Quick! It is time to BeReal. Regardless of the drool on your face, puffy eyes and a fresh set of bedhead, the bolded notification invigorates you to push past thoughts of judgment to capture you and your surroundings in a selfie, no matter your environment.
Released in 2020, BeReal, the Apple Store’s most popular app in the month of July, currently ranks in the top 10 social media apps among Apple users.
Gaining tremendous notoriety in the early months of 2022, BeReal has become an integral part of the lives of those who have it.
Preaching authenticity, a single random notification throughout the day prompts users to take a picture within a two-minute time frame.
The app’s most notable, set-apart feature is its camera function, simultaneously encapsulating a photo using your front-facing and back-facing camera.
This function gives room to show off anything and everything you are doing at that time, supporting the app’s vision of keeping things real.
Once posted, your photo goes into a general feed along with your BeReal friends’ for everyone to see.
However, posts are not visible to those who haven’t posted that day.
Limited to one post a day, when the next notification ends, your last post is deleted.
Don’t fret, however, because BeReal’s memories section stores every photo you have ever posted.
Going up against other photo-capturing platforms like Instagram or Snapchat, the app’s casual and relaxed nature proves to be a focal point of its mission to eliminate superficial, filtered photos. So, just be real.
— By Jacob Chand
Originally published in the Oct. 25 edition of The Octagon
