The BeReal app has grown by at least 315% since its launch in 2020, with at least 65% of lifetime downloads occurring in the first quarter of 2022.
While BeReal has grown in popularity thanks to its ambassador program aimed at college students, the app is now being embraced by more Gen Z because it allows them to be real.
For Gen Z, this is different from other platforms, where they are pressured to “look good,” and the platform doesn’t have that fake feel.
On how the app works, individuals get a notification from the app. This notification informs them when they need to publish their BeReal for the day, and they have two minutes to do so. Their friends also receive the notification simultaneously.
The app instructs the user to take a photo of what they are doing at the time, no matter how mundane or exciting. Users are instructed to take a photo of what they are doing with their rear-facing camera. At the same time, their phone takes a photo of them with their front-facing camera.
The fact that the app does not use third-party filters or apps to change users appearance shows that it allows them to be what they are.
The sources for this piece include an article in NPR.
