find posts from the people they follow, as well as popular posts within their communities and globally.
• Mental health resources: BeReal provides a safe space for users to share their mental health struggles and access resources such as online support groups, hotlines, and self-care tips.

What other apps does BeReal compete with?

BeReal has long been seen as a competitor for Instagram, in the sense that both apps focus on visual content sharing. However, BeReal's emphasis on authenticity and community sets it apart from Instagram's superficial and popularity-driven nature.

Other social media apps that could be seen as competitors for BeReal include TikTok, Facebook Groups, and Reddit. However, BeReal's unique selling point of promoting genuine connections through vulnerability gives it a distinct edge over these social platforms.

Over the years, BeReal has also been compared to Snapchat for its one-post-per-day format, but the two apps have different target demographics and purposes. Snapchat is primarily used for messaging and sharing real-time moments, while BeReal focuses on building a genuine community.