Has the time to BeReal passed us by?
By Tom Richardson
Newsbeat reporter
Remember summer and those record-breaking temperatures? The weather wasn’t the only thing that was hot.
BeReal was the must-have app, hooking millions of downloads with its one-post-a-day take on social media.
At a random time, an alert prompts you to drop everything and post photos of whatever you’re doing. No warning, no filter.
But with user numbers reportedly down, its makers want you to BeRealer – and post up to three times a day.
Users in the UK will be the first to test the new feature, with other countries set to follow.
Previously, a notification telling you “It’s Time to BeReal!” was a sign you had two minutes to take a photo and upload it.
With the new update now available, if you post on time, you’ll get two chances to post a “Bonus BeReal”.
These extra photo sets can be uploaded on the same day at whatever time you like.
Image source, BeReal
Bonus BeReal will be rolled out in the UK before other countries get the feature
BeReal was a surprise success when it first launched by young French entrepreneur Alexis Barreyat.
People were attracted to its focus on capturing users off-guard.
It was seen as an alternative to the curated, filtered feeds of other social media apps, and was even named Apple’s App of the Year 2022.
It encourages you to share posts with a small circle of close friends, so it’s not the place to look for clout.
But it didn’t stop certain moments, like Harry Styles shooting a BeReal post in the middle of a gig, from going viral outside the app and driving its popularity.
And when the suspiciously similar TikTok Now feature was launched, it was clear that BeReal was having an influence.
But there are reports that downloads have slowed down, and that fewer daily users are returning.
That can be a problem, because investors like to see user numbers and engagement – the time people spend using the app – going up.
Adding new features is a good way to keep people interested, but it can backfire. Remember when your Instagram feed suddenly looked like TikTok?
Image source, TikTok
TikTok Now… where have I seen this before?
So BBC Newsbeat asked BeReal some questions about the new features.
It doesn’t put people up for interviews because it doesn’t want to be represented by a single figure – but sent some responses from its whole team.
Despite reports of falling user numbers, the company says it’s still growing and, according to its own data, has 20 million daily users.
They didn’t want to comment on TikTok Now, but say they “think it’s healthy and important for companies to constantly iterate to provide the best features for users around the world”.
The team says allowing users to post more gives them the “freedom to share the special moments in their life that happen outside the two-minute window”.
And, despite the more relaxed rules on bonus posts, they say authenticity is still at the heart of BeReal.
“We welcome anyone who wants to stay connected with close friends and family to try our new features and give us their feedback so we can continue to improve our experience.”
